Questions to Ask Home Builders in an Interview
If you plan to have a new home built, prepare to choose your builder with as much caution as you would choose your decorator. Take your time in finding a home builder who will leave you feeling confident that your home will be high quality, safe, secure and enjoyable. Interviewing builders is an essential first step, and the time to sign a contract is only after all of your inquiries have been satisfied and options have been weighed.
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Number of Employees and Homes Under Construction
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Asking "How many employees do you have and how many homes are you currently building?" is a two-in-one question that serves the purpose of determining how much personal attention your home will get. Keep in mind that just because a company has 50 employees does not mean that all 50 will be working on your home, or even that all 50 are full-time workers hired only by this company. When you meet with the company representative, let them know that you are determining a realistic timeline. As the representative answers these questions, do the math to be sure that this company will have the time and the manpower to take on your project.
How Long Has the Home Builder Constructed the Floor Plan
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Make sure you ask, "How many homes has your company built with the same floor plan I'm seeking?" New layouts sometimes have glitches that aren't realized until the construction is well underway, or until the owner moves in and something is wrong with the home. In most cases, the home building company will willingly correct an architectural or constructional error at their expense, but the time it can take to fix, change or repair something can turn out to be an inconvenience for you. To be on the safe side, choose a plan that has been built many times over an extended period of time, or at least question how the builder is sure that the plan you want is unlikely to be flawed.
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Has the Contractor Been Sued?
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Asking "Has your company ever been sued?" can help you make sure the contractor is truthful. Even though this information is available by public record, you will want to ask this question if nothing other than to test the representative's honesty in the information he is providing. Many companies have been sued a time or two for making mistakes and this does not necessarily mean that they are a bad, fraudulent or irresponsible home builder. Read the public records, go with your gut instinct regarding the interview and ditch the company who isn't willing to tell the truth about their legal history, errors, bad luck or lessons learned.
Warranty Coverage
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Most home building companies do offer some sort of warranty, but you'll want to make sure to ask about the coverage. Shop around and compare the best warranties, as new homes notoriously run across unplanned troubles as they settle. The quality of a company's warranty may be well worth paying a higher price for a home than a lower-cost home with a shallow warranty, or no warranty at all.
How Long Will Construction Take?
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If you are pressed for a certain time-frame, you will want to ask: "How long will the completion of my home take and will I have access to it during the construction?" This can be the deciding difference in which company you go with. However, the fastest-built home is not always the best. The more desperate you appear, the more likely the representative may be to cut corners on options to satisfy your need for time. Conveniently, some of the things that the company may do to match your time expectations will also save them money, such as not adding those "standard" built-in shelves in your den. In contrast, you don't want to be to relaxed with your time expectations, either, because if the company representative senses that you are in no rush at all, he may pass word to the builders to take their time. It is important to know if and when you will have access to your home during the construction process. This way, if you are eager to take your kids by and see the progress, you are not violating a term of the contract that may be included for your own safety. Also, if a large mistake is being made, such as a wrong floor plan being used, you can check in on the process and correct to builder right away.
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References
- Photo Credit home build image by laurentiu porumbel from Fotolia.com
