When you’re planning to build a high end home, don’t rush into a relationship with a custom home builder. Your project could take as much as a year from the start to completion and the builder you choose can make that year easy or difficult.
Choosing a company or individual to whom to trust one of your most significant investments can be difficult. You want somebody that understands you and your vision, even if you can’t articulate it perfectly. At Herr & Company, our clients tell us they hire us for our creative interpretation of their vision and clear communication from the very beginning. No matter the project: commercial, remodel, renovation, or new construction, Herr & Company is committed to providing quality work at a fair and honest price.
From picking a contractor off a webpage of custom home builders to choosing the architecture that reflects your style and the plot of land on which you plan to build, there are many decisions that need to be made when building a new home. It’s helpful to write down some questions you might ask yourself during the process. At Herr & Company, we put together some questions we would ask ourselves and discuss with our spouse prior to starting the project.
When you’re in the market for an expert on foundation repair and stabilization, choose a professional builder. Their knowledge and experience gives them the skills to diagnose the problem and formulate a dependable plan of action. At Herr & Company, we understand the intricacies and the importance of solidifying the base of support for your home or business, every other part of the house relies on that stability. This is not the project on which to take shortcuts or skimp. Do it right, your home depends on it.
When you’re choosing from local contractors to remodel or restore your home, it’s important to put together questions to discuss when you first meet. These questions can be a great way to determine the pros and cons of choosing one company over another and to determine your expectations and budget for the project. At Herr & Company, we believe an informed client is a good client. We put together a list of questions we would use, if we were choosing a contractor:
If your next home remodeling project is on an old farmhouse, get ready for some changes. Older homes typically require updates to the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems. To support modern kitchen appliances, bathrooms, and your overall comfort, these three areas often require fairly significant updates. In order to maintain the unique charms of the architecture of your home, it is best to choose a creative and experienced contractor to run and organize your project.
Home restoration requires a contractor with certain skill sets that not all contractors possess. Attention to detail and the knowledge of historical building practices are at the top of the list, along with relationships with local craftsmen still committed to the old way of doing things. At Herr & Company, we are celebrating almost forty years in the building industry with an emphasis on historical restoration in Virginia. Here are the top 5 skills we recommend you prioritize when choosing your next contractor:
Choosing a contractor from the restoration companies in our area can be challenging. To simplify the process, Herr & Company recommends you choose the contractor whose work ethic and attitude work well with your own. Restoring a property can be a lengthy process so the relationship between contractor and property owner needs to be solid and mutual. At Herr & Company, we choose our clients as much as they choose us. Our process ensures we work closely together through the entire project.
The first step in making the decision to restore, renovate, or remodel your home is to fully understand these terms mean. At Herr & Company, we believe in sharing our knowledge with our clients. Here is how we define restoration, renovation and remodeling: To restore your home is to return it to the same time period, level of quality, and features it possessed when it was first built.
When it comes to choosing potential custom home builder, it pays to do a bit of homework. If you’re thinking about building a custom home in Harrisonburg, we’ve got some tips on how to ensure you make an informed decision.
Get Custom Home Builder Recommendations
The best way to get recommendations is to connect with people who have found success on past projects and find out who they worked with. Herr & Co. has been building custom homes in the Shenandoah Valley for nearly three decades and we’ve got a long list of recommendations from our past clients.
Ask the Right Questions
Once you’ve got a few prospective builders lined up the next step is to ask important questions about their experience and process. This is how you can determine which custom home builder is going to be a right fit for your project. Some important points to hit on include:
- How long have you worked with your subcontractors? If your builder and subcontractors have experience together and a good working relationship, you’re sure to have a smoother and more organized process.
- How many other projects will you have going on at the same time? Making sure your custom home builder isn’t spread too thin is important, ask about their schedule and availability.
- Are past buyers satisfied? A custom home builder with a solid reputation and portfolio will be able to provide you with at least one or two previous clients to speak with.
Check out our previous post on custom home building for more questions.
Look For a Design Fit
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a custom home builder is whether the style of their past work fits your vision. Take time to examine your prospective builder’s portfolio and ask if there are any homes you can drive by or see in person.