Finding a good home builder (whether it’s a teardown home build, a production home build, or custom home build) can be one of the hardest parts of the home build process. And the reasons it’s so hard to find a good home builder is because of the vast array of skills, qualities, and resources required to perform the job effectively. In this article, we are going to focus on the most important aspect you want in a home builder, their qualities.
These qualities are the core of the person, and therefore, dictates how every part of your home build takes place. If they excel in these qualities, your build will go well. But, if they lack in them, your build will struggle, and you will be the victim of it.
So, when you are a searching for a home builder, you have to find out if they have these qualities. Because if you don’t pick a builder with these qualities, you could end up in a stress filled home build.
Let’s look at the 3 essential qualities to be considered a good homebuilder. This will help you in identifying a good builder for you.
1. A Good Homebuilder is Honest and Trustworthy
An honest and trustworthy homebuilder is paramount. Why? For three reasons. 1. The relationship you have with a builder last months or years (especially when considering warranties). 2. You only get one shot to build your house right. And, 3. You have substantial money at stake.
Now, with a lot of decisions in life, they aren’t as dire as picking an honest and trustworthy homebuilder. Think about this scenario for a moment. Let’s say that you buy a used TV from a dishonest person. They tell you that the TV works great, nothing is wrong with it. But the truth is that the TV loses it’s picture after an hour of being turned on. Your decision in trusting that dishonest TV seller won’t affect you like that of trusting a dishonest homebuilder. The purchase of a defective TV will not have deep, long-lasting financial pain, or emotional consequences, compared to that of a bad home build.
To help avoid a bad situation and to find a good home builder, you must qualify them as honest and trust worthy.
Does the builder appear trust worthy and open from the start?
The builder should be straight with you, not holding back information. They should not be reluctant to answer questions, explain processes, or show you examples when you can’t see or envision something.
If you see in early conversations that they don’t like to be questioned, or they don’t appreciate your inquiry about them, that’s not a good sign. Things probably won’t improve with him.
Also, the homebuilder should be committed to your home build as if it was his own. Your home build should be important to him. And he should take pride in wanting to build your house right, to deliver a home you’ll love.
So, from the beginning, pay attention to what the builder says, how they react, and how they portray themselves. Do you feel- “Oh, yes. This is someone I can trust with hundreds of thousands of my money.” If you don’t feel a high level of trust and honesty with them, they are probably not the homebuilder for you.
2. A Good Home Builder is Organized, with Processes and Systems in Place.
The second most important requirement for a good home builder is organization. Home building has hundreds of pieces that have to be managed. And those pieces, not only need to be accomplished, but they have to be done with quality, according to schedule, and on budget. If a part of the build is not finished in this manner, the rest of the build could be greatly affected and suffer.
To help assist the home builder in being organized, they should have processes and systems in place. It is, virtually, impossible for a good home builder to wing it through a build. If they try to do everything by memory or as it comes about, some parts of their make shift process will fail along the way. They will always be putting out fires, instead of having a proactive, progressive build. With the right systems and processes, a new home build can thrive.
So, find out from the home builder how they stay organized and what processes and systems they use. Be very leery if you don’t get specific answers, for example, if they don’t tell you that they use this program, this schedule, this software, or this checklist. They should easily show you what they do to stay organized.
3. A Good Home Builder is a Great Communicator
The third trait that makes a good home builder is their ability to be a great communicator.
A home builder has large amounts of details to discuss with the home buyer, and much of it may be new to you. For these reasons, they have to spend the time required to explain it and to do it in a manner that can be understood.
The home builder also needs to have timely communication. If they delay the necessary communication, the build could encounter big delays, or other large problems.
In addition, the home buyer may have certain expectations about updates, changes, or problems being communicated with them. If the builder doesn’t make these communications with the buyer, they can become frustrated. They may wonder- How is the build progressing?, Why aren’t any subcontractors working at the house?, and Why doesn’t this look right? So, establish with the builder when you will communicate, by what means, and special circumstances that require additional contact. This will let each of you know what is expected and what should happen to maintain proper communication.
When you talk with a potential builder, look for the good and bad signs about their communication. They should be positive, and should welcome questions, encouraging you to ask whatever you want.
Does the home builder have the 3 key qualities?
After you talk with the home builder, what did you learn? Make the time and effort to dissect, analyze, and evaluate your meeting with them. You should feel that this is someone who respects you and looks forward to working with you. You should also see evidence that they possess the 3 essential qualities to being a good home builder.
But there’s another step to take to confirm that this is a good home builder, because you should have substantial evidence that they are honest and trust worthy, organized, and a great communicator. How do you get that evidence? Talk to their current and previous clients. Ask them specific questions regarding how the builder displayed these qualities, and how they didn’t display them. These clients have first hand experience working with the builder, which can be pivotal in your decision. Because the fact is, sometimes a builder can be a big talker to get your business, but later, they don’t deliver on how they portrayed themselves.
How to Make It Easy to Find a Good Home Builder
Finding a good home builder is not easy work, nor is any part of the home building process. Just ask someone who has done it. As a new home buyer, it takes a tremendous amount of effort and knowledge to get through a home build.
Yes, the home building process is overwhelming. But we can help you through it. Whether your building a teardown home, a production home, or custom home, we have the best solution for you. We tailor make the solution to fit you and your needs. Let us start helping you with your home build by contacting us below.
