Tips for Stress-Free Home Building with an Out-of-State Home Builder

Building a new home is an exciting and monumental undertaking, one that requires a lot of planning and preparation. The stress that comes along with the process can be magnified when working with a builder across state lines.

Are you ready?

As you would expect, the potential for stress correlates to such factors as how often you can visit the building site, or your desired level of involvement in the first place. It’s best to be honest with yourself as you choose a builder and make preparations for construction. Are you comfortable with a hand’s off approach, or are you more likely to micro-manage the process? The best case is that you have friends or family near your destination – a place to frequent as you check on the progress of your home. Renting a place near your building site may be an option, depending on your finances and your level of participation in the building process. For most, it boils down to a combination of site visits, convenient online access to your home builder and a smooth process for communication during construction.

Accessibility matters

Your access to and comfort with technology is a critical factor in managing your level of stress. The best builders, and certainly those easiest to work with, will have a process and the technology in place to ensure smooth ongoing communications during design and construction.

Brown Haven Homes, for example, often works with out-of-state customers building their dream home in the mountains of north Georgia, western North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Brown Haven customers enjoy a custom webpage where weekly updates, photos and captions are posted, guiding them through every step of the construction process. When choosing a builder – especially an out-of-state builder – it’s important to look at the quality of construction as well as the quality of the construction experience.

Whether you have a specific builder in mind or you're relocating to a new state, selecting and working with an out-of-state home builder can be a successful and fulfilling experience. Preparation and pre-planning are key to ensuring the best possible experience and outcome.

Do your research

Thanks to the internet, you can easily access information about home builders and their portfolios from anywhere in the world. Start by searching for home builders in the state or region where you plan to build your new home, and narrow down your options based on their experience, reputation, and customer reviews. Don’t just rely on posted online reviews, they can be manipulated. Make some phone calls to previous clients to get a sense of their experience working with the builder and the quality of the builder's work.

Establish clear lines of communication

Ensure that you have a way to communicate with the builder and their team on a regular basis. This may include setting up regular video conferences, phone calls, or emails to discuss the progress of the project, ask questions, and provide feedback.

Set clear expectations

This includes everything from the scope of the project and the budget to the timeline and the quality of the work. Make sure that you and the builder are on the same page about every aspect of the project and that you have a clear agreement in writing. A good builder will insist on this step, and set up the process for you.

It's also important to be realistic about the timeline and budget of your project. Building a home is a complex and time-consuming process, and unexpected delays and costs can arise. Make sure that you have a contingency plan in place and that you're prepared to be flexible if necessary.

When it becomes necessary, or advantageous, to work with an out-of-state builder, a successful and stress-free experience is possible. Contact Brown Haven Homes to discuss how careful planning, communication and coordination can result in stress-free building across state lines, and the home of your dreams.