If your home had you and your family feeling cramped this holiday season, you might have considered ways to renovate, expand, or buy a new home altogether. These ideas are all big decisions, but they don’t have to be daunting. With a bit of research and the right realtor and home builder on your side, the thrill of a new home can outweigh the stress of the process. And if you’re in for a really big decision, you might consider building your own custom home–the one you’ve always wanted. Read on for an overview of selling your home and creating your ideal custom home.
1) Contact your realtor: First, you’ll want to start the process of selling your current home. If you don’t already have a trusted realtor, you’ll want to find one who knows your market well. They’ll have the best idea of pricing and market trends, making sure you get the best deal for your home. Many factors outside your control, like geography, changing weather, and location, can influence its value. Experienced realtors can be extremely helpful, from marketing your home to reviewing offers. Do your best research to find a quality partner in the home sale process.
2) Contact your lender: Once you settle on a buyer and an offer–and hopefully, have a seamless move behind you–you’ll want to contact a lender to discuss how much you can afford on a new home. You’ll have a lot to account for when determining your budget, so make sure you partner with a lender who understands what you value.
3) Search for home plans: Next, you’ll want to start looking for home plans. You can find these online at websites like Homeplans, or talk with a local custom home builder to discuss their previous work. The happy medium here could be finding a few existing home plans you like and then contacting a handful of local builders to chat about their past work, current capabilities, and availability. This process can be a great way to make inroads with local homebuilders, hopefully helping ease that decision when it’s time to make it.
4) Find a builder: This is probably your most crucial choice. Your custom builder will be your partner throughout the entire process–they’ll be the ones actually crafting the dream home in your head. Take your time when making this decision–and if you’re in the Bryan/College area, we hope you’ll give us a call at LaFollette Custom Homes. With over 65 years of combined experience in custom home building, we’ve helped our clients build all kinds of homes–and we’d be honored to help you create your dream custom home, too!
5) Make your choice: When vetting your homebuilder, you’ll want to consider a handful of things. Our LaFollette CEO Jason says he would think about “speaking with former clients, recent and not-so-recent. I’d also speak with subcontractors and vendors to see how the builder pays his bills–after all, it will be your money they’re handling.” In addition, we recommend checking with the BBB to see what they’re rating it. And if you’re able, see if you can tour any of their previous, completed works so you can review their style and the quality of their construction.
Committing to a custom home can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. LaFollette can help you begin the custom home-building needs and make your dream home a reality! Give us a call at 979-589-8343 or contact us at Info@LFCustomHomes.com for a consultation.