In a recent interview, Paul Mueller, Jr, President of Mueller Homes, contributed his thoughts on the essential questions you should ask a custom home builder before hiring for the Real Estate Bees special edition. Below we provide excerpts from the interview and insight on this important question.
Questions to Ask
1. How do you segregate funds by customer or project?
Segregated funds for each project must ensure that your builder does not use your funds to complete another client’s project. In addition, when builders do not segregate funds properly, their business operations may be questionable. After all, you want your funds to be used on your property – not to manage cash flow or buy materials for another client’s home.
2. What type of supervision do you provide throughout my project?
Ask if a person on the job site constantly oversees all aspects of your project or if the project superintendent is overwhelmed with multiple projects. This will have a direct impact on your overall experience.
3. Do you offer a client concierge?
A client concierge is invaluable to the custom home building experience. Our client concierge serves as the client’s primary point of contact, scheduling showroom appointments, and assisting in the entire selection process, which can be a little overwhelming. If your builder does not offer a client concierge, you will likely need to hire an interior designer to assist with these tasks.
4. May I tour one of your previously built homes?
Ask to tour existing homes under construction to see the quality of the work and job site conditions. This will give you an idea of the level of quality, organization, cleanliness, and supervisory processes. References from past clients should include similar build types and budget sizes as the home you are considering building.
5. What warranty do you offer?
Builders should not only offer manufacturer’s warranties but should also provide a warranty for their work. After your home settles, there will likely be a few touch-up items that need to be addressed. How do they handle these issues? If there is a manufacturer’s defect, do they assist in getting the problem resolved and brought to a satisfactory conclusion? This is a great question for past client references as well.
As a premier luxury custom home builder in Maryland, Mueller Homes understands the value of consistent communication and we work hard to ensure the entire construction experience is extraordinary. A great construction experience starts with choosing the right builder. These top 5 questions to ask a potential custom home builder, along with many of the questions included in this Real Estate Bees article, will help you choose the right custom home builder for your family.
