Where Do I Start?

Getting Experienced:

You've decided that you want to build a new home -- great! Moving into a brand-new home, built the way you want it, will be the fun part. But it'll take a lot of work before you settle in. Believe it: you must do these things if you don't want to be disappointed, or even worse, waste a lot of money without getting just what you want.

That's what this section is all about - how to get experience without wasting your hard-earned money.

Prequalifying:

First, you probably need a construction loan, and then a mortgage. Your mortgage lender will be able to help you here, because the lender determines how much you can spend for your new house.

It's a bit too early to select a lender at this point, but it is good idea to get a rough idea of the maximum mortgage for which you can qualify. Use our handy Prequalification Calculator to find out.

Investigate, Investigate, Investigate:

Ask any do-it-yourselfer if they've ever been surprised by things they hadn't even thought about beforehand, and the answer will be "You bet! -- mostly unpleasant ones!"

There are many, many things to check before you make any decision. If you intend to move to a new area of the country, for example, there are regional considerations -- the life style, environment, tax burdens -- and lots more. The same goes for a new community or neighborhood, plus the quality of the education, medical, municipal, and other facilities. And, whereever you go, you need to contemplate which building lot is right for you.

In each of these areas, we've prepared a whole range of basic checklists to use in making your decisions. They've been prepared by experts in their fields, but, because no one can know what is or what is not important to you and your family, they list only the most basic considerations.

All of our checklists are formatted for easy printing. We urge you to print the ones which you need, and then add additional considerations that matter to you.

Your Building Lot:

If you already own a building lot (or you have one in mind) you're already about a third of the way to moving into your new home. But even so, investigate everything beforehand! Such matters as access to your lot, neighbors, and other intangibles are extremely important. Print out the Selecting a Community and Selecting a Lot checklists.

Selecting a Home Plan:

All right, you've done your homework. You know about how much you can afford to spend, and you're sure that this is where you want to live. You've put together a list of the features you want. You've learned about the restrictions you need to comply with. Now it's time to select your plans - and we've come up with some innovative ways to find just what you're looking for.

You can automatically select styles that fit your personal Lifestyle, or that are compatible with where you are building. You can very quickly find plans for the basic style and size of home you want.

We also have some powerful capabilities to help you to find plans based on the needs and features that you want. Need double master suites? A home office? Okay, just click the features you want, and we'll present you with the right plans. You won't have to sort through hundreds of plans that don't meet your needs.

Customizing Plans:

In spite of all your efforts to find a perfect plan, you may well want to make some changes. Most plans are easily modified, but there are several things to keep in mind:

All plans are copyright. When you buy a set of plans, you have purchased only a license to build ONE house, exactly as the plans are drawn. This is important! You do not own the plans, and you may very well be sued if you violate the license.

If you intend to make changes, even if you do it yourself, you must obtain permission. Normally, you obtain permission by purchasing reproducible masters -- plans which are supplied on velum or other transparent paper -- instead of blueprints. One set of masters costs about the same as a full construction set of blueprints. But make sure first.

Finally, the designer making the changes frequently isn't the one who made the original design. Some designers, for example, don't offer design change services. Another reason is that it can cost less to use a different designer. Either way, whoever is to make the changes probably isn't anywhere near you, so you will need to specify exactly what you want done.

Selecting a Competent Contractor:

Unless you understand or have experience in construction, you should consider hiring a general contractor. Finding a contractor is easy, but selecting a good contractor can be a challenge.

Builders often tend to concentrate on a specific size price range. You'll probably have better results with a builder who has experience with homes similar to yours.

Selecting the right contractor is essential to your peace of mind -- both during and after construction. You'll want to have someone with whom you can really communicate, who has experience with your type of construction, and who is both quality and cost oriented. Click here for a list of tips on finding and interviewing potential contractors.

Financing Basics:

You'll need a construction loan while you're building, and a permanent mortgage when the home is finished. There are various "construction/permanent" financing combinations which generally depend on local custom, but each lender usually has different requirements, different methods of handling disbursements, fee differences in fees, the number and type of inspections, and others. More on that later.

You'll find a lot of general information about mortgages, interest rates, and other data here. You might also want to review the HSH Construction Loan Primer to learn about the process of selecting the right place to build your new home.