Nothing is more exciting than planning your dream house and seeing it come to fruition. We will be there with you step by step from the beginning to end because we’re awesome etc etc etc
We work with architects and make suggestions to improve your house and let you know where costs could be saved. Did we mention we’re amazing?
Should I buy land before contacting a builder, or talk to a builder before I buy land?
As a custom home builder, our business model is such that we generally work with clients who already own land and we build on their lot. However, it can be advantageous to contact a builder while you’re still researching land, as he can help you get a better idea of the kind of land you’ll want to build on. Ultimately though, the land you end up with will dictate much about your home’s design. So while it may be obvious that we can’t start building a home until you have a place to build it, what might not be so obvious—but is just as important to know—that we really can’t design a home either until we know exactly what kind of building conditions we’ll have.
All that to say that generally, you will want to own land before you start talking to a builder about design and pricing. If you’re interested, we can work with you and one of our lending partners to bundle your loan for the land and your construction loan, so feel free to contact us if that’s what you’d like to do. Also, if you don’t have a Real Estate Agent yet, feel free to contact us and we’ll connect you with one of our preferred real estate agents who can help you find land.
Does it cost more to build a custom home than a pre-built home?
Simple answer: it doesn’t have to. As long as you’re making a true apples-to-apples comparison, there’s no good reason why a custom home would have to cost any more than a pre-built home (sometimes called a “spec home”). At Builtwell, we like to say “Custom doesn’t mean gold-plated,” because sometimes people confuse the word “custom” with “luxury.” Yes, we do often build homes that have “luxury” features in them, but that’s because the home owner wants them. All custom really means is “just the way you want it,” so if you want a simple home, we can build you a simple home. If you want a small home, we can build you a small home. If you want venetian plaster for a wall covering, we can do that. If you want a simple coat of hand-troweled texture and paint, we can do that too. When we say custom, you should think “expensive,” you should think “a home that’s made just for me.”
Can I do some of the work on my home myself to save money?
It depends. In all honestly, we occasionally do let a home owner do some of the work when building their home, but it’s really not to save money. Most of the time, it’s because the home owner wants to feel invested; like he or she really got to be a part of the building process and put some sweat into the house itself. That can be a great feeling!
However, many people overestimate the way costs are calculated when building a home, so they think that if they take a small portion of the work off the General Contractor’s plate, big bucks can be saved. In truth, there’s really very little savings to be had by the kinds of tasks a home owner can bring to the table. Plus, it’s also important to remember that we as a builder are liable to build everything properly, and put a warranty on all of our work, so if we make a mistake, we fix it, at our cost. Whereas, if a home owner makes even a very small mistake, any of the intended costs savings could be lost, and the home owner would be liable to fix the mistake.
The important question to ask yourself is, “What is my motivation for doing the work myself?” If the answer is “to save money,” then you might be surprised at the value we bring compared to what you think you’ll save by doing it yourself. But if your motivation is doing it purely for the satisfaction of being able to tell your friends “I laid these bricks with my own two hands!” then by all means, roll up your sleeves! We are happy to help set you up for success. We just need to make sure your role is clearly defined before the contract is signed to ensure no miscommunications between builder and homeowner.
Quality & Satisfaction Guaranteed
We stand behind our work 100%.
Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to us so if for any reason, you’re not satisfied, we will come back and fix the issue, free of charge.
“Karl’s attention to detail and finishing was something that stood out the most. He helped with many of our designs issues we had along the way, and was always determined to provided a practical solution.
I would gladly recommend karl to any of my friends.”
Mr & Mrs Kay
Mt Eden
