house building questions and answers
October 25, 2019
Category: personal
house building q + a
Over the past several months, Joe and I have been working hard to customize and build our new home together! It’s been such a fun process (hello, we’re both designers, ha!) that I’m actually a little sad for it to end. I asked the Insta fam what questions they had for me about the house building process, and while we still have a month left, I wanted to share the experience so far.
Q: Why are you moving!? i love your house!
A: We love our current house, too! Buttttt it’s time for something a little bigger. I bought our current house before I left my 9-5, got married, and brought home two pups. A lot has changed in a few years and our current home just isn’t big enough for us to grow as a family while also allowing for plenty of workspace for me since my home office is so important! Owning a business and having my work/life blend together, I’ve felt ready for a new space that didn’t have my bedroom right next to where I “go to work” everyday. I also love owning an older home, but they’re a lot of work to maintain and keep up with!
Q: Did you guys do a semi-custom or fully custom home? why and are you happy with it/what would you change?
A: Technically semi-custom, but it feels like it’s fully custom! When we first started out, we were deciding between two of our builders floor-plans. The one we wanted (which is the one we ended up going with), was a little over our budget so we shrunk it down a tad in order to fit within our price range. For example: we got rid of a bathroom, made my office a little larger, and took in a little square feet from the main living space. With all of the adjustments we made, it felt like the floor plan ended up being more of a fully custom plan! We also got to choose all of the finishes which has been the best part. With where we’re at right now, we weren’t looking for a fully custom from scratch floor-plan. I’ve only lived in one other house, so to be totally honest their plans fit our needs perfectly!
Q: Why did you decide to build?
A: Building was the only option both my husband and I could come to agreement on! For me, I’ve always loved older homes and my dream was to fix up and renovate a beautiful old home. My husband on the other hand definitely wanted something newer and move in ready. Most new homes on the market don’t fit our aesthetic, and it feels silly to redo things when they’re already up to date. After living in a 1920’s home for a few years, I finally got on board with it and saw the perks of living in a new home!
Q: Did you know all of the costs before you started building?
A: Yes and no. We made sure to get very detailed quotes before signing anything official to make sure it fit within our budget. For example, we knew we wanted black windows and wood floors throughout the main floor, so we asked them to quote all of that in the estimate. Because we had a good idea of what we wanted, we were able to ask for that ahead of time rather than realizing everything was an up-charge halfway through the process. There have still been things here and there that we decided to splurge on, but we also figured we’d probably go $10k over budget anyways.
q: how did you choose a builder? who are you building with?
A: I let my husband do the research on this one! We met with a lotttt of different builders. We looked for builders based on our budget, their semi-custom floor plans, and their quality. There were some builders that I’m sure we could’ve saved money on, but I just didn’t feel like the quality was up to par. At the same time, pretty much any builder can do anything you want, so for us we were more concerned about their ability to communicate, stay on deadline, etc. We almost went with a different builder but last minute changed plans and I’m SO glad we did! We’re building with Giovanti Homes. It’s been an amazingggg experience!
q: where do you even start!?
A: First things first, figure out a budget. For us, we knew we wanted this home to be something that we aren’t going to grow out of in 3 years like what happened in our current home. We knew we needed a good home office for me, and plenty of space to grow as a family in the future. I would start by figuring out your budget, then reaching out to builders who have plans that fall within that. Building a home is definitely an investment but sooo worth it in my opinion!
Q: Is it hard to choose design styles with two designers?
A: My husband is more modern and I’d say I’m more boho, however we’re pretty good at compromising! I would say overall, our styles very much align. There were a few things I had to give in on, and a few things he had to too, but it’s been a super fun process and we’ve enjoyed being able to bounce ideas off of each other!
Q: did your builder have certain vendors you had to use to make selections from or was it more of a free for all?
A: For the most part our builder had vendors, however I made sure that these vendors had the wide selection of styles that we wanted! There have been certain things that we’ve just picked out and ordered ourselves, for example all lighting and hardware, but otherwise I’ve been pretty pleased with their vendors!
Q: How did you choose the bank to help you with your loan?
A: My husband researched this, but basically we just went off of who could get us the lowest interest rate! Credit unions are usually the best.
Q: ARe you building this home to be your forever home?
A: Not necessarily, but who knows it could be! My husband is sort of obsessed with houses, so I can see him wanting to move again in 10 years, ha! But since this is our first time building, I’m sure there might be things that we wish we would’ve done differently in the space since we haven’t had experience doing this before. I love the house though and I can’t imagine moving!
Q: How did you afford to buy the land?
A: We didn’t, our builder did! The land is factored into the price when we close on the home. We just had to put down a deposit with the builder, but other than that they’ve carried the construction loan.
Q: Would you see any benefit of working with an interior designer, or do you like doing it all?
A: Hmmm, yes and no! Our builder actually has a designer on staff and she’s been super helpful with ideas and bringing up things that I didn’t think of. For the most part, I feel like I knew what I wanted so I didn’t really see the need for a designer, but there are also a few things that I would like a professionals input on!
