We get a lot of calls about new construction. Some people are interested in buying a builders Spec home and others are looking to purchase a lot and build their dream home. No matter if you are looking to build in Ooltewah or Signal Mountain we have experience with builders in all parts of Chattanooga.
The last thing that you want to do if find a lot that you fall in love with and get under contract on it and not be able to build the home that you want. There are many factors that come into play when you are looking at building a home from the ground up. just a few of the important ones are neighborhood Covenant and Restrictions, price per square foot, septic restrictions
So how do we do it? We work with you to find the right part of Chattanooga that you want to live in. Is it close to work? Close to Church? Or is it zoned for a particular school? These are all important things to think about. Once we have narrowed down the part of town we start to look in specific neighborhoods or for lots that are not in neighborhoods. The Chattanooga MLS is usually the first place that we start but it does not have all of the land that is available for sale in Chattanooga. When you are looking for land just looking on a website is not your best option. There are lots of other ways to find land for sale in Chattanooga. There are a lot of lots that are available to build on in the Chattanooga area that are owned by Chattanooga area builders that hold them in their inventory until a perspective clients wants to build on that lot. There are also several other ways to find land and we can help you with that.
The next step for most and it is the first step for a lot of people is to pick out your floor plan. There are lots of great websites and books that are available to help with your plan designs. Start with the number of Bedrooms and Bathrooms that you need and any other features that you need in the house. Start with your needs and we will get to your wants later. Dont sweat the small things like room size or wall or window placement. Most of the home builders in the Chattanooga area will order your plans for you in CAD software so they can make those changes for you. We typically can stretch a home of garage or sit your plan on a basement that the plan may not call for along with lots of other changes.
Once we have your plan and we have found the land that you want to be on and we have done some of our due diligence on the land to make sure you can build what you want then we make an offer to the seller and get under contract on that lot. This is the part where you want to make sure that you are using a REALTOR that knows about new construction and the area that you will be building in. We will want to get a survey if there is not one. We will want to know about any of the sewer or septic concerns. Is there a future development that may cause you to lose some of your privacy, or is the land about to be annexed? We typically have a few weeks to get all of the answers before you have to commit to this particular lot. Sometimes things do come up and we do have to walk away from a piece of land and find one that works better. Once we have settled on a piece of land we start to interview builders.
If you are not buying a lot that is owned by a builder this is the point that you will want o interview a few builders. We usually take care of this for you after we have discussed and even looked at some of the homes that they have built. We take the list of who you would like to talk to and set up appointments. We usually don’t suggest that you interview more than three builders because it can be overwhelming for some people. The builder will either want to meet at their office or at the land. Most of the builders hat we know will take a look at the land before the meeting and possibly your plans so they can be prepared. We like for the builder to give us the final ok on purchasing the land so that we are not missing anything. Some builders will ask that they purchase the land so that they are building on their land and not your. This is usually for insurance reasons.
Now that you have decided on a builder and we have closed on the land it is time to finalize the plans and sign a contract to build your dream home. The builder would have been working on final pricing and you would have been making some of your selections if only to yourself. Once the Chattanooga home builder that you chose and you agree on the pricing and the plan then the 2 of you enter into a contract to build your home. There is typically a deposit hat is required by the builder at this time and it can rage from 10%-20% depending on the builder and the home that you want built.
Now the fun begins. It is time to pick out your finishes and options. This used to be the difficult part of building a house and I have been there. It was the topic of many discussions. Today it is much easier. Most builders have a showroom that you go to and pick out most of your finishes in two meetings with a designer. These designers can help you with any questions that you may have about building in the Chattanooga area. They can also help with the custom drapes and comforters if you want to move into a fully designed home.
Do I have to go to the job site all the time? Only if you want to. Most Chattanooga home builders are good about keeping you informed and some use a software called Co-Construct. This software installs as an App on your phone and gives you daily updates on what is happening and you can also take pictures and upload them to it so your builder can see a light fixture or landscaping design that you may have seen around town. The average new construction home build in the Chattanooga area is 7-8 month. The smaller and simpler floor plans will not take as long and others may take longer.
Now all you need to do is sit back and wait for moving day.
If you have any questions about building your new home in the Chattanooga call me and I will be happy to meet with you and have a no obligation meeting to see if we can save you some time and headache.
Travis@travisclosehomes.com
423-488-1882
