CUSTOM HOME CONSTRUCTION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A NEW HOME BUILDER & CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

1. HighView Construction Management’s New Home Construction Philosophy

New home construction is currently an interesting and exciting business to be in. As an experienced new home builder & construction manager, I have seen many changes in new home construction practices and trends over the past few years, and I have adopted only the proven successful ones. New technology has provided a wide array of new materials and exciting new products that have filtered down for use in new home construction.

I consider myself a progressive yet conservative new home builder, in that I will never be the first to implement a new idea, material; or construction practice into my clients new homes. This may not sound very adventurous, but I believe that my clients invest too much in their custom homes to take any risks. My philosophy is to watch and learn as other builders / construction managers use their new home clients as guinea pigs. Only those proven products, with a good track record, get my consideration. As a result I can assure all of my custom homes clients that they are investing in a proven new home product.

Even the most proven new home products are not always applicable. My philosophy is to carefully weigh the benefits that a new product or construction technique offers against cost. For example there is proven benefit in using triple paned windows, but in my experience most new home buyers, who operate on a limited budget, are better off purchasing double paned window products. They can then use the capital savings to upgrade some other part of their new home.

2. What Is A Custom Home?

Aside from architectural styles and house types (which I will define later) I like to consider 4 simple categories of new home construction, varying by degree of customization:

• ‘Mass Built New Homes’ (Track New Homes or Tract New Homes) – Are pre-built and finished, and ready for the purchaser to move into upon settlement of all the necessary paperwork. The builder / construction manager has made all of the choices during new home construction, often the landscaping has also been completed.
• Customized ‘Spec’ Homes – Most new home builders / construction managers have recognized that their clients prefer to have as much choice as possible when building their new home. Many of the larger builders / construction managers have responded by building developments full of new homes in which they allow some limited selection of interior fittings, eg. cabinets, flooring products, lighting and plumbing fixtures, wall paint colors, etc. These products are often referred to by the builder as custom homes, but they are really only a partial custom solution. This solution appeals mostly to new home buyers who want to move in quickly.
• ‘Hybrid Custom Homes’ – Many new home builders / construction managers will go further, and allow for limited changes to their floor plans, ceiling layouts, and exterior features. There are extra architects fees to be associated with these changes. Some of these new home builders / construction managers will even allow their clients to select the site for construction of their new home, sometimes within a restricted development area, or sometimes from all locally available residential building lots. The resulting product should be considered a hybrid of the mass built new home and the true custom built home. This approach is often easier for the new home builder / construction manager to implement than a true custom built home, because there are usually only minor changes to his familiar new home building plans. Many people believe that this solution is a cheaper alternative to a true custom home, but in my experience that is not always the case.
• ‘True Custom Built Homes’ – A true custom built home is built by a custom home builder / construction manager who allows his clients to choose everything. This type of residential construction is often regarded as the ‘crème de la crème’ new home construction option, and it is usually associated with high prices. Both of these impressions are myths. It is true that custom built homes can include many expensive options, but they do not have to.

The Highview Construction Management ‘Custom Homes’ Philosophy

At Highview Construction Management, we have extensive experience in the construction of all the different new home types, except for mass built new homes. In my opinion, the best custom built homes are not always the most expensive. The best custom built homes are usually built by the best custom home builders / construction managers.

A good custom home builder / construction manager understands that a custom new home construction project requires a team approach to produce a successful product. The team owner is effectively the client, who hires the custom home builder / construction manager to manage his new home construction project. The builder should help guide the client by first understanding his needs and preferences. Those needs and preferences must also be understood by other key team members such as the architect, sub-contracts, and suppliers. Thus the best custom homes are built by custom home builders / construction managers who understand their clients requirements and how to communicate them to the rest of the team.

I prefer to take a consultative approach with my clients. If they are to build their true dream home they need some education before they can make the best choices. I am fortunate to work with talented architects who are able to explain to my new home clients the huge range of options that are open to them, and which ones work well in our particular region:

• Architectural Styles – eg. Early American, Cape Cod, Colonial, Contemporary, etc. Modern technology has significantly improved insulation practices and increased the overall energy efficiency of new home construction. Accordingly, recent custom home construction has significantly increased the range of ‘architectural styles’ that may be successfully employed in the Buffalo Niagara region where I operate. This has stimulated the building of very popular Contemporary designs, with large open living spaces, very large viewing windows, and high cathedral ceilings.
• House Types – The phrase ‘house types’ is usually used to denote the number and arrangement of levels within a dwelling, eg. Single story (Ranch), One and one-half story (Cape Cod), Two story (eg. Colonial), Split Foyer (Single story with half exposed basement), Split-level or Multi-level (Contemporary).

3. I Have A Custom Home Design, But Need Help Managing The Construction

When building your own home you must plan the building schedule carefully. A typical new home construction task list (link to Expert Advice Section 3) contains many steps to completion. Several construction managers offer construction management services. If you hire a construction manager as construction manager, you will be responsible for financing the entire new home construction project, including purchase of: lot, building materials, fixtures and fittings, etc. The construction manager should guide you through the process efficiently.

An experienced construction manager will identify reliable subcontractors and ensure that the various subcontractors overlap each other efficiently in performing their work. The total time required to build a 3000sqft custom home would usually be about 6 months. However, weather and other factors, such as your choice of materials (eg. bricks vs. vinyl siding), can affect the schedule significantly.

Efficient management of the different custom home construction tasks requires experience and a good working relationship with the various subcontractors involved. Inexperience can lead to a significantly extended construction schedule, increased waste and increased cost. An experienced local new home builder should be able to manage construction of your custom home design on a flat rate basis, saving you time and money. HighView Construction Management offers construction management services for residential construction in Western New York.

Recommended Further Research Resources

The Visual Handbook Of Building And Remodelling – Charlie Wing.
How To Plan Contract And Build Your Own Home – Richard M Scutella and Dave Heberle.
The Complete Guide To Contracting Your Home – Dave McGuerty and Kent Lester.
Building Your Own Home – Custom Home Design And Residential Construction In WNY – Paul Lunick.