Building a custom home in Maryland can be an intimidating, overwhelming and exciting process, all at the same time! At Mueller Homes, we believe it’s important to understand your builder’s design and construction process in order to create the best custom home building experience. This process will be the “foundation” so you want to ensure a thorough, methodical approach to this process. In this article, we will outline the 8 steps to the custom home building process.
Phase 1: Assembling the Team
The first (and most important) phase of building a custom home is to assemble the team that you will work with for the coming months and years, as you design and build your custom home. By assembling a team, from the start, you will create a cohesive and cost-effective approach to the entire process. We often work with our clients when they begin the process of selecting a lot. We work to ensure that the home you’d like to build is compatible with the lot and various permitting and regulatory requirements. We assemble the team that will work together to help you understand the implications of your lot selection, associated costs, and desired design. A pre-construction agreement with Mueller allows us to quarterback all of the resources and requirements needed to keep your vision top of mind with considerations for your budget.
In addition, during this phase, a comprehensive review of your needs, wants, investment and feasibility are explored. You should review your design ideas and preferences for interior and exterior finishes, home automation technology, site planning and financing considerations. You should also establish a ‘ballpark budget’ so that you can begin to narrow down your options. This budget can be refined later, but it’s important to start with a rough number to help you select a builder and begin the process. Use our free checklists to ensure that you ask the important questions of your builder, architect, and their references.
At Mueller Homes, the team members typically include:
- Builder
- Architect
- Designer
- Project Manager
- Estimator
- Feasibility Engineer
Since Mueller Homes includes each of these team members early on in the process, we serve as an advocate to coordinate and communicate your goals clearly, from day one.
Phase 2: Architectural Plans & Design Concepts
During this phase, we collaborate with you and the architect to ensure that your desired design and lot selection is aligned with your budget. This is critical to ensuring that the home designed is:
- Aligned with your budget,
- Captures your vision,
- Feasible for your lot,
- Effectively utilizes your budget for the features and amenities you value and prioritize.
The builder and architect and work together with your design team to create a detailed list of specifications, as they are intimately familiar with the latest building trends, the quality associated with certain products, and your preferences thusfar. This also ensures that the architectural aspects of the home you spend weeks or months designing is realistic for your lot and budget. This step helps our clients spend their architectural budget wisely, and minimize redesigns or design concepts that are not aligned appropriately. After all, your builder is responsible for your budget while your architect is only responsible for design. So, architectural collaboration is key!
Phase 3: Immersive Design Process
Imagine touring your home before construction even begins! Our “Assemble the Team” approach brings the interior designer on-board early in the design process to meet your every expectation. An experienced interior designer can help create and design spaces that not only meet your functional needs, but also the lifestyle of our clients. At Mueller Homes, we can collaborate with your designer or, we can provide you an immersive design experience with our in-house design team. We believe that an immersive design process creates an unparalleled client experience and cohesion. Our team approach provides many efficiencies which typically result in time and cost savings too.
At Mueller Homes, we have developed an innovative approach to design that provides you with seamless collaboration the moment we begin the design and contruction process. The team at Ella Lee Interiors also helps you make selections with confidence and visualize every room in your home with mood boards, concept drawings, and 3D renderings. Our design studio provides an easy way to envision all of the elements you desire, in our beautiful showroom setting, so you’ll save time and hassle too. We can also tap into the artisanal woodworkers to create custom cabinetry and built-ins that will truly make your home unique to you! Our clients feel this concierge approach to design is what really distinguishes the client experience.
Phase 4: Estimating
It is unwise to proceed with bidding the project, unless you have detailed specifications that ensure all builders are bidding on the same level of quality and design and that no substitutions occur during the bidding process. Sometimes, a bid will be sent out and a contractor(s) will substitute or value-engineer during the bidding process – which makes it nearly impossible for the client to make a true apples to apples comparison.
After you receive the estimate(s), we work with you to value engineer any concepts needed. It’s also important to remember that pricing is only one of the important considerations for selecting a builder. Use the checklist to ensure you’re making a wise decision that you can live with for the next 1-2 years. Keep in mind that if you have executed this phase properly, the bid variance between one builder and the next should not be more than 5-8%. If the variations between bids are wider than this range, you are likely not getting the same quality or specification.
If you are financing your build, the estimate will be an important component to review with your lender. Any low-ball estimate will only create havoc later, as variations can cause a short-fall that will need to come out of your pocket. This is not a scenario we want to create, so we work with you and your lender to ensure the estimate is accurate and aligned with your vision and goals. Beware of any builder that provides vague estimates that lack the important details. Our client experience is exceptional because this is one of the details we focus on.
Phase 5: Permitting & Contracts
After ensuring the initial design is well-aligned with your financial and investment objectives, a final value-engineering discussion will take place and working drawings will be completed. At this point, you will enter into a construction agreement to build your home. Your builder should evaluate and resolve any architectural and engineering aspects to prepare for final construction planning. Keep in mind, that your local jurisdiction and permitting office may have additional requirements that can affect your overall budget. It is during this phase that these items will be addressed and reviewed. Your detailed selections and specifications will be confirmed, construction documents will be prepared, site and construction planning will begin. Your financing should also be finalized at this time and a process should be reviewed for change orders.
Phase 6: Construction Begins
At Mueller Homes, we assign a dedicated project manager and set up segregated funds for each project. This approach is critical to avoiding the horror stories that can occur with less-than-reputable contractors. Once we begin the custom home building process, regular construction meetings will occur to keep you up-to-date on all aspects of the construction process. Our technology will also keep you informed every step of the way. Our design team and custom wood shop further enhance the experience. Learn more about the capabilities that Mueller Homes provides during construction.
For over 30 years, this immersive process provides our clients with a unique concierge approach to custom home building and the best opportunity for a rewarding experience. Our client testimonials tell the story of how this approach creates a memorable and rewarding client experience. Contact us today to get started building your dream home!
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