[Twix]

I'm looking into building my first home come winter time, looking for advice.

I'm a tradesman myself, but there's a lot of the process which is new to me, the financing, asking the builder to change stuff etc.. I know I'll have to oversee the build to make sure things are done to code as minimum and to make sure it's all the way I want it.

Has anyone had a house built? Was it full on custom, or cookie cutter? Since this will be my first ever home, what all do I need to know before I go talk to the builder? I don't want to look naive and would like some experience going into this.

Thanks for the help!

[zx10guy]

Congratulations on being in this position whether it's your first home or not.

I see you're in Canada so I don't know if things are different up there than it is in the States....or for that matter in my locale. I've had three new construction homes built and all three have been the only homes I've purchased. I still own two of the three. The first one was a townhouse which was practically already done. So I didn't get to pick out a lot of things. Also, these homes were not done by custom builders.

Again, I'll have to preface everything I say as my own experience here in the States. The sales people are realtors which primarily represent the builder. If you don't go in with your own, the sales person represents both you and the builder. Obviously in this situation, the sales person wouldn't be pulling as much things from the builder as a realtor you go in with. So it's probably a good idea you get representation. Builders typically run specials or packages to get you to buy and hopefully spend more for other options. Everything is negotiable. My last house built which is my vacation property, I had the builder throw in the paver patio area and I think I also got them to throw in the washer and dryer. Can't remember as I settled on the house almost 3 years ago. The builder was also running a special which amounted to about $25k off if I spent $50k in options. You might also be presented with house financing specials. My builder paid for the closing costs and origination fees on the house if I went with their in house mortgage company. Many times you can do better getting your own financing but this time around the builder actually had a much better deal than any mortgage company could offer by a wide margin. I got a very good interest rate at 3.25% fixed for 30 years but I had to buy down the rate (.875 points).

You can also request certain things done on your house which the builder may not typically offer. In my case with my second home purchase and my current primary residence, I pushed the builder to allow me to had custom electrical work done, custom lighting, along with wiring the house for computers (which wasn't offered then but is pretty much standard now). With the vacation property, I had custom lighting put in.

It's a good idea to visit your home often. I did just to make sure they fix things I found and to put them on notice I'm very involved home owner. But there is a point where you also don't want to be a nuisance too. Even with being on site often and hiring a home inspector to check out the house multiple times, my second home still had some electrical issues. I found them many years after the builder warranty was expired. Both of the electrical problems were in the attic space above the garage. Both were a result of a lazy uncaring trade that pulled the Romex wiring too tight and then stapled it as is. The staple wore through the Romex insulation and through the insulation around the wires inside. The one circuit was feeding the clothes washer and the breaker kept tripping. When I found the wire, the thing was arcing for so long that the 2x4 it was stapled to was charred. The second one I found in the same area just recently. I was up in the attic pulling network cabling to set up a security camera at the front of my house. I happened to look down and saw another staple had worn through the Romex insulation and exposed the wires underneath. Fortunately, the bare wires haven't been exposed yet. I'll have to go up there again soon to pull the staple out. It's amazing people just don't give a crap anymore and especially this situation where my house could have burned down due to what had happened.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

[ChrisMT79]

Originally Posted by Twix

I'm looking into building my first home come winter time, looking for advice.

I'm a tradesman myself, but there's a lot of the process which is new to me, the financing, asking the builder to change stuff etc.. I know I'll have to oversee the build to make sure things are done to code as minimum and to make sure it's all the way I want it.

Has anyone had a house built? Was it full on custom, or cookie cutter? Since this will be my first ever home, what all do I need to know before I go talk to the builder? I don't want to look naive and would like some experience going into this.

Thanks for the help!

Well I am by no means a seasoned professional, but I am at the tail end of my second build. First it starts with if you chose to build on your own, or part of a subdivision? Typically, you will have to abide by some requirements and regulations set by the community association. From there, you would either chose from a variety of "cookie cutter" home types, then customize accordingly. If you just went out and bought property, that's a whole different monster. You'd need building permits, land surveying, you name it.
Now some of the cookie cutter are pretty limited. But you can find some that are a bit nicer and offer higher quality, and give you the options of everything from shingle colors, to where you want your AC located to prevent sound issues inside etc. Though at the end of the day, it's your house, regardless who is building it, with enough money and as long as it passes code, it can be done.

[DSB335d]

I would pick up a copy of "The Holmes Inspection". Mike Holmes is a renowned contractor from Ontario, Canada. Gives you pointers on what to look for throughout your home. Being that it's a new build you can make sure everything is done right the first time before they start covering everything up with drywall.
Things I would suggest would be going above minimum code on things like attic and wall insulation as well as quality windows and doors, and most important roofing material. Not only the material on your roof but the design is important to consider. Complicated roof designs have greater chance of failing; gable and hip roof design is best for snowy locations as well as better for home owners insurance rates. Things like these will save you in the long run with reduced energy consumption, better insurance rates, etc..

Looking forward to seeing your "new home build thread" haha!

Anyway congratulations on the new home!