Ten Tips to Choosing a House Plan

Thursday, April 15, 2010 @ 04:04 PM
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When you are looking to build a home, you want to make sure that your home is exactly what you want. It needs to be the home that you envision in your head, which is why it is important to choose a house plan that you love. The house plan is the basis of your future home, so choose wisely. Also involve your home builder in the process when possible to get a much needed input from the beginning of your project.

1. First, choose the style of home you want. Do you want a home that is simple, rustic, or something that fits your unique tastes? The style of your home will also be based on your budget. By knowing your style, you can determine your budget for the house plan. Your home builder can give you an estimate based on the house plans you choose so you know if the plans are within your budget.
2. When you are choosing the number of rooms is to base it off of the size of your family and the needs of your family. If you are married with no kids, then a home that is four bedrooms will work because it gives you room for future children and guests. However, if you are married with six kids, you will need a home with around eight rooms.
3. For your kitchen, determine what your needs are. Do you need a big kitchen where you can do a lot of cooking, or is it better to have a large dining room and small kitchen?
4. What features do you want in the home? Do you want a single-level house or a multiple-level house? Do you need room for entertainment, playrooms and more? How many rooms do you need beyond bedrooms? This is important to determine. Remember to stay within your budget.
5. If you do not have a big budget, you should look at having a smaller home. A home that is 1,500 square feet will be much less to build than a bigger home. You can still fit in the things you want in a smaller home, and there will be less wasted space.
6. Have simple rooflines because these are much cheaper to build. Go for a simple slope, rather than something that is eye-catching and costly.
7. If you want to get some extra room out of your house plan, but do not have much money, then you should put in porches and bonus rooms. A garage can also help give you some extra room at a very low cost. In addition, a bonus room can be above the garage.
8. Plumbing should be consolidated into a plumbing core. This will keep the costs down on the house plan. To do this, have a bathroom against a kitchen wall to keep things together. When looking at different house plans ask your home builder his suggestions on the design to assure you are within budget.
9. Put in simple fixtures into the walls like bookcases, an entertainment center and kitchen cabinets. This will give you extra space that you can use without much of a cost.
10. Depending on your location you may want to consider putting in a basement but this can be costly. Instead, have a slab foundation that will keep costs down.

When choosing a Delaware Home Builder consider Wilber Construction for your next project. With over 16 years of experience as a custom home builder Wilber Construction has the knowledge and expertise you need to build your dream home.

Choosing the Best Home Builder For Your Project

Thursday, April 8, 2010 @ 12:04 AM
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When you are having your dream home built, you want to find a home builder who will be perfect for the construction of your home. You want to find a company that will make a home that is perfect for you and your home because this can save you time and money. So, what do you need to do in order to start choosing the best home builder for your project?

1. When you meet with the builder, ask for references so you can find out what other customers have thought of their work.
2. Look at other homes constructed by their company. When you do this, talk to the homeowner and ask them how they liked the contractor, if things were built on time and on budget, and if the contractor was always willing to answer calls and deal with problems.
3. Talk with the builder about upgrades and costs to the home and determine the cost of extras. You should also get an estimate on how long the job is going to take.
4. Find out if the home builder is insured. This is very important. You should find out at this point what is the name and location of the insurance company. Once you find out if the home builder is insured, verify this information.
5. What is the experience of not only the owner, but their crew as well? You want someone who has a lot of experience and a history of getting the job done on time and on budget.
6. How hands-on is your builder? Are they a company who has a crew to build the home for them, or are they an owner who shows up every day to check up on the crew? Sometimes an owner who checks up on the crew is better because the job will be completed faster
7. Once you have chosen a builder, look at the contract they provide and read it completely. You want to ensure that everything is covered in the contract including fees and other charges. This prevents surprises down the road.

Choosing a home builder is very important and you want to ensure you choose one that will build your project in time and within budget. Too often people do not do the research into choosing a company and they end up paying too much and waiting too long for their dream home.

When choosing a Delaware Home Builder consider Wilber Construction for your next project. With over 16 years of experience as a custom home builder Wilber Construction has the knowledge and expertise you need to build your dream home.

Ten Tips to Finding a Custom Home Builder

Sunday, April 4, 2010 @ 12:04 AM
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When you want to build the home of your dreams, you will want to ensure you find a company who will be right for you. You want someone who has experience, but is affordable, and who can complete your project on time. In order to find the perfect custom home builder, follow these ten tips to finding the right one for you.

1. First, talk to people you trust about home builders they have worked with. Your friends and family are individuals that you can trust to tell you about a construction company that they are happy with. They will also be able to tell you about companies that they had a bad experience with.

2. Research is key to finding a good match for you and your project. There are going to be many different home builders who are going to be competing for your business, and you want to find the right one. Look at the website of each company. If it is professionally done, then you know you are getting someone who can demonstrate professionalism while working on your home.

3. In your research, you want to see if the company has past customer experiences up on their website. In addition though, you want to talk to past customers in order to find out if the home builder is going to be someone you want to work with. Do a search on blogs and the like for the home builder to see if anyone has put up information about their work that can give you a clearer picture of their work ethic.

