After years of dreaming about it, you are ready to begin building a Sarasota home. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your home exactly as you would like it, down to the last detail – your dream home. Building a new home also presents challenges which experienced contractors are familiar with. These challenges can be costly in many ways, so it is best to understand these issues before undertaking the construction.
Those looking to build a new home often wonder about practical questions, such as the final cost and the expected timeline. Others may have specific questions about desired features, such as building a green home, or putting a pool in the roof. With decades of experience building Sarasota and Longboat Key custom homes, Lindahl Construction is in the perfect position to advise first-time home builders regarding the process.
Sarasota Custom Home Building
If you are new to the homebuilding process, here are some issues and challenges to avoid.
- Designing the Home Before Buying a Lot: There are many reasons why your choice of lot is critical to the right home design. There may be community building restrictions, narrow dimensions, or a view that you simply must take advantage of – but the size and positioning of the lot itself will greatly affect the type of home you build. Even if your lot is large and can accommodate what you want, you maty decide to build a different home at the beach than in a historic, downtown neighborhood.
- Not Understanding the Bids: It may be tempting to look for the lowest price, but that could end up costing you in the end. General contractors normally bid projects in one of three ways – square foot pricing, assembly pricing or unit pricing. Square foot pricing simply assigns an average price to each square foot of the space, which is largely misleading as it does not take into account the quality of the materials. Assembly pricing is based on how much each component actually costs instead of just utilizing the average. Unit pricing is the most accurate, as it takes into account the actual cost of all supplies and labor. When looking at bids, make sure you are comparing the estimates fairly. You also need to understand how the home builder will account for unexpected expenses and any unforeseen problems which may arise.
- Thinking You Can Do it Yourself: There are some people who are capable of managing the construction of a new home – such as people who have worked in the industry. But home construction is a complex process, including reviewing building plans, correctly estimating the necessary budget, obtaining building permits, hiring and scheduling subcontractors, and managing ordering and delivery timelines. Don’t get in over your head in order to possibly save a few dollars. You will more likely find yourself frustrated and over budget. Professional general contractors have the contacts, the expertise and the economies of scale to get the project done right.
- Not Thinking of Resale Value: You may consider this to be your last home, but at some point you – or your family – may want to sell it. If you have unique tastes and want to design a home that has all the features to satisfy your quirky side, just remember – a house which is too “out there” of personalized may not appeal to the masses. Stick to classic or luxurious – yet functional – features.
Lindahl Construction has been building homes for local area residents for years, and we know all of the possible pitfalls of the process. If you are looking for a partner in building a Sarasota home, call us today for a no-obligation consultation.