The home building selections process
Did you know you could make up to 1000 decisions during the home building selections process? Here’s some advice to make this process easier.
There could be 30 selection categories such as appliances, tile, lights, floors, countertops, cabinets, etc. Unless you’ve built a house before, you might be surprised by the numerous choices within those categories. Examples are color, texture, size, style, finish, hardware, wattage, etc.
Compromise is key
Don’t assume everyone is on the same page. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Sit down with everyone that will be living in your house to discuss every room. Bring up every idea and address every concern while change is still possible.
Remember to compromise on some decisions if the family struggles to agree. The shared goal is to not let the build process get delayed.
Trust your builder
Make sure to choose a builder that you trust to provide quality choices and suggestions because they will guide you through the home building selections process. If you don’t trust the suggestions you’re getting, it adds time and causes decision-making anxiety. You may also feel unnecessarily temped to try to do things on your own.
Your investment matters, so you need a builder that knows their industry and services well enough to advise you on selections that create the most economic, aesthetic and personal value for you.
Stay organized and communicate
Since you’ll make many decisions over a length of time, you’ll need to track progress and be able to verify how you got from Point A to Point B in case you want to change your mind later. Be sure to ask your builder what their method is for organizing customer documents and other project resources.
Don’t be afraid to also ask questions in general. If you’re unsure about something, ask. Communication is equally important to everyone involved. And if you have a type of communication preference, it’s okay to request accommodation.
GreenBlock Development Group makes sure every detail is documented, stamped and saved in a confidential account. You’ll have a custom-tailored timeline to keep your project on schedule along with access to check on progress yourself.
Have a budget management strategy
To help with budget planning and forecasting, a common strategy to use for the selections process is to set up multiple tentative budgets by categories. That way you won’t funnel all of your money into one area.
If you set budget limits, remember, you don’t always have to max them out.
It’s important to realize you have an opportunity to allocate your investment strategically. You have a chance to save on some choices and spend more on others. What means the most to you in the house?
Ask your builder to help you with this because you might discover certain upgrades you thought weren’t in your budget are more feasible than you thought. You’ll need to weigh the benefits and figure out how much value they’ll provide in the long run. For example, you might decide to spend less on interior selections so you can upgrade to ICF construction for both economic and personal benefits.
SUMMARY
Remember, the selection process is supposed to narrow your search and prevent you from getting overwhelmed. It’s too easy to spend time overthinking something. One trick to keep the decisions flowing is to ask yourself, “is this something I’ll notice in the long run?” It’s not that small things don’t matter. They’re just not worth getting stressed about.
Ready to start the home building selections process? Contact us to talk about building your new home.
