Golden Magnolia Inc
Construction contract
787KB. PDF
Broker/Realtor registration form
299KB.PDF
Addendum to the contract
514KB.PDF
Steps for Custom Home Construction
The decision to build your own custom home can be emotional. For many people, especially first-timers, it’s thrilling, nerve-racking, and inspiring all at once.
There’s so much to decide and do that it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed. It helps to remember why you want to take on this project. When you build a custom home, you have the opportunity to fine-tune every detail until it perfectly meets your needs. You can indulge every dream you’ve had about the perfect home: a chef’s kitchen with a breakfast nook, a craft room, a man cave: whatever you imagine, it’s possible. Bringing your ideas to life will take a lot of organization, time, and commitment, but with a bit of patience and with the right experts by your side, the homebuilding process can be exceptionally rewarding. In this guide, we’ll walk you through step by step, so you’ll know how it all works before you begin. Understanding what to expect from the experience will go a long way towards helping you feel confident as you embark on this adventure.
CHOOSING & PURCHASING YOUR LOT
NEIGHBORHOOD
Where do you want to live? Do you need to consider school districts? Do you want to keep your commute under a certain length? Are you looking for a close-knit community or a secluded hideaway? Is there a Homeowners Association in the neighborhood?
LOT SIZE
How big is the lot? Is it big enough to accommodate the kind of house you’re imagining? How big of a garage will you need? Do you want a big yard, a place for kids to play, room for pets?
LOT COST
What’s your budget? Are you willing to spend more to be in a desirable area, or are you willing to go a little further out to afford a bigger site in an up-and-coming area? What are the property tax rates? Is there a trend in property values in the area to consider?
LOT FEATURES
When you close your eyes and imagine the perfect setting for your home, what do you see? Are you on a waterfront? Are you right in the middle of a lively street or tucked away in a cul-de-sac? Do you see mature trees bordering the property?
TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, SOIL CONDITIONS AND VEGETATION
A steep site which needs a lot of excavation and fill or expansive soils lurking just under the surface can drive up costs before the build even begins. If you’ve chosen a wooded lot or even one with a scattering of mature trees, will any need to be removed to make space for the house? It’s also critical that you learn whether stormwater detention and drainage happens on or off site and whether the lot is located in a floodplain.
LOT SHAPE, ZONING, EASEMENTS, BUILDING RESTRICTIONS, SETBACKS OR NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES
Some lots come with particular design challenges. It doesn’t mean they aren’t workable: with a good architect and builder on your side, almost anything is possible. But it’s important to be aware of factors like these, which can drastically affect both the cost and the flexibility of your design.
Having an experienced builder to advise you as you select your site can be invaluable. Golden Magnolia Inc team can show you how different aspects of a lot can affect the cost and timeline required to build your house and can help you make sure that you’re choosing one that suits your needs and lifestyle.
Contact Our Real Estate Team
Architectural Design Phase
In this phase, your team begins to develop your floor plan and home design. The architect takes the lead to create a preliminary design, then the builder builds a preliminary estimate to ensure that it is aligned with your desired budget. Early collaboration between your architect and builder helps to create and refine a home design that meets your needs and wants while also successfully staying on budget.
As your architect is perfecting your home design and finalizing your architectural plans and engineering, you and your other team members are also hard at work. You and your interior designer are making the first phase of design selections, while your custom builder is providing value-engineering options, soliciting and thoroughly vetting subcontractor bids, building a construction schedule, and continually refining the budget to make it as comprehensive and accurate as possible.
Pre-Construction Phase
In this phase, Golden Magnolia Inc helps you with all the paperwork and bureaucracy that must happen in any construction project. Neighborhood association approvals are obtained, building permits are secured, necessary insurance coverage options are analyzed, and financing is squared away. Now is also when the key subcontractors for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work are locked down, so they are available at the right time.
It’s also the time you select all the remaining design details with your interior designer. You get to pick flooring, cabinetry, lighting, bathroom fixtures - all the things that you pictured when dreaming of your custom home. It's a lot to go through, but we try to make it as easy as possible, so you don’t get overwhelmed or get stuck in decision paralysis.
Construction Phase
All your decisions are now put into practice. The house takes shape as the foundation is installed and the walls erected.
An experienced construction manager ensures all goes smoothly to avoid mistakes and rework, and to keep everything on schedule. After the frame is complete, the major systems of your home are installed, from plumbing and electrical to insulation and finishes.
Final Inspection & Move-In
Your home is finished! Here is your chance to look everything over and make sure it is exactly what you wanted. You won’t be the only one making an inspection. Your project manager thoroughly check everything in the house to make sure it’s up to code and completed per your plans. After a final walk-thru with us, you’re ready to move in.
Rest assured, our work is not complete.
Warranty Phase
We are committed to resolving all punch-out items quickly and provide a comprehensive warranty on our homes. All materials and workmanship in our homes are warrantied for one year, all mechanicals (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) for two years, and structural components for ten years. If anything at all goes wrong, we are there to efficiently and effectively fix it to your satisfaction. More importantly, we remain a resource you can reach out to with any question and concern forever.
Custom Home
Construction & Additions
Copyright © 2022 Golden Magnolia Inc