Build to Suit
Building a team
By building a team of professionals at the start, you can avoid some common pitfalls in which people often find themselves when they decide to build a custom home. While this list is not meant to be exhaustive, it is intended to help get you started in the right direction and give you a better idea of what to expect. Before choosing a lot, or a particular plan or style for your home, we recommend building the team of individuals that you will work with and for you. That team includes you, your builder, architect, and interior decorator.
Lot Selection
Your builder and architect can be of invaluable assistance in selecting the right lot for your dream home. You can save literally tens of thousands of dollars by asking your builder to estimate the cost of the site preparation before you purchase, and allow your architect to review the restrictions outlined in the Design Review Guidelines that go with the subdivision in which you are interested. Your builder and architect will ask the questions and find the answers to many of the issues that may not have occurred to you. Zurich Homes offers our services with no obligation to help you select the best lot for your new home. We firmly believe that involving your Building Team at the beginning--before the purchase of your lot--will help you achieve optimum results in the construction of the home as well as save you time and money.
Design
Once your lot has been purchased, you are ready to embark on the creative process of putting your dreams to paper. This part of custom home building involves the delicate balance of what you want, what you need, and what your budget will allow. It is wise to manage all three aspects so that there are no unhappy surprises or last minute changes. Your builder and architect will consult with you regularly to shape the design and the construction of the home. Your interior designer should be involved at this stage to give input as to the types of finishes and furniture arrangements that will work well in each room, and how they will tie together. It is during this phase that your home takes a shape and form on paper, details are outlined from the foundation to the size and shape of the kitchen sink. Your team should help you to not only design a home that is pleasing to you, but one that will appreciate in value based on the decisions you make. Once your plans have been drawn and finalized, the job will go into costing.
Costing
Your builder will manage this portion of the process for you by selecting proven tradesmen that bring solid value to the project. Without proper pre-planning, it's not unusual to learn that the dream home you envisioned costs more than what you had budgeted for. Be sure to understand the entire scope of the quoted price--what it covers and what it doesn't. Some builders will quote prices that do not reflect the total picture of all costs involved. At Zurich Homes, we use comprehensive cost analysis which includes all aspects of the construction, so that there are no unhappy surprises later. It's far better to deal with costs at this stage than when the job is finished and you're presented with unexpected bills.
Construction
This is the beginning of the dream becoming a reality! Your contractor should be driving the process at this stage, dealing with tradesmen, inspections, and the overall construction process. By the time this phase has begun, most of the difficult work is over. You've made the tough decisions; now it's time to enjoy watching your home take shape and become a reality. If you have chosen your team carefully, this process is the most gratifying as you can see the progress made on a weekly or even daily basis. At Zurich Homes, our Project Managers make sure the quality of work provided by the various tradesmen involved meets our standards, and keep you informed of the progress via weekly email or phone updates and, pictorial updates. Your final walk through will be conducted with your builder and in many cases, your architect and interior designer. Have your list of questions handy so that you can note the proper operations of all the special features of your home.
Follow Up
After many months of work and anticipation, your new home is a reality. This should be the most enjoyable part of your building experience! Zurich Homes will be there to help and guide you through the honeymoon period of really getting to know your home, and be there to meet your needs as they occur. We will always make every effort to respond courteously and promptly to your requests for assistance. We provide our customers with an industry-leading warranty that includes a 10 year structural warranty. At Zurich Homes, we realize that our relationship with you, our customer, does not end with the completion of your home. We work with you during this final stage to make sure that all aspects of your home function as they should and to see that your expectations are met. One of the hallmarks of Zurich Homes is our commitment to continuous, long term customer service and support.
