Phase 3: Choosing the Right Builder and the Right Plan
On your own or with the Real Estate Agent you have chosen, now you figure out where you plan to visit. You have already looked at the many plans, investigated with the Developer if you can bring your own Builder and understand what the location you are considering has to offer. From all of that you likely narrowed down to the Builders that your price and type of home offering matches with.
- Take your agent with you the first time you visit the show home if you want them to help you out, as they may be prevented from assisting after the fact. If you just want to go and take a look, don’t give them your name or contact information yet, just let them know you are evaluating the quality of their home and will share that if you choose to want to discuss further. They want your name to note which Builder agent met with you, that you didn’t have a REALTOR® with you, and of course to put you on their marketing distribution list. Now you may want that updated information so definitely, share it if you wish.
- Your finally with a Builder Agent to discuss the homes. Explain what you are looking for in your new home in detail, your “Wish List”. Everything you can think of as they know their models best and although you may have narrowed it down to one or two, they may share one that was built prior or in a different development they can build for you instead.
- Once you know the various plans get the basic overview of price, what the price includes, what they offer, what options are included and what is upgrades, build times, etc. but don’t worry about specific details of the purchase. You still have other Builders to visit and plans to look at.
- Repeat this process with all of the other Builders you are considering. Take all the plans home with you (even more than one copy so you can draw on some) and sit together with your family members to sort through and pick your top 3 plans…regardless of who the Builder is. These are the plans that best match your Dream Home “https://www.pinterest.ca/Pinterest” image, and all of your family needs.
- Now that you have narrowed it down, let the others go…you are only buying one home, so keeping 10 options gets to be overwhelming, pick the best 3. If they don’t work out you can always go back to consider them later. G
- Go back to each Builder that you have chosen a plan from. Perhaps it is only one Builder for each, or more than one. If more than one let them know that you are looking at other options and see which one wants your business more.
- Sit down with the Builder Sales person and ensure they have an adequate appointment time to address your questions. Now is the time to go over the plans in detail, ask lots of questions, show them your drawings on the plans and ask if they can make changes. (some will allow changes, some won’t) and think out of the box. One of my clients wanted to widen the garage by 2’…the upgrade cost was over $10,000. We asked what it would cost to enlarge the entire home both levels which also made the garage bigger in the process. The cost was just over $25,000 and they got a way larger home in the process.