5 Tips for Choosing the Right Edmonton Home Builder
So you’ve made the decision to build your own custom home — maybe you’ve even picked out a neighbourhood where you want to live, and you have an idea of what kind of home you want to build.
Now it’s time to choose your home builder.
Choosing a home builder is as important as browsing listings to choose an existing home — whatever your motivation for choosing to build your own custom home, you don’t want it to be a stressful experience. You want to choose a reputable company that’s been in business for a while, and that won’t turn your custom home build into a construction nightmare!
It should be fun and fulfilling to see your plan come to life in the custom build construction process instead of having to renovate an existing home to match your vision.
Here are five tips for how to choose a custom home builder in Edmonton to ensure your end result exceeds your expectations, and you get to live in the home of your dreams.
1. Start your research
Once you know what kind of house you want to build and what neighbourhood you want to build in, make a list of possible home builders who work in your desired location and who build that type of home in your price range. It’s important to start with knowing exactly what you want, as this will help make your search easier.
Check with family or friends if they recently had a custom home built and if they can refer you to any builders. Or on the flip side, they may be able to tell you about some companies to absolutely avoid, which is also very valuable.
If you’re stuck and head to Google, keep your search terms specific to help bring up more reputable companies, such as “Award-winning home builders in Edmonton”.
You may also have some niche needs that can help you filter the list further, such as expertise with energy-efficient homes or accessible homes for people with mobility issues.
2. Look for experience
When making your list of potential home builders, it’s important to look for companies who have several years of experience building homes in your area. That said, the age of the company may not be a good indicator of their experience; a builder may be new but have extremely experienced staff who have come from other companies. See what you can find out about their experience on their website and check if they have a portfolio of builds they’ve done in the past.
Another good indicator of experience is what previous clients have said about them. Positive online reviews show that they are committed to delivering quality and timely services to their clients. Using this method, you can easily weed out any home builders with negative reviews.
3. Take a look at their previous projects
Getting an overview of a builder’s work, whether through an online portfolio or by seeing it in person, can really help you choose the right builder for your job.
You could also find homes they have already completed and do a drive-by, and maybe even reach out to those homeowners to learn whether they had a good or bad experience with the builder.
4. Contact and interview 2-3 home builders
Once you have shortened your list, reach out to each builder by phone or email them through a website Contact form. Their professionalism, responsiveness and willingness to help will be a good indicator of how they do business with their tradespeople and their clients.
Interview two to three companies and ask as many questions as you can about the quality of their materials, the tradespeople they hire, and their knowledge and expertise. You can also request to visit a job site so you can assess the quality of construction and finishes and their cleanliness and safety measures.
5. Ask lots of questions
Remember that in this case, there’s no such thing as too many questions — this is likely the most expensive purchase you will ever make, so it’s important to cover all your bases! Find out if they perform third-party inspections throughout the construction process; builders that do this care what’s behind their walls.
Ask what kinds of materials they use in the building process and how they hire their tradespeople. Get clarity on timelines for each stage of the project, contracts and costs. When you’re asking your questions, see if they respond transparently or if their answers are vague. You want a builder who will give you a clear, well-written contract and who is properly insured.
Even if your questions seem small and insignificant, they can yield important answers and ultimately give you confidence in choosing the right home builder.
Ultimately, choosing the right home builder comes down to doing your research, knowing exactly what you want for your custom home, and meeting with potential home builders to see if they can provide you with what you want.
When you build a custom home, it’s important to hire an Edmonton home builder that has the right experience, uses quality materials, and has the references to reinforce their work.
Ready to take the leap and get started? Timberstone Builders has over 15 years of experience building, remodelling and renovating award-winning custom dream homes in Edmonton and surrounding areas.