New House Builder | Do you have a new home floor plan that you love, or land that inspires you, or both?
If you dream of designing a new home that takes full advantage of the unique geography and views of land that you love, then you’re a candidate for a Build On Your Lot home, sometimes know by the acronym BOYL.
Building a home on your own land can sound like a pricey prospect, but rest assured that new homes can be built on your lot or land across a wide range of budgets.
Getting Started
The process of building a home on your lot can begin in any one of four places:
If you dream of designing a new home that takes full advantage of the unique geography and views of land that you love, then you’re a candidate for a Build On Your Lot home, sometimes know by the acronym BOYL.
Building a home on your own land can sound like a pricey prospect, but rest assured that new homes can be built on your lot or land across a wide range of budgets.
Getting Started
The process of building a home on your lot can begin in any one of four places:
With land you love.
If you own a lot already or are inheriting one, you’re one step ahead of the dreaming stage. If you haven’t found that perfect lot yet, you can work with a Realtor who specializes in land purchases or contact a builder who can help you locate the right spot for your home. Paul Schumacher, says two-thirds of their customers already own land or are in the process of acquiring land.
With an architect.
Depending on your budget and the level of customization you’re looking for, you can hire an architect to transfer ideas from your wish list to a blueprint. Rob Rutherford, says having floorplans drawn by an architect could cost $5,000 to $6,000, while Schumacher says architectural fees can go up to $35,000.
With a floorplan.
An Internet search yields dozens of companies that sell floorplans that you can bring to a builder for inspiration or to customize for your land. Floorplans that can be used for review, but not for building, cost anywhere from $150 to $500, while complete sets that can be provided to a builder for construction cost from $1,000 to $2,500 or more.
With a builder.
The path to your dream home depends on a variety of factors, particularly your budget and the level of customization you want.
Customizable Floor Plans
Schumacher says his company has portfolios of homes on their website that include characteristic architectural elements for specific locations. For example, in Louisiana, the home designs have a French country influence, while the homes in Wilmington, N.C., have a southern coastal style.
“We have floorplans that range in size from 1,000 to 6,000 square feet that function as a starting point, and then we can customize everything inside and out,” says Schumacher. “A lot of buyers come in with ideas from websites like Houzz and magazines and we discuss everything they want to do with the home and give them a price quote.”
Schumacher says less than one-half percent of people who build a new home hire an architect.
“It’s much more common for people to choose one of our floorplans or to come in with a plan from a service,” he says. “If they bring one to us, we’ll see if we have something similar that can be modified.”
Studying the Land
An important part of the process of building on your own land is for you or your builder to work with a civil engineer to make sure you’re following the regulations for the jurisdiction where your land is located, says George Fritz.
“You need to know how you’re going to get power to your house, whether you need a well and how you’ll handle sewage,” says Fritz.
Schumacher says his company has portfolios of homes on their website that include characteristic architectural elements for specific locations. For example, in Louisiana, the home designs have a French country influence, while the homes in Wilmington, N.C., have a southern coastal style.
“We have floorplans that range in size from 1,000 to 6,000 square feet that function as a starting point, and then we can customize everything inside and out,” says Schumacher. “A lot of buyers come in with ideas from websites like Houzz and magazines and we discuss everything they want to do with the home and give them a price quote.”
Schumacher says less than one-half percent of people who build a new home hire an architect.
“It’s much more common for people to choose one of our floorplans or to come in with a plan from a service,” he says. “If they bring one to us, we’ll see if we have something similar that can be modified.”
Studying the Land
An important part of the process of building on your own land is for you or your builder to work with a civil engineer to make sure you’re following the regulations for the jurisdiction where your land is located, says George Fritz.
“You need to know how you’re going to get power to your house, whether you need a well and how you’ll handle sewage,” says Fritz.
Rutherford says his company schedules a site visit, arranges utilities, helps customers get their zoning approved and permits for constructions and has an excavation company they can work with to build a road if necessary.
“We always look at the land with our clients to talk about how the house they want to build would fit on the property and how it would be positioned,” says Schumacher. “We need to do that early in the process in case the plans need to be modified and to estimate costs.”
Bennett says he typically goes by his customers’ judgment, description and photos of their land at first, then requires a site visit once the contract has been signed.
Time and Money
If you have a specific time frame for moving, you’re likely to be better off with a semi-custom design rather than a completely custom-designed home. Building a new home takes four to six months if your builder has already built your floorplan, but it can take significantly longer if you’re having a completely new design built or if you’re asking for extensive customization.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, we use our own floorplans, which makes it less costly and easier for our customers,” says Bennett. “We can modify the plans anyway people want and we have every option priced out to make it easier to see what will fit in the budget. Our prices average $55 to $75 per square foot.”
Bennett says costs go up the more you customize your home.
“If you’re adding space to the house, we can usually turn that around quickly, but something more complicated could take a week or two to price out,” says Schumacher. “We average 122 days from putting in the foundation to finishing our houses, but bigger homes take a little longer.” The parts are built off-site while the foundation for the home is under construction. Once the parts are delivered, says Rutherford, construction takes 45 to 60 days.
“We always look at the land with our clients to talk about how the house they want to build would fit on the property and how it would be positioned,” says Schumacher. “We need to do that early in the process in case the plans need to be modified and to estimate costs.”
Bennett says he typically goes by his customers’ judgment, description and photos of their land at first, then requires a site visit once the contract has been signed.
Time and Money
If you have a specific time frame for moving, you’re likely to be better off with a semi-custom design rather than a completely custom-designed home. Building a new home takes four to six months if your builder has already built your floorplan, but it can take significantly longer if you’re having a completely new design built or if you’re asking for extensive customization.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, we use our own floorplans, which makes it less costly and easier for our customers,” says Bennett. “We can modify the plans anyway people want and we have every option priced out to make it easier to see what will fit in the budget. Our prices average $55 to $75 per square foot.”
Bennett says costs go up the more you customize your home.
“If you’re adding space to the house, we can usually turn that around quickly, but something more complicated could take a week or two to price out,” says Schumacher. “We average 122 days from putting in the foundation to finishing our houses, but bigger homes take a little longer.” The parts are built off-site while the foundation for the home is under construction. Once the parts are delivered, says Rutherford, construction takes 45 to 60 days.
“We build homes from 1,500 to several thousand square feet, and depending on the size, we can finish it for $80 to $90 per square foot,” he says.
Rutherford says many clients bring their own floorplans. If they can be converted so that the parts can be built in the factory, the clients can save $20,000 or more compared to having the home built entirely onsite.
“Just make sure you get everything defined and in detail so you know, for example, what kind of ceramic tile you’re getting. Look at the numbers you’re quoted, too, to make sure you understand what’s included in the price. Don’t just go with the lowest price because you may find yourself spending more to upgrade things later.”
Rutherford says many clients bring their own floorplans. If they can be converted so that the parts can be built in the factory, the clients can save $20,000 or more compared to having the home built entirely onsite.
“Just make sure you get everything defined and in detail so you know, for example, what kind of ceramic tile you’re getting. Look at the numbers you’re quoted, too, to make sure you understand what’s included in the price. Don’t just go with the lowest price because you may find yourself spending more to upgrade things later.”
If you’re ready to get started on building a home on your land, most builders can recommend several lenders with expertise in construction finance and can work with you to make your dream home a reality. - New Home Source
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