Few relationships in life are as important as the relationship you have with your home builder. At times it will seem just like a marriage. You’ll probably go through a honeymoon stage and growing pains as you work together to accomplish an ambitious goal.
The better your relationship is with the builder the easier the process will be for everyone. Here are a few tips for building a great relationship with your builder.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
All good relationships start with respect. You have to respect that the builder is a professional with years of knowledge and experience you don’t have. And the builder has to respect that it’s your dream home and your money funding the project. They should respect your budget, and you should respect their time.
As long as there’s mutual respect, the process should remain positive and the relationship will strengthen over time.
Communicate Clearly
Communication is the foundation of any relationship. Without it there will be misunderstandings and confusion, which makes the home build process more stressful than it needs to be.
From the beginning lay out clear lines of communication. Share phone numbers and email addresses. Decide who will be the point of contact for both sides so there aren’t a bunch of sidebar conversations where conflicting information can crop up.
Set Clear Expectations
If communication is the foundation, expectations are the framework of a homebuyer/builder relationship. Make your expectations clear from the very beginning. A good home builder will listen and tell you what they think is reasonably possible based on their experience and professional opinion as well as your budget.
It’s also important to discuss expectations about communication and quality. Do you expect a daily update or weekly progress reports? Should the builder expect you to stop by the build site regularly or should they call you to come out and take a look? What quality level do you expect the builder to deliver?
The goal is to make sure everyone is on the same page before things get underway.
Even though expectations start with discussions, make sure everything is spelled out in black and white in the contract. That way there are no disputes later on down the road on what’s happening, for how much and when it will be complete.
Understand Changes Happen
No matter how well you plan a build, unforeseen factors can come into play. When this happens it’s guaranteed to put a damper on things, especially when the build is moving along smoothly.
Do your relationship a favor and accept that changes (and the delays that come with them) are a part of nearly every build.
Mother Nature can decide to wreak havoc for weeks straight. You may have a personal emergency that takes your attention away from the build. Life happens and can get in the way, but don’t let it unravel your relationship.
If changes need to be made it should be discussed immediately. It’s even better if you can have a conversation about how to handle changes at the onset so everything’s clear before you begin building.
A change order isn’t something homebuyers like to see from their builder, but remember the same is true when the construction boot is on the other foot. If you want to make changes to the home after the build is already underway it can throw things off for your builder and create a lot of extra work.
What’s most important is to take things in stride and work things out together as a team so you can move forward together.
Sometimes it helps to have a third party facilitating the process. At myHouseby we serve as a support system for home buyers by providing concierge services once the home plan is finalized. Our team will establish builder connections, set up meetings and make sure everything is communicated clearly. You’ll get to partner with an experienced team that can alleviate the stress and simplify the new construction process.
You’ll also be able to track the progress of your new home build through your myHouseby account so you’re up-to-date on what’s happening and when. It’s a tool that helps build trust and transparency, which is good for any relationship.
At the end of the day you and your builder have a common goal – building your dream home. By respecting one another, clearly communicating, setting expectations, working through changes as a team and getting support from myHouseby you’ll enjoy a great relationship from start to finish.
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