Things to consider when selecting a home building company

Despite doing hours of research, if you find yourself confused and overwhelmed when deciding to hire a new home builder, don’t be surprised. You are not alone. Each day, many homeowners undergo the same anxiety that you are currently experiencing.

And it’s not without reason either. Selecting the right home builder is the most crucial decision you will ever make. You will be living in the home for years to come and if you make a wrong choice, it will be one that you will have to live with.

Irrespective of whether you want to make a cozy little home for two or a four story mansion, here are a few things that you’d want to consider before selecting any home building company.

Your Expectations about Home Building

Select a private home building company that has experience building the type of home that you wish to make. Not all home building companies have the same target market. Some companies target the lower tier of the market and aim for speed and volume. The advantage is the competitive pricing and the sharp turnaround times. The flipside is that such companies usually have monthly targets to achieve and often, compromise on quality. Companies that target the higher-priced end of the market, on the other hand, focus on better quality and customer service. However, the pricing and the turnaround time may be higher than what you expect.

The last few clients

Seek references from the company’s last three to four clients. This will help you understand the most recent customer testimonials about the company. Speaking is always better than reading written testimonials on a website, the accuracy and legitimacy of which, cannot always be ascertained. If a company is reluctant to share the details of their recent customers, they are best avoided.

Things to ask

When you speak to the customers of a home building company, ask them the following questions.

• The Management: Is the company management approachable? Do they respond quickly to queries/complaints before, during and after the home building process?
• The Employees: Are all the craftsmen skilled and licensed? Are they courteous and friendly? Does the company have a quality control process? Who supervises the work completed by the employees? Does the upper level management monitor the work during any phase?
• Communication: Do they communicate frequently? Were there any lapses in communication that led to escalated costs or time delays? A flawless communication system between you, the company and the company’s employees will be the greatest asset during your new home building process.
• Quality of work: How was the quality of the completed work? Were there any nuances that were left unattended? How was the home at handover?
• Timeliness: Ensure that you ask about the completion times to every customer that you speak to. Many companies over-promise about their ability to complete the job on time. So ensure that you do not miss out on this detail.

Once you have the answers to these questions and have collected these details, shortlist a few building companies based on them and then start meeting the representatives. This will help you make an informed decision.