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Building Systems Magazine is a trade
publication for home builders and contractors. While we
are not a how-to magazine for consumers or
do-it-yourselfers, we do get a considerable number of
requests from consumers seeking information about these
building technologies. It's clear that thousands dream
of building their own home, yet many become overwhelmed
when confronted with all the decisions needed to buy and
build. This is especially true when compared to the
process of building a conventional home, in which
production builders may limit buyers to four or five
decisions on upgrades. With a system-built home, you
have the opportunity to create a unique home that truly
reflects your own personality, lifestyle and interests.
We’ve endeavored to give you some suggestions to
simplify this process.
 Interested in a Log Home?
Then start by visiting with our log home
advertisers.
Also, subscribe to Log Home Living
magazine. Every issue contains creative, practical
how-to advice for those planning to buy or build their
dream home.
Attend The Log & Timber Home Show
Attending the three-day Log & Timber Home Show is an
excellent opportunity to learn far more about the buying
and building process than can be presented during a
one-day seminar.
Interested In Modular,
Panel Or SIP Homes?
Then visit with our
modular producers who advertise on this site to see if
they serve your market. In addition to vast information
about their system and its advantages, many can provide
you with links to individual builders in your market
that can turnkey the home for you or act as your main
contractor.
Steps to Keep Your Dream
Alive
Follow these suggestions to keep
the momentum going while following your dream of living
in your very own new system-built home.
Determine Your Budget
If you need to finance your new home,
then it’s important to meet with a mortgage lender to
determine a realistic budget. By starting this process
early on, you can avoid delays later. It can also give
you the opportunity to square away any personal debts
that may interfere with this project. Visit with our
financial advertisers, many of whom offer specific
construction and mortgage programs for buyers of
system-built homes.
Pick A System
Choose which building system appeals
to you the most, whether log, modular, panel or SIP.
There are several subcategories within each system. So
start doing your homework.
Determine
Your Role
You need to identify your
role in the building process. This will not only
allocate a range of responsibilities, but it will also
affect financing and your overall budget. Because labor
may account for 30% to 40% of the total cost of a new
home, you may be able to save a portion of this by
performing some of the work yourself. Essentially you
have three options—professionally built,
owner-contractor or owner-builder.
Establish a Schedule
By writing down a time-line and
establishing goals you need to accomplish each week or
each month, you can establish a realistic schedule for
achieving your dream. Do you want to be in your new home
in six months, one year, two years, four years? Make
your dream a reality by clearly defining your goals.
Create A Scrapbook
Using the stories, photos and floor
plans, begin to assemble a scrapbook of designs you find
appealing. Not only will you be renewing your enthusiasm
for this project, you’ll be performing valuable research
on what features you want in your new home.
Locate A Site
The
perfect home needs the right setting. If you haven’t
found a building site yet for your new home, now’s the
time to get started on that process. Work with real
estate agents or builders in the area you wish to live.
Choose a Producer
The best approach to deciding on a
system-built home producer is to compare quality,
quantity and service. The quality refers to type of
materials that are used, to which building code it is
built to and whether the home is has a warrantee and
what that may cover. These issues can affect the
quickness and ease of construction, as well as
maintenance issues over the life of the home. The
quantity refers to the amount of materials contained in
a producers home package and what will need to be
purchased locally. And service has to do with the amount
and quality of help you will need to make your dream
home a reality.
Choose A Builder
Your main challenge here will be to
select the right person who will build what you can
afford, on time and on budget with careful attention to
detail. Talk with your system producer or local
suppliers and building associations. Be systematic in
selecting several to consider, and evaluate each
carefully. Check references carefully and review each
builder or contractor's standing in the building
community. Also consider their communication skills and
whether you have established a good rapport. Good
communication is of the utmost importance, especially if
you’re building any distance from where you currently
live and can only get out to the job site on the
weekends. In addition to finding a builder you can
communicate with and painstakingly checking references
with past customers, visit finished homes to personally
inspect the builder’s work. Keep in mind that it usually
takes several years for a home to completely settle and
expose any construction defects. A three- to
five-year-old home is probably the best example of a
builder’s art.
Before selecting your builder,
check with the local contractor’s board or similar state
or regional authority, including your state’s Attorney
General’s office, to see if the builder has been
involved with litigation or judgments in the past. In
today’s litigious society, a lawsuit or two over the
course of a career spanning decades may not raise a red
flag. But multiple incidents in a shorter time frame
would certainly be cause for concern. You don't want to
entrust what is likely your largest purchase of your
lifetime to someone who is not reputable. Conversely,
don't expect a builder to create you The Perfect Home.
There is no such structure on the planet. There will
always be flaws, big and small. Your goal--and the goal
of your builder--should be to minimize those flaws as
much as possible through good design, effective
budgeting and careful craftsmanship.
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