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The housing market is booming right now! Interest rates are low, and the preowned market is super competitive. Both of these things are leading people to consider building their dream home. If you are considering building a home soon, there are a few things you should consider doing before contacting a builder.
1. Get in contact with a lender
We all know that material prices are going up, along with what seems like everything else in the world. It is a good idea to get preapproved for a construction loan before you contact a builder. This way you know exactly how much money you have to spend on your dream home. You may get approved for more or less than you expected, but that does not really matter. What matters is that you and your builder understand what your budget is. At Tanner Built Homes, our goal is to get you in your dream home within your budget! It is much better to have a concrete number than to just shoot from the hip and later find out that your approval is for less than you thought it would be.
2. Start searching for land
With the growth people wanting to build homes, comes a shortage of available lots to build on. Relators are a great resource for finding land because they have access to the MLS and can see available lots before they ever make it to popular sites like Zillow.com or Relator.com. If you know the area that you want to build in, a realtor can help you find a lot that will meet your needs.
3. Have a perc test done
This is only necessary if your lot does not have city or county hookups. A perc test determines if the lot can support a septic system by testing the water absorption rate of the soil. You should make offers on land contingent on a passed perc test. This will ensure you are purchasing a lot that can be built on. If the perc test is failed, the lot is unsuitable for building. If you are given or inherit a piece of property, the first thing you should do is have a perc test done. Whoever gave the land is very nice for doing so, but you want to make sure that you can build a home there before setting your heart on doing so.
4. Understand the additional costs that go into building a home
Most people understand that it takes “bricks and sticks” to build a home, but there is so much more than that to make the house a livable home. If you own a piece of property that does not have city or county water and sewer you will need a well and septic system. The cost of your well and septic varies depending on the lot itself. If your lot does have city or county connections, there will be a fee to tap into that system. Your lot may need to be cleared. The cost of clearing depends on the size of the lot and the density of the growth there. There are also things that we cannot predict such as unsuitable soils or large rocks in the area the house is being built in. Both of these situations could lead to additional costs.
These steps are suggestions to make the process of getting an estimate and starting the building process simple for you and our team. Of course you do not have to complete all of these steps before calling or emailing us, but it is a good idea to make the process go as smoothly as possible. We are here to help you and answer any questions you have!