Certainly not an exhaustive list, but here are a few frequently asked questions on building a house:
| Q. | When building a home, is it better to wait for a particular time of year to start? |
| A. | Years ago, it was popular to start in the Spring so that you could finish up before Winter. However with today’s improved products and construction techniques, home construction can be initiated at any time. Certain items related to the home construction can only be done during specific climatic conditions, such as landscaping, on-lot systems, driveways, etc. but otherwise your home can be started at any time. |
| Q. | What is an allowance? |
| A. | Builders will use an allowance when it may be difficult to pin-point exactly what the cost of a specific item may be in constructing the home. Often times it may be related to site costs such as driveways, wells, on-lot systems, grading, and rock removal. For budgeting purposes an allowance figure is used and then when the actual costs are known, they are charged to the customer. |
| Q. | What is “sweat-equity”? |
| A. | This is a term often referred to when a customer desires to do some of the work themselves. The customer, or their friends or relatives, may have certain skill sets that they want to use in the project. It serves two main purposes. First, it may help reduce the cost of the contract by providing a credit for that part of the work that is done. Secondly, there can be a sense of pride in having some “hands-on” involvement in the building process of the house. |
| Q. | Is the design and selection process a painstaking process? |
| A. | Picking a design and catering it to your specific household needs is an important function of making your house a home. It usually involves a few meetings to look at alternatives, determine what design aspect works best, and to work through the “wish list” of items to consider. An organized builder with a thorough selection center enhances the process of choosing colors and styles of the many components that go into the home, without having to run all over town to make selections. |
