Many people wonder how to go about finding a well-qualified contractor to help them in building a custom home. Naturally, every company has a collection of stylish literature and glossy flyers which promise great things if they are selected to build your project for you. Yet great graphic design does not necessarily equate with the ability to properly frame a new home.
The only real way to judge if someone can do a fabulous job on your dream home is to delve back into their past projects and see how well they did for someone else. Start by asking them for a list of previous showplaces, even if it is just a couple of addresses to drive by. If they are hesitant to provide past references, you need to look elsewhere for your building partner. Period.
If they do provide such a list, don’t be shy about knocking on the door and asking what the occupants think of the guys who built their house for them. Of course they may be new owners who don’t know anything about how it was built, but they can still offer you some guidance as to whether everything works as it should.
Next, drive by one of their projects currently under construction and do it VERY EARLY in the morning. Then do it again LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. One of the most critical parts of successfully building your new dream home is to get it finished on time.
If the crew shows up late and leaves early, then you need to think hard about whether your own schedule can stand a potential delay in completion. Having to rent an apartment for a couple of months after your old home sells and your new one isn’t ready is not going to be much fun. When it comes to hiring a contractor, timeliness is next to godliness.
Don’t take their word for it. The world is full of optimists. This is not a question of mental outlook or belief in their power to overcome all obstacles, it is about the practical ability to organize communal efforts so as to produce a desired result in the desired time frame. You need someone who has gotten the job done before. Building a custom home can be a real joy if you find the right group of craftsmen.