OUR BASTROP MODERN FARMHOUSE: The Plans + Finding A Builder

 I want to note, this is OUR journey. This will not be the same path everyone takes. For some, it may be much more difficult while others may move forward really fast!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are so many moving parts when it comes to building a custom home. One of which is finding the perfect builder. We were lucky enough that our listing agent (for our current home in ATX) is also on the other side and helping us close on property/construction loan/completed project loan etc. SO, it's been a much easier process. However, there's still a ton of questions, concerns, issues, and tasks, along the way. Here's a little oversight as to what this stage of the process looks like. 

THE PLANS:

HIGHLY recommend having a pretty thorough idea of what you are looking to build before starting this entire process. If you aren't building a custom home, congrats! You get to skip a few of these steps. But if you are....you don't have to be developed plans but it should be a pretty good representation of you end goal as a whole. For us, it looked like this....

Pinterest Boards:

This doesn't have to be exact finishes by any means. Just an overall look of the home you want to have at time of completion. This will be used when shopping for builders. They will be able to quickly see how simple or extravagant the build will be. I created a board for exterior, interior, garage, front porch/back porch, kitchen, living room, laundry, baths, office, guest room, WBG room. This also helped me really get the feel of what all would go into the build. 

Inspiration Photos:

These photos should be a close look at the home you are wanting to design and build. Again, doesn't have to be exact. After all, it IS a custom home you are building. For us, it was this photo (and several other angles of it). We were able to show the builder the shape, simplicity, and similar layout style. This was a huge help for the builder as we continued the property search. He was able to tell right away if the home would be too long/wide for the piece of land. 

Floor "Layout":

I want to start by saying this is not to scale nor is it perfect. This was just an easy way for us to show the builder the layout idea we had for the home. I completed this on FloorPlanCreator.net for free! Highly recommend doing this! Again, does not have to be perfect; that's not your job! 

THE BUILDER:

 Here's a selection of questions to ask when reaching out. 

This may come in handy if you are doing this search yourself!

- We are looking for a lot in (city) to build our dream home on, do you work in that are? 

- Could you tell me about your build process?

- Who on your team deals with building permits? 

- What is your available start time? Build time?

- Average building price? Price per sq ft?

- What sort of new home warranty do you offer? 

- Can you build a custom design or do you only build from existing floor-plans? 

- Do you have an architect on staff that can assist in the full floor-plan and feature design? 

- When we locate a possible lot, are you available to do site visits and assess the property?

- Can I view a current project you’re working on?