When looking for a custom home builder in Falls Church, many homeowners — especially those who have never done a major build or renovation — are attracted to the bright, shiny appeal of a low price. But choosing the right builder is SO much more than that!
A contractor’s price often reflects their experience, the breadth of the services they will deliver, and the quality and warranty of their work. For example, you can hire a “pickup truck” builder—a tradesperson with some industry experience and skills who has their own truck and equipment—or you can hire a full-service builder with an established team, processes, and experience in managing large-scale projects from concept to completion. The price difference between these options could be substantial, but so will your experience.
“Pickup truck” builders often avoid pulling permits, lack record-keeping processes that are essential to upholding warranties, and put the onus of project management on the homeowner. In other words, you get what you pay for, so don’t let price cloud your judgment when evaluating your options.
If you’re going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars or more on a custom home build or home renovation in Falls Church, consider taking a step back to evaluate how much prior experience, care, and industry knowledge each of your options has. Here are five key questions to consider before choosing a builder:
What is the Falls Church custom home builder’s online presence like?
Does the custom home builder in Falls Church, VA, have many reviews on their Google profile or Houzz? Do they post lots of pictures of past projects on social media? Consistent reviews and a portfolio of projects indicate reliability and transparency.
“Pickup truck” builders often have a weak online presence and get most of their work from referrals and word of mouth, making it hard for those who had bad experiences with them to voice their concerns to potential clients.
In your research, you should see consistent reviews over time, and the builder should be able to discuss why they have negative ones, if any.
The same goes for pictures of their work—it’s easy and inexpensive to commission high-quality photos, so you should see a steady stream of past project examples on the builder’s website and social media pages. Consistent reviews and a portfolio of projects are indicative of reliability and transparency.
How long has the builder been in business, and what is their business structure?
New building and remodeling businesses start in Falls Church and Arlington daily, but only a few stick around. Does your builder have a consistent work history, or are they in and out of different types of work? Understand how they started, how long they have been in business, how many people they employ, and which team member(s) you will be working with.
While custom home builders in Falls Church with a larger team may charge more on overhead, that structure can ensure a more satisfactory experience with your custom home renovation project. Quality control and accountability are harder to provide if your builder doesn’t have a trusted team in place.
The confusing part is that some “pick-up builders” can seem organized at first, but it’s not until you really ask questions or look at an example of their work that you can see the challenges. Similarly, you might not discover the need for accountability until you and your builder interpret a particular scope differently — right in the middle of your project. If there isn’t anything in writing to justify your side, you might be out of luck.
Overall, look for a healthy balance between too small and too big. After you get beyond the basic structure, every builder deals with the same vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors at a very similar cost.
Does your project represent your potential Falls Church custom home builder’s core business?
Do some digging. Are they mostly home builders, and you are looking at a renovation? Do they do both? How much work do they do for their own investment, and how much do they do for clients?
A good investment or spec builder is not always set up to work directly for clients and vice versa. Avoid having your work fund their investment business, as this will tie up funds that should go towards your project instead of theirs and take away from what should be their focus: you.
Is their work consistent with your desired quality and experience?
Don’t be fooled by the bells and whistles. Do you understand what lies behind the walls and how the home was put together?
Very nice homes with very inexpensive finishes are more common than you think! Instead of focusing on the pretty stuff, talk to the builder about how previous homes were put together and compare the care taken among your top contenders.
Once you get past the “pickup truck” builders, finding a quality custom home builder in Falls Church is more about the process than anything else. The big difference between your options will be how each organizes, justifies, and delivers the customer experience.
Are they using high-pressure sales tactics?
You cannot choose your builder after a one-hour conversation at the kitchen table. No one can start immediately, no matter what they say. If they say they can, they are using inferior materials, not pulling permits, cutting corners, etc.
Beware of high-pressure sales tactics like writing a large check with no justification other than to “hold your spot.” Many builders will get into the project, take the deposit, do some demos, and then go on pause as they wait for materials or permits. Meanwhile, the client who has already invested is forced to wait around after having paid enough to feel committed.
At Alair, our homeowners never feel as if they are writing a big check without knowing where the money is going. All of our homeowners have access to our Client Control™ software, which allows them to see how their funds have been applied to their projects.
The Takeaway
Don’t let a “good deal” blind you from evaluating your potential custom home builder.
Trust us; in our 20 years of experience, we’ve seen it all: from clients who had a falling out with their builder or whose builders have gone out of business in the middle of a project to clients who initially chose another builder only to return to us after having invested in a partial design that ended up nothing as they had envisioned. If you ask the right questions, you’ll be in better hands, whether it’s your first or tenth build or renovation.
Ready for a no-pressure consultation about your custom home or renovation? Contact us today to schedule a call with our team.