Has anyone had a custom home built? Please share your experience

[JTsMom]

DH and I are considering having a custom home built, but we know next to nothing about the process. How does everything work? Do you get any sort of guarantees about the budget? What happens when you go to pick things out- like cabinents for example? Does the contractor say, "we have X budgeted for that."? How much did excavating the land run you? Please educate me!

Thanks :)

[klwa]

Sorry I don't remember what excavation,etc ran....

Most of the things were a guaranteed price. However, cabinets & lights where we picked the things out, we were given an "allowance". So long as we stayed in the allowance, we didn't have to pay out of pocket, and if we came in under the allowance we would actually get it back. (We budgeted to stay right at the allowance on most things.) Uhm, DH was able to get some reduced rates by doing some of the wiring himself. We were allowed to pick 2 colors for the inside without getting charges more. Flooring was another thing that we had an allowance for. If we had gone with hardwoods like I would have preferred, we would have gone over budget, but we stayed under with pretty nice carpet & really good padding.

I know our well cost more than expected, and we ate that cost.

Of course, talk with lots of people about the builder you're going with. We had 3 builders give us EXTREMELY different prices & went with the midrange one because he had the most happy customers.
-Kris

[muskiesusan]

We are in the beginning stages of a total custom build right now. We bought some land and have been working on the design for the house right now. FIL is a custom builder, so we are taking advantage of him, lol. He has taken what we what to spend on the house and broken down how much each area should cost (I think most builders have a feel for this kind of thing). He has given us a rough allowance on what can be spent on cabinets, lighting, trim, flooring, etc. We have total control of what we pick out and where we buy it from, so we can choose to go over or under those amounts if we want. I know this is not true for all builders, however, as many have preferred venders. We haven't done the excavating yet, but IIRC, I the estimates were much lower than I expected (we have 1.5 acres).

Honestly, I am finding the whole process overwhelming, and we are only at the design stage. I think I would have been better with a builder that only gives you four choices!


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[JTsMom]

Thanks ladies, that gives me an idea at least.
>
>

Honestly, I am finding the whole process overwhelming, and we
>are only at the design stage. I think I would have been
>better with a builder that only gives you four choices!
>

>
>Susan, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I'm one of those people that researches any little thing to death, so I can't imagine how crazy I'm going to make myself if we do this!

We really weren't planning on going this route, but all of the spec neighborhoods we've been looking at aren't working for us for one reason or another. We have this antique stove we need to work into the kitchen, and builders haven't been really accomodating where that is concerned, and two story living rooms are really big around here, and we want a single story, etc.

Good luck!

[muskiesusan]

> I'm one of those people that researches any little thing to death, so I can't
>imagine how crazy I'm going to make myself if we do this!
>

Well, I am going crazy as I'm also a researcher! I am so stressed out about getting to choose every.single.thing. that I will insane by time this is all over, which will be in about a year. Ugh. But, in the end, I guess it will be worth it, as I will have a house I love. But of course, if I hate anything about the house, I can only blame myself!


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04