Glenam House

The methods of building a luxury homes are much different than building mass production homes. The process of selecting a well qualified contractor for a luxury home can be daunting if the proper steps are not followed. The following helpful ideas and tips are provided in order to assure a positive experience both selecting the contractor and through the building process.

A luxury home builder will have the following characteristics:

- They will only build a few homes a year. The contractors that produce many houses a year are not typically the builders that will have experience constructing luxury homes.

- They should be accustom to planning out and following a unique set of plans for one particular home. Make sure that the builder thoroughly understands how to read plans and is familiar with working with architects.

- They will use a small number of subcontractors that they work with on a regular basis. It is important that the whole contracting team understands the goals and end products that are desired. The fewer the number of subcontractors on-site will help eliminate some of the communication problems and failure to get on the same page.

Before a contractor is selected:

- Check their references. This cannot be overstated. A contractor should always be able to provide 3 or more references. Call each one and discuss in detail their home building process and the advantages and disadvantages of using that specific contractor.

- Contact the Better Business Bureau. They can give an overall rating for that contractor and provide a list of any complaints filed against that contractor.

- Inspect some of their previous work. The contractor should provide a list of homes they have built previously. Ask the contractor to try and arrange a walk through of those homes. Take note of the final product at the home and decide if this is similar to what is desired in the new home. Pay particular attention to the detail work around the home.

Working with the contractor during the construction process:

- Establish a good relationship with the contractor early on. It is important that the home owner and the contractor feel comfortable calling each other any time an issue comes up or when there is a question about what is desired.

- Setup regular on-site meetings. Keeping an eye on the progress of the house is important. It is much easier to adjust certain items immediately rather than coming back to it after several more steps have been taken. Plan a short walk through with the contractor every few days to ensure everything is going to plan.