Five Insider Secrets to Hiring a Trustworthy Home Builder

Building your own home is one of the most exciting and important decisions you’ll make in your life. That’s why it’s important to make that decision based on vital facts and information.

I’d like to help you with that process by providing you with five steps for choosing the best builder for your needs. I guarantee you that if you follow these guidelines, you’ll save time, money, and a whole of energy!

Step 1: Determine Your Budget

Talk to your lender about the budget you’ll need in order to build a home. And then, once that budget is set, stay within it!

Remember, building a new home is often a conceptual process, and that means costs can get out of control in a hurry if you’re not careful.

Also, keep in mind that many builders work with preferred lenders which can streamline the whole loan process because lenders know exactly what paperwork they need from the builder and vice versa.

Step 2: Search for the Right Builder

The best thing you can do is to go onto the Internet and Google 'builders' in Omaha, Nebraska. There’s a lot of free information on lots of great builders in the Omaha area. Compare price points, where the builders build, how they operate, etc.

By the way, you’ll find three kinds of builders around here, generally speaking:

1. Custom builders – These builders work from designs and blueprints to build a home “from scratch.” Their homes start at around $200,000 and can go up in a hurry because it takes so much time and effort to build such homes. Remember, the more time it takes to build a home, the more money it will cost you. 

2. Semi-custom builders – These builders, like Charleston Homes, have several floor plans you can choose from. For example, Charleston has seven floor plans to suit your needs. That means we can move things around within those floor plans (but not the foundation). It also means you can build your home on a lot in the neighborhood of your choosing…get the colors you want, etc.

3. Production builders – These builders own their own land and may build 300+ homes a year. You can’t make changes at all on these homes.

Step 3: Start Visiting Models

Once you’ve selected several builders to investigate, start visiting model homes and take a look at key features in terms of quality and workmanship.

Equally important, pay attention to the sales associate and his/her communication! Remember, you’ll have a long-term relationship during the building process so you want good two-way communication. You want to know upfront that they’ll be listening to you and meeting your needs.

Step 4: Visit a Construction Site

Look for builders’ representatives willing to accompany you to one of their homes under construction. After all, they should be proud of their work and not have anything to hide.

Check the condition of the work site. Clean worksites are safe worksites, plus it shows pride in the quality of the work being done exactly what you want for your home.

Step 5: Ask to Meet with the Builder

A builder should be willing to meet so you can ask a lot of technical questions; for example,…What kind of insulation?…What type of windows?...etc.

In the process of asking questions, determine how well the builder communicates with you. Remember, this is a long-term relationship so you want open and clear communication at all times.

Alright, I hope you enjoyed learning about the steps for selecting a builder, and I recommend you follow them so you get the best home for the money within a reasonable time!

To learn more about the process of new construction with Charleston Homes or any other builder…call us right now at 402.934.2212, email us today, or better yet, come out and visit one of our models as soon as possible at 150th & Fort or 101st & Giles right here in Omaha, NE.