- We have never built a custom home before. Where do we begin?
- What size homes do you build?
- We can’t find a plan we like… so what do we do now?
- Who will we be dealing with?
- What does it cost per square foot to build?
- We have heard all homes go over budget. Will this happen to us?
- How long will design take?
- How long will construction take?
Most of our customers have never built a custom home before. While building a home is indeed a complicated process, Envision Homes works closely with you to coordinate and simplify the process and decisions that you need to make. Your first step is to schedule a no cost consultation meeting with Bob and Corinne to discuss our custom design-build program, and your ideas for your new home.
If you can dream it…. we can design and build it. A custom home doesn't necessarily need to be “BIG”. A custom home can be any size. Envision Homes has designed and built homes anywhere from 1500sq-ft to 6000sq-ft, each designed specifically for the individual homeowner.
You might be relieved to know that your dilemma is not unusual. While there are thousands of house plans on the web and in plan books, none of them were designed specifically with your lifestyle in mind, as these plans were all were designed for someone else. Your plans should be unique to your specific wants, needs and lifestyle.
When looking for a plan, the mistake that most people make is assuming that they need to find ONE plan that has everything they want. Don’t stop looking at house plans, but instead of looking for ONE plan look for elements, details, rooms, and features you like. When you find something you like clip it out and put it in your new home folder. Home style magazines are a great source of ideas. When you see a picture you like, clip it out and add it to your folder. The more information you can supply about your ideas, likes, dislikes; the better we can target our designs to meet the requirements of your custom home.
Envision Homes is a small family owned service orientated company, that focuses on making sure your home is our top priority and is built to our demanding level of quality and craftsmanship standards. Throughout the project, you will be dealing directly with the owners Bob and Corinne Kody. Corinne works with our clients who need a buildable lot at the front end of the project and coordinates all warranty and follow-up work. Bob designs each custom home including concepts, computer modeling, framing, and specifications. Bob manages the construction of the home assuring every detail of the plan is implemented as designed with the utmost in quality and craftmanship.
Cost is obviously a crucial factor in your decision to build a new home, and it is information we would be happy to provide you. However, in order for us to prepare an accurate price we need to know more about your home. There are so many variables in building a home that it is impossible to answer this question accurately without information about your specific home and the lot which it will be built on.
The first step towards realizing your new home is our no obligation consultation meeting. This meeting is intended to discuss the design-build process, review your new home ideas, and to discuss your lot requirements and overall budget. Once we have this basic overview of the project, Envision Homes can provide a ballpark price for what your new home will cost.
Throughout the design process, as more details are specified, we will further refine our cost estimates. At the conclusion of the design process, we will prepare your build contract which will include a detailed cost breakout and specification of everything included in the home. Before your contract is signed, Envision Homes will review everything in detail so that you understand exactly what you are getting for your money.
As a starting point, recent homes we have built, which involves taking a raw piece of land and delivering a completed home have ranged in cost from $150 to $250 per sq-ft.
The advantage of a design-build program is many of your decisions are made while still in the design phase, thus allowing us to more accurately provide you with the final cost of your home before construction begins.
While unfortunately some builders do try to give a buyer the illusion of a low contract price, only to make up the difference with change orders and overage costs. We approach pricing your home completely different. Our goal is not to give you a low entry price, but rather to give you the most accurate price possible, one that reflects the home you helped to design with all the finish and features that you choose. Our build contract includes a detailed cost breakout of all the elements and features included in your new home, giving you the reassurance of knowing exactly what your contract price does and does not include. While all houses include some level of change orders, our houses typically average somewhere between 3 to 5 percent which usually consist of homeowner driven upgrades that are made during construction.
Probably the most important step in realizing your new home is the design phase. Taking the time to plan out a home to accommodate your specific needs, wants, and lifestyle is what designing a custom home is all about. If you are going to go to the time, expense, and trouble to build a home, why not build it specifically to your needs. Our design phase starts out with floor plan layouts and simple elevations. As we progress further through the design, we add interior and exterior details, custom cabinet drawings, and computer renderings of the interior and exterior to help you visualize what the home will look and feel like. Designing a home is an interactive collaboration between the designer and the homeowner. While we have no fixed time for a design phase, typically a design will take from 2 to 4 months to go from an initial concept to a finished set of drawings.
Once all permits and approvals are in hand, construction can begin. The time it takes to build your home will depend on a number of factors including, the size of the home, the type of finish and trim, the site requirements of the lot, and the time of year construction starts. Your build contract will define the construction schedule. Envision Homes also does weekly site meetings with the homeowner, updating you on the construction progress and schedule throughout the project. Typical construction time averages 6 to 9 months.