You have looked at many homes and exhausted the Real Estate section in your local Sherwood Park newspaper. After a long search, many homes do not fit your list of “must haves.” You are now considering having your home custom built. So, when building your dream home, what you need to know? Where do you start?
Home Build Process – Important Things to Consider…
As mentioned in numerous real estate articles: location, location, location – finding your new lot is no different.
A few items to consider:
- a specific school zone
- mature trees
- walk-out lot
- a view
- walking distance to work/amenities
- price
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Your first task is to organize those items into a priority list. What can’t you live without and what is negotiable? Most situations will have some level of compromise. The next item on your list is whether you want to tear down an existing home in a mature area or live in an entirely new subdivision such as Meadowhawk Sherwood Park?
Option A: A Teardown or Infill Lot
There are things to think about when considering a teardown lot, the most obvious is that you are beginning your new custom home building journey with the demolition of the existing home.
Some other factors include:
- restrictions regarding mature trees
- existing neighbors
- extra surveying
- usually a smaller lot size
- cost unknowns due to the age of servicing
- overhead power lines
- tight working conditions
On the contrary, the benefit of having mature trees and an already established, character neighbourhood is something to weigh out.
Option B: A New Subdivision
Significant factors of a new lot are items such as location. Most new subdivisions are farther away from the city core.
Other considerations are subdivision guidelines (Architectural guidelines that are in place to maintain the property value of your home and to provide a cohesiveness to the neighbourhoods.) such as:
- the quantity of stone/brick that is to be used on the home’s exterior
- roof materials
- repetition of exterior colors and products
- driveway materials
- fencing
- and lastly, living in a new subdivision will likely take several years to complete.
The benefit is everything is new – the roads and fences look pristine, larger lot sizes, new servicing, and as a bonus, you will become an integral part of the development of your new subdivision by adding to its beauty when landscaping and finishing your home.
Both options have their challenges and benefits – a priority list will help to narrow down the process of weighing in on one side or the other.
Ask your friends and colleagues to weigh in on what has been a successful custom building process for them?
