Plan Your Build From The Comfort Of Your Couch

Was one of your goals for 2020 to build a custom home or cottage? Or at least start the process? With quarantine orders now in place, you may be thinking that those plans have been squashed – or at least put on hold. But they don’t have to be! The team at Quality Homes is already busy helping many of our clients plan their custom build from the comfort of their own home – and we can help you too.

The following outlines some steps you can take to build your Quality Home or Cottage while staying home:

1) Your Lot

2) Your Design

3) Your Finishes

4) Your Budget

5) Your Timing

STEP 1: Your Lot

If you don’t already have a lot where you would like to build your Quality Home or Cottage, the first step will be to purchase one. Fortunately, many professional realtors are finding creative ways to serve their clients during lockdown whether it is over the phone or through video conferencing. Find a realtor that you trust and work with them. Realtors can often find lots quicker than doing it on your own. You can also contact our team at Quality Homes who can refer you to a trusted realtor in your area.

If you already own a lot where you’d like to build, that is even better! Your next step will be to acquire some more information about your lot – obtain a survey or site plan, contact your municipality to make sure the land can be serviced or if you require conservation approval, and find out about the cost of grading or demolition (if applicable).

HOT TIP: Love Where You Live?

Don’t rule out a tear down and rebuild. For a number of reasons! e.g. zoning, services already there, stay in your neighbourhood, plus big savings on things like permitting, moving costs, taxes, commissions, legal expenses, etc.

STEP 2: Your Design

The next step is choosing a home or cottage design. Take a look at the various options in our Design Collection. Keep in mind, you can always modify a plan, or do something completely custom. Our team will work with you directly to find a plan that is perfectly suited to your lot and for you and your family.

At this stage, it is important think about how you live and the lifestyle you want.

HOT TIP: Take Notice

Since you are currently spending more time at home, now is a great time to understand how you use your home. Identify the gathering spots and the quiet areas. What is working for you in your present home and what isn’t?

Ask yourself these questions:

Are you looking to downsize or expand?
How many storeys? Bungalow for single level living or two-storey for extra space? Note: Two- storey designs are great for narrow or smaller lots where you can build up versus out.
What do you love about your existing home? What do you dislike and how can we change that? More bedrooms? More storage? More up-to-date? Bigger kitchen?
Do you want an open concept layout or traditional layout?
How many bedrooms do you need?
Do you often entertain guests in your home?
Do you require a home office or a playroom for the kids?
Do you want outdoor space or a sun room?
Do you need additional storage?
Will you be using the basement? (We finish basements!)
Do you have pets? Any special requirements like a mud room or dog wash station?
Do you need a garage? How many cars do you have?

STEP 3: Your Finishes

For many of our customers, this is often the most fun part of the process! How do you want your new home or cottage to look? Do you want brick or siding exterior? Are you in love with hardwood floors? Is there a colour of quartz countertop that you would find just perfect? Are there green features you want to include? It is important to think about these details now as it relates to your budget.

HOT TIP: Make A List

Take the time to gather inspiration of what you like. Make a list of ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves’ – prioritizing what is most important to you, as you can easily go over budget during this step.

There are a variety of resources at your fingertips:

Browse our online gallery or scroll through our photos on Facebook. Screenshot or print out your favourites.
Start a Pinterest board! Peruse Pinterest for inspiration of design style or specific features that you want in your home.
Flip through home or design magazines. Dog ear pages that inspire you.

At Quality Homes, you will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with our in-house Interior Designer who will help design your dream home or cottage – room by room. Bringing these ideas will help us to provide a quote specific for you.

STEP 4: Your Budget

Before we actually begin to build your custom home or cottage, you are going to need to identify your budget investment level. Contact us and we can refer you to a banking partner who can walk you through the details of financing of a modular home and who can help outline what kind of financing you qualify for.

Keep in mind when planning your budget that you need to plan for more than just the cost of the home itself. Our team is here to help identify the additional items to factor into your overall budget – things like:

Land costs
Local fees & taxes
Development costs (dependent on each municipality) – e.g. zoning, surveys, conservation, heritage, grading plan. You can access this information on municipality websites. Note: development charges are not levied on most tear-downs.
Site servicing costs like well, septic, hydro, gas, municipal hook-ups, phone/cable. You can contact your local utility providers to get a quote.
Demolition or land prep costs
Landscaping

HOT TIP: The Time Is Now

Construction costs tend to trend upwards, so there may be no better time to formalize your process than today!

STEP 5: Your Timing

Think about when you would like to move in to your new Quality Home or Cottage. Within the next year? Or in 3 years? Are there factors that are influencing your decision such as the arrival of a new baby or the start of retirement? When is the closing of your current home? Our team will advise how long your build is going to take. And remember, since we build modular homes in an indoor environment, our builds take much less time than traditionally built homes.

HOT TIP: Take It Step By Step

We understand this can feel like a daunting process but take it one step at a time and keep your eye on the prize. And remember, you are not alone! We have a dedicated team here at Quality Homes to help you through each step.

With over 30 years of resource-rich home building experience, we are here to guide you through the entire journey of building a custom home or cottage.

Setup a one-on-one discussion with a Quality Homes Building Consultant (by phone or email or video) so we can prepare a quote for you. Detail any questions or concerns you may have because we have answers!

For a Step-By-Step Video Guide on this process, check out the video below. Our VP, Howard Sher, went live on Facebook to walk you through the process of building a Quality Home. Watch as Howard provides some very helpful tips!

CONTACT US TODAY:

Send us a message online: click here
Give us a call: 1-800-265-2648
Send us an email: info@qualityhomes.ca