Hiring the *RIGHT* builder is one of the most important parts of creating a home build experience that is both positive and successful.
In other words, your builder plays a crucial role in bringing your dream home vision to life.
In today’s episode, we will talk about why hiring the RIGHT builder for your project is SO important.
And don’t worry … I’ve got you covered with some tips to get you started on the path to finding a reputable local builder.
Ready to confidently build a house that you absolutely LOVE … without blowing your budget? Join us inside ‘Before You Build’ (BYB) and get immediate access to the ‘BYB Blueprint’ framework, floor plan feedback, personalized support, and so much more. Click here to get allll the BYB details.
Why Hiring the Right Builder is Important
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Below is the full transcript for this podcast episode.
Hiring the *RIGHT* builder is one of the most important parts of creating a home build experience that is both positive and successful.
In other words, your builder plays a crucial role in bringing your dream home vision to life … without completely blowing your budget.
Hey there! Welcome back to the ‘Before You Build’ podcast. I’m your host, Carrie Barker (aka, Caroline on Design), and in today’s episode (episode 57), we’re going to talk about why it’s SO important to hire the RIGHT builder for your project.
Before you can make your dream home a reality, you need to first choose the RIGHT builder.
And don’t worry … I’ve got you covered with some tips to get you started on the path to finding the right builder for YOU.
WHY HIRING THE *RIGHT* BUILDER IS CRUCIAL
I’m going to illustrate the importance of WHY you need to hire the right builder for your project, but first, I want you to know that choosing your builder is a HUGE part of the building process.
The builder you choose can make or break your entire home build experience, including your ability to create and stick to a realistic budget.
You’ll be spending A LOT of time with your builder pre-construction and during construction, and hopefully, you’ll still have some contact post-construction.
So it’s essential you choose someone you respect, trust, and can communicate well with.
Choosing a builder with a positive reputation and a track record of staying on (or very close to) budget is also important, so be sure to check references!
The bottom line …
Your relationship with your builder sets the tone for how smooth (or not smooth) your entire home build project will go.
So do NOT make this decision lightly.
Take your time and get to know builders before signing on the dotted line.
THE RESULT OF THE ‘WRONG’ BUILDER
Alright, I said earlier that I’ll illustrate WHY it’s so important to hire the right builder.
Here’s why.
I recently received an email from a blog reader who just stumbled across my website and just learned about my coaching program, which is called ‘Before You Build’ (or BYB, for short).
Let’s just say that she wishes she had found my website much sooner, but, unfortunately, she didn’t.
And I apologize to this blog reader if you’re listening to this episode. I don’t mean to throw you under the bus. Nobody knows who you are.
I just know that thousands of other people can learn from your experience.
So here’s the email …
She wrote:
“I wish I had known about BYB before we started building in 2022. We just moved in, but we are still “fighting” with the builder over things we believe should have been done (or at least done better) and items that weren’t even completed.
We have not officially rolled over into our mortgage, so we are still going back and forth with our builder on items [that need to be corrected].
We don’t seem to have a lot of protections for homeowners where I live, and attorneys are too expensive at this point because we are already $200k over budget.
What can I do?”
Unfortunately, there’s nothing anyone can do after the fact (other than spending more money on an attorney to help you alleviate the situation).
This woman didn’t do anything wrong; she’s just in an unfortunate situation that many people find themselves in at the end of their home builds.
It’s supposed to be a magical time when you move into your brand-new house that you’ve been dreaming about for years.
But, far too often, it’s anything but magical for some people.
Like this woman … who is at the end of her build, and her builder hasn’t even completed everything even though she’s moved in.
The builder isn’t fixing things that need to be fixed.
And the worst part is that she’s significantly over budget.
$200K over budget. 😳
She’s literally fighting with her builder to finish and/or fix items in her house.
She wants to hire an attorney to help her communicate with the builder, but she’s so over budget that this option isn’t even feasible at this point.
I SO wish I could help her.
I SO wish we had crossed paths earlier so she wouldn’t be in this situation.
But, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to help her at this point.
However, this woman’s experience illustrates EXACTLY why it’s crucial to hire a reputable builder and it’s EXACTLY why I created the BYB Program.
I want to help as many people as possible have a great home-build experience and to build within or very close to their budget.
And that all starts with hiring the ‘right’ builder.
In the BYB Program, we go into depth about hiring the best builder for YOU.
We aren’t going to go into depth in this podcast episode, BUT I do want to get you started and help you find a great local builder who can help you bring your dream home to life.
So, let’s talk about where to start when it comes to finding a reputable local builder.
HOW TO FIND A GOOD LOCAL BUILDER (STEP 1)
The first step is to create a list of potential local builders.
You have some options when it comes to figuring out who the local builders are in your area.
The BEST place to start is to talk to local friends and/or family who have built a house in the city (or town) where you’re building.
Create a list of builders that your friends and family recommend, as well as a list of builders they were NOT happy with.
Now, if you don’t have any friends or family who have used builders in your area or you’re new to the area, do a simple Google search of local builders or find builders through your local home builders association.
Another option is to talk to local real estate agents, mortgage lenders, or interior designers for builder recommendations.
These professionals usually have experience with local home builders and know the reputation (whether good or bad) of each builder.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure that the realtor or lender or designer does NOT have a monetary relationship with a builder that could possibly sway their recommendation.
HOW TO FIND A GOOD LOCAL BUILDER (STEP 2)
Once you’ve created a list of local builders, it’s time to do some research and dig a little deeper.
Google every builder on your list.
Look at the reviews.
Look at the ratings.
Take notes.
After you do this research, create a list of 3-5 potential home builders that might be a good fit for your home build.
The next step is to get on the phone (or online) and schedule meetings with each builder to learn more about their process, their background, and, most importantly, how you feel when you’re communicating with them.
If you feel icky, that’s a quick red flag to cross that builder off your list.
Now, in my BYB program, I walk my clients through the ‘BYB Builder Audit’ which is a step-by-step framework for choosing the BEST builder.
And this framework starts with exactly what we’ve talked about today.
The first step is to do your research and narrow down a list of potential local builders.
The goal of the ‘BYB Builder Audit’ is to equip you to choose a builder with a positive reputation, great communication skills, and a track record of staying within (or very close to) budget.
You can learn more about the BYB Program and the ‘BYB Builder Audit’ at carolineondesign.com/before-you-build.
NEXT STEPS
So there you go … I assume you already knew hiring the right builder was important, but now I hope you realize that it is a CRUCIAL component to a successful and positive home build experience.
I do NOT want you to have a similar experience to the woman in the email I shared.
It isn’t just her that this happens to.
Throughout my years in business, I’ve heard from MANY people who are in a similar situation.
They’re over budget, fighting with their builder to complete things, and their home build has basically turned into a nightmare.
I will NOT let that happen to YOU!
My mission is to help you prepare for your home build in a smart and strategic way that allows you to build a house you absolutely love without blowing your budget.
I have an awesome FREE training to help you get started on the path to a successful home build.
The training is called ‘3 Keys to Build Your Dream Home without Blowing Your Budget’.
One of these three keys is to hire the right builder.
There are two other keys that are also essential when it comes to building your dream home within (or very close to) budget.
Grab your FREE (virtual) seat for this on-demand training!
Ready to confidently build a house that you absolutely LOVE and is perfect for YOUR family (now + into the future) … without blowing your budget? Join us inside BYB today and get immediate access to the ‘BYB Blueprint’ framework, floor plan feedback, personalized support, and so much more. 🙌 Click here to learn more about BYB.