4. If there is a model home you can see if they have it on display, make sure you take a look at it. Take a tour and ask questions about the home and the various aspects of it. Ask about premiums you may have to pay, fees you may be responsible for, and what the home builder needs on your end to get building.

5. Look at the credentials of the builder and determine if they are a member of any home builder groups or organizations. You should also check their licensing to make sure that they are completely legal and professional.

6. Ask the owner if they have any jobs on the go right now. If they do, go to the work site and check it out, then talk to the homeowners and ask them about their experience with the builder.

7. Find out what insurance they have. Again, you want to ensure that you are completely covered if something happens on the job, and home builder insurance will keep you from being liable.

8. Find out from the prospective builder how long it will take them to finish the work. You should also get a work schedule so you can see when various parts of the project will be done.

9. Find out about the costs of the home building. You want to know about fees and any extra costs that are associated with the home building. If there are any parts of the building that require more money, make sure you state you want to be notified.

10. Once you have a list of prospective companies, ask to see the contract to see what you are required to do from your end and what the home builder is promising to do.

When choosing a custom home builder in Delaware consider choosing Wilber Construction. With over 16 years of experience they have the expertise to build the custom home of your dreams.

The Difference between a custom builder and a production builder

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 @ 06:03 PM
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When you are having a home built, one of the biggest decisions you have to make is whether or not you want a custom builder or production builder. These two types of builders both have their good points and points that may not work for you. So, what do you choose? What do you think will be best in terms of builder choice for you?

First, the custom home builder can be a good option if you have more money and you have specific requests in mind. A custom builder will typically do the following:

1. They will build completely on your own land, but they can also build on their own land.
2. They build custom houses that are specific to your requirements.
3. They build homes for one family, rather than multiple families.
4. They typically only build a few homes per year, usually no more than 25.
5. The homes that a custom builder builds are usually high-end homes.

Now, a production home builder is a builder who works more like a production line, and therefore there is not as much customizable aspects to your home through them. A production builder will typically do the following:

1. They will build the homes on the land they own.
2. They use plans that are stock plans so you get the same type of home, but you can make choices about things in the design and style (type of counters).
3. They build many types of homes including single-family homes, townhouses, condos and apartment buildings.
4. They will typically build more than 25 homes/buildings per year.
5. They will build all types of price-level homes, from basic to luxury.

As you can see, the difference between a custom builder and a production builder comes down typically to the style you want. Do you want more ability to choose what you want from your home, or are you fine with a cookie cutter home. Most of the houses you see in the city are production homes that are built on land the developer owns. In the country, many homes are built by custom builders because customers can build the home they want where they are going to live.

Choosing the right builder for your project is a big decision. Make sure you do your research when starting the process to make sure you choose the best one to meet your requirements.

When choosing a Delaware Home Builder for your next project consider Wilber Construction. As a custom home builder in Delaware for the last 16 years they have the experience and expertise to make your dream home a reality.

Recent Jobs

Monday, March 29, 2010 @ 06:03 PM
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Here are a few of our recent jobs.  If you would like to make an appointment to see our work in person by visiting a current job or one of our completed jobs please contact Eric to schedule a viewing.

Questions to ask your Home Builder

Monday, March 29, 2010 @ 06:03 PM
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One of the most important things in a person’s life is their home, and when they are having a home built, they want it to be perfect. One of the biggest mistakes people make when finding a home builder is they do not do enough research. Many potential homeowners are left with a hole dug in the ground and no home because they did not ask the right questions when starting their projects. Asking questions is very important. Below are some of the questions you can ask when doing your research.

1. Do you have a website?
This may not seem like an important question to ask, but a website does show that a home builder is not just doing home building in their spare time. A website can also give you an idea of the company you are hiring, and examples of the quality of the homes the builder has worked on based on the pictures up. Of course, don’t just rely on what you see on the website to make your decision.

2. Is this your profession?
Home building is not something a person can do in their spare time. You want to find a company who will be able to make the commitment to building your home on the schedule they agree to. Someone who also does home building as a profession will have a track record of success behind them because without success, their business would not have survived. Proceed with caution whenever someone says they will be building your home in their spare time.

3. What experience do you have?
Do you want someone who has two years experience or 40 years experience? Naturally someone with more experience will be better at building your home, but they will be more expensive. Try and find the middle ground for the builder you choose so you get both experience and a good deal.

4. Can I see references?
This is incredibly important to ask because you want to know what history the builder has with past customers. With references, you can not only talk to former customers, but see the builder’s work first hand. This is one of the most important questions to ask your home builder, and you must not forget to get references.

Asking the right questions will ensure your home is built with quality and professionalism, as well as on-time. Do not be afraid to ask questions of a home builder, because they are building your dream home.

Building a home can be a great experience when working with an experienced and reliable home builder. When researching Delaware Builders contact Wilber Construction, with over 16 years of experience they are the premiere choice for your next project.