Questions to Ask A Luxury Home Builder Before Hiring

You’ve been working and saving hard for long, and now the time has finally come for you to build the luxury house of your dreams. One of the people who can help turn this dream into a reality will be your builder or your contractor.

Remember that building your luxury home will be one, if not, your most expensive asset. Hence, you have to make sure that you entrust it to an expert builder.

This article gives you a run-down of questions that you can throw at your luxury home builder before you start with any project.

1. Are you a licensed home builder?

Before you get started with any of your more detailed questions, the most critical question that you should ask will always relate to the home builder’s license and permits to operate.

When you ask about this, you can be sure that they are running a legal business, and are not there as scammers to make money out of you. Double check on the following:

• Diploma from any engineering or any related course

• Certification from the local board of builders or contractors

• Permit and license to operate as a contractor and to sign documents

Do not enter into any project undertaking with a luxury home builder that cannot provide you with any license, as dealing with an illegal builder can lead you to serious trouble later on as well.

You can also double check the presence of these licenses and permits by browsing through the luxury home contractor’s website, such as https://gotohomebuilders.com.

2. What will be your role in the construction of this house?

Yes, the builder or contractor is there to build your luxury house. However, it is a prudent act on your part if you ask and clarify the roles and tasks that they will do concerning building your home from day one until the turnover. In this manner, you can also gauge as to whether or not these tasks are already included in the contract price, or if there may be add-ons later on. For example:

• Will you be the one to coordinate and communicate with an architect?

• Will you be the one to purchase all the necessary materials, or is there something I have to do from my end?

• Will you also be the one to process all necessary permits and requirements for the construction of this luxury home?

When you ask about their specific roles, you will know if they will still do this particular task, or if you should be the one to do it yourself. That way, you can avoid any future misunderstandings simply because you failed to lay down the roles on the table.

3. How long have you been in the industry of building luxury homes?

Building luxury homes is quite different from the process of building an ordinary house. With luxury homes, owners tend to have more demands and more specifications that can be technical in nature. For example:

• Indoor heated pools

• Indoor tennis or basketball courts

• State-of-the-art entertainment center

• State-of-the-art kitchen

Those examples mentioned above usually are not found in ordinary homes, so it is essential that you clarify with the builder how long they have been in the business of building luxury homes. Years of service is often a telltale sign of one’s expertise and skill. The longer they have been building luxury homes, the better they are in the job that they do.

4. What is your specific schedule of fees?

Do not be contented with a builder who can only give you a general idea or a comprehensive estimate of possible costs. In this case, you will most likely be faced later on with additional costs that they haven’t included, or any other hidden charges.

When you already have a particular design in mind and any of your specifications and desires for your luxury home, present this to the builder that you are looking to hire, and ask for a specific schedule of fees.

The schedule of fees that they will show you should be one that is already of an all-inclusive type, where it is the contract price for the whole project until its projected turnover, without any additional costs later on, or perhaps only minimal ones.

5. Can you explain to me the proper maintenance of this house?

Luxury homes have a higher level of maintenance than ordinary houses do. There is a lot of technical work that is involved, too. Hence, you shouldn’t go about building your luxury house when you have no knowledge at all regarding its upkeep.

Most builders or contractors can advise you regarding this matter, as they are also highly knowledgeable about this, especially if they have been building and repairing luxury houses for many years now.

6. How many luxury houses are you currently working on?

You should make a mental note, too, to ask about how many luxury houses they are currently working on. The number of ongoing projects can also affect your schedule, as the time and attention of your builder will be divided. Delays can be normal and inevitable, too, as a man can only do so much.

If you are one who is very particular about the schedule and cannot afford to have a little delay or to share a builder simultaneously with so many others, then perhaps you are better off looking for another builder who has lesser work on their plate as of the moment.

7. Can I see your portfolio of previous luxury houses you have constructed?

One way for you to also check if this particular home builder really is the one you are looking for is to check their portfolio of previous luxury houses they have constructed. When you see these photos, you have a clear idea of the outcome of their work, or what their signature style is like. Also, it is through looking at these photos that you can compare with other homes, and you may find other features that you would wish to incorporate in your own house as well.

Conclusion

Building your dream luxury home is no easy feat. You will be working alongside your builder for a minimum of six months until around two years, depending on the size and the details, too. Hence, it is crucial that you really can place your full trust and confidence on the contractor that you are going to hire. You have to fully believe that they are capable of translating written and drawn work to actual results.