Top 5 Tips when Building your New Home in Joshua Tree
Making the decision to build your new home in Joshua Tree is an exciting time. We would like to help you make this exciting time and enjoyable process. As experience general contractors and real estate developers we have learned a few things about the process and hope to help you avoid some common mistakes:
Budget
Before you even start looking at land and house plans establish a realistic budget for the project. Base the budget on your cash situation or what your final mortgage will be and what you at comfortable paying. By establishing this budget early on you will be able to establish the amount you can afford for the Land, Design, Home Construction, Permits/Fees and Utilities.
If you will be financing the project then now is a good time to start talking to lenders about the amount of money they will lend for the project. This can be a time consuming process and you will ultimately need construction costs from an Architect or a General Contractor who can give you an estimate of costs related to project.
Always add costs for project completion to your budget like landscape, furnishings, window treatments etc. so you have enough money to finish. Most contractors will add a construction contingency in their estimate for unexpected costs or cost overruns. In today’s environment material and labor shortages have made the construction process more volatile.
Land
If you have not yet purchased the land for your new home it is good idea to work with a local realtor who understands land costs and market values. Many Architects, Civil Engineers or General Contractors will review lots with you to determine if there are underlying issues with the land that may cause construction costs to be higher than expected.
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Some of the items to consider when looking at land are topography (hillside or flat), Soil condition, Drainage, Zoning, Building codes, Accessibility, Utility availability (water, sewage, electricity, gas).
Floor Plan/Style
Your new home can be a custom design or predesigned home. Look at the neighborhood, choose a floor plan/ style that fits your needs and is compatible with area. Talk to design professionals, general contractor and Realtor to decide which floor plan/style is a good fit is for you, your budget and the area.
Site Built vs. Prefabricated Construction in Joshua Tree
In a market where labor and materials are volatile choosing the type of construction can have a significant impact on your budget and time line to complete. The options include Traditional Site Built Construction Home vs. Prefabricated Construction.
- Traditional Onsite Construction – bring material and subcontractors to your land and build the complete home onsite. Many homes today are built using this method.
- Benefit – Design Freedom
- Downside – length of time to complete is typically long and exposure to elements can cause delays and future home issues. Material and labor availability can cause cost and time overruns.
- Prefabricated Construction – Majority of home is built in factory, transported to your land in sections and sections are attached to a permanent foundation and then sections structurally connected to each other.
- Benefit – Faster to Completion/Occupy, Home built indoors – No issues with elements, Can be less expensive as less onsite labor and materials needed to complete. Prefabricated homes can be built as Modular ( Local Building Code) , MH Advantage (Federal Building Code), Manufactured ( Federal Building Code)
- Downside – Most economical to choose a predesign floor plan – so limited choices for some design features. Perception that homes are of lesser quality and value – ( Reality is that prefabricated homes are built with exact same materials as site built homes and by skilled laborers and Future Values – Modular and MH Advantage homes – appraise as a traditional site built home )
Team
Building a new home in Joshua Tree requires a team – that typically includes you, lender, designer/architect, general contractor, civil engineer, landscape designer.
How involved will you be in the process depends on you. You will want to be involved in financing, design and home location on the land. Once plans and permits are completed – General Contractor typically runs the show and coordinates with you and other team members on any changes that may have a financial impact. You want to be comfortable with the experience and communication style of the team members.
Bottom Line on building new home in Joshua Tree
Do your homework, talk to professionals and be prepared to work. If speed and value are a consideration consider building with Prefabricated Construction as this type of construction is faster and minimizes many of risks associated then home construction.
Visit us at www.usmodularinc.com
