Finding the right Central Florida custom home builders for your needs and the type of home you want is, perhaps, the most important decision in the home buying process. To speed up the research process and find a quality central florida custom home builder that meets all your requirements, Cogdill Builders of Florida has put together 10 steps to selecting the right custom home builder.

10 Steps to Selecting the Right Central Florida Custom Home Builder:

Define your needs. It is important to know what you want before building a custom home in Central Florida. Ask yourself what size, type, and price range do you need? You will find that most custom builders construct a broad range of homes but specialize in specific areas. Oftentimes, building materials, trade contractors, and the building process itself differs depending on the type and price of home.

Experience counts. Naturally, every home building firm including the most experienced and well-regarded companies, like Cogdill Builders of Florida, was once a new builder constructing their first home. However, it is their experience that really matters. Most Central Florida custom home builders were started by experienced veterans from other established firms. For this reason, it is imperative that you look for strong overall experience from the builder and their team.

Are past buyers satisfied? Any respectable Central Florida Custom Home Builder will be more than willing to offer customer references and referrals. Do your due diligence and check these referrals by asking these quick and simple questions:

Would you buy another home from this builder?

Would you recommend this custom home builder to close friends or family?

Why would you or why would you not recommend this builder.

Is the builder licensed and insured? Verify that your builder of choice is licensed and adequately insured where required even if not required you will still want your builder to have it. Also, ask about the insurance that the builders trade contractors carry. Make sure that everyone is covered during the building process.

Is there a design fit? Make sure your builder has experience in the style of home you have defined in Step 1. A builder with a portfolio consisting solely of contemporary homes may not be the best fit for highly traditional homes and vice-versa. Often builders will have expertise in a variety of design styles and architectural details but look for a builder with at least one example of the style of home you want.

Warranty and service. One of the top advantages of new construction is that your home itself and most of the products, systems and components it contains are brand-new and under warranty. The peace of mind that comes with knowing that major repairs or a new roof are likely years away is important. Also, look for a structural warranty of ten years or longer on the home itself, ideally transferable to a new owner should you sell.

Resale value. Look for builders whose homes tend to hold or maintain their value. This can be tricky as market values tend to fluctuate but asking a local realtor can be helpful.

Industry involvement You will want to look at the builders’ industry involvement like local Home Builder’s Association and if they have won any awards.

Tour model homes or customer homes. Some builders have model homes to tour while others will schedule a tour of customer homes upon request. This should not be a deal breaker but can be very helpful when choosing the right Central Florida Custom Home Builder.

Look for signs of quality. Look for signs of quality in workmanship, materials, and practices when you tour homes and when talking to the builders.

With these ten steps, you will be well prepared to choose the right Central Florida Custom Home Builder for your needs. For more information on Cogdill Builders Florida contact us today and check out our Central Florida Custom Home Portfolio