Guide to Building a Custom Home in Birmingham: Pre-Meeting Homework

So you’ve decided you want to build a custom home, but now what? The custom homebuilding process and building timeline is actually a lot simpler than you might think – especially with a bit of prior planning. Before meeting with your Birmingham custom home builder for a pre-design meeting, it’s important to do some pre-meeting homework. This will help your building team avoid costly mistakes along the way and get the homebuilding process rolling smoothly.

1. Plan Your Budget

From the moment you start planning your new custom home build, you will want to know your budget and stick to it. Come up with a realistic idea of how much you can afford to spend and estimate how much it will cost to build the home. More than likely, you will want to take out a construction loan to assist you in the home’s construction. Banks and other financial institutions are more than happy to prequalify homebuyers for a construction loan, helping to provide you with a ballpark idea of how much you can spend. Once you know your budget, be sure to include a buffer for overage costs to ensure you have funds to pay for any change orders or unexpected expenses that occur along the way. At J. Wright Building Company, we encourage our homebuyers to ask us questions regarding homebuilding costs. At your pre-design meeting, we can assist you in determining your budget and setting allowances for your new custom home.

2. Choose a Lot

Before you can solidify the home plan, choose your features and build the home, you have to have the land to build on. If you haven’t yet chosen a lot for your new custom home in the Birmingham area, now is the time to do that! Get in touch with local Realtors to discuss areas and get a rough estimate on the cost of land. Land purchases typically will cost you around 25% of your total homebuilding budget, so be sure to plan accordingly. Pay close attention to factors such as drainage, soil condition, zoning and building codes for the area you plan to build. Or, if you have your heart set on a specific type or size of the home, reach out to us and we can help you find the right land for your project! We have access to lots in some of the greater Birmingham area’s most exclusive neighborhoods. And of course, if you already own land, we’d be happy to take a look at your land and determine the best location for your new home.

3. Have Design Ideas in Mind

With a budget in mind and your land purchased, it’s time for the home planning process to begin! When building a custom home, you have control of the style, layout and features within it. Prior to your pre-design meeting, it’s important to have at least some sort of an idea of what you want out of your new home. When doing this, consider both your family’s needs and specifications, as well as your personal style. For floor plan inspiration, take a look at some stock plans online such as those offered through the Southern Living Custom Builder Program, or reach out to us. We offer our own original floor plan designs through our sister company, J. Wright Home Design, that can be altered and adjusted as needed. We also design completely custom floor plans! At your pre-design meeting, you will be able to share these ideas with us so that we can envelop a preliminary design for your new custom home.

At J.Wright Building Company, we strive to make the home building process as smooth as possible while keeping our clients engaged and informed throughout your home’s build. Visit our Pinterest page for custom home ideas or go to jwrightbuildingcompany.com for more information on how to begin the process of building your custom home in Birmingham, or contact us to schedule your consultation.