You have just bought land and want to build. Where do you start?

First you need a plan, some idea of the space you want to live in and how you will occupy that space. You may have purchased the property for the view, its

location or because you got a great deal and need somewhere to live.

Whatever the reason for its location, it’s now yours to do with how you

see fit. But wait, you will have some constraints governing your property and

that you will have to take up with your local municipality. In some regions, it’s

called the planning or building department, but whatever it is called, they

will have by-laws governing where you place your house relative to the property

lines or boundaries. There may be covenants (conditions and prerequisites relative to the development) that affect the design of your house or the materials used.

It may be an idea to talk to an excavator who builds septic fields, if you live in an urban setting. The septic field location is important along with the well for your water source. This will then determine where the house should go. You may want to contact your local electric power provider if there is no evidence of power poles in your neighbourhood.

Once you have an idea of septic field and well locations and what your local municipality requires, now it’s time to get your ideas down on paper. Make a list of your wants, size of rooms, your existing furniture, kids, pets, toys, etc. You may have riffled through magazines and clipped exterior and interior images of houses. This along with your list will help when meet with a designer.

The design stage is like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, placing rooms in a functional manner all the while creating a certain style on the exterior. Your designer will meet with you to present floor plans and building elevations (exterior façade), discuss how it was arrived at and wait for feed back. Often I hand over design drawings for the client to take home and digest. Once they have had a chance to review the drawings they may come back with a request for changes. Drawings are modified until the client has a design they are happy with. At this stage I suggest they get quotes from builder.

Meeting with a builder at the design stage can be beneficial for a couple of reasons:

1, You will want to contact at least three builders and ask them for a quote or “guestimation” which will give you an indication of cost, but this will be by no means the true cost. This will give you an idea of whether you can afford to build the design or have to whittle the building size. Never tell a builder how much you have to spend.

2, By getting three quotes from separate builders, you will be able to compare apples from oranges. For instance, one builder may be very busy and may deter you by raising his price while other two quotes may be close on the dollar. Ultimately you want to find a builder you are comfortable with. Yes referrals are always good and asking to see their work will give you an idea of quality. Also ask your builder for cost allowances on the major ticket items. For example, your builder may use one brand of window and you may have a friend in that business who will supply windows to you at a discount. Or your builders quote for the kitchen cabinets only allows for middle of the road and you have your eye on a better quality. In that case you would kick in the difference.

So let’s say you have a builder in mind who has given you an idea of his/her schedule and you are comfortable with his quote. I know from experience that there are very few who can write a cheque to build their entire house. Before you engage a builder, you should make an appointment with your banker or mortgage broker. Take a copy of the design drawings with you so that your financier can order an appraisal of both your property and design. This will give your banker an indication of finished value and will be able to lend accordingly.

The wheels are in motion and lets assume you have approved financing. Great! It’s time to get your designer to produce working or construction drawings. These drawings are first used to get a more accurate quote. Here is where hiccups sometimes occur. Your builder has realized that in the first preliminary quote there is more to this house than first thought. Preliminary or design drawings do not give a builder a clear idea of intent. Yes, your builder should have the experience to understand the drawings and quote, but there are so many variables.

Your builder will have a contract and before signing anything that involves large sums of money, I would advise seeking legal advice. Remember you are spending a lot of money and want to be protected. It is always recommended to choose a builder who belongs to a national association of builders and contractors.

You or your contractor can submit the construction drawings for the building permit application. Building permits are issued once the drawings have been reviewed and meet all of the building code requirements. During construction, a building inspector from your local municipality will review stages of completion to ensure the work also meets the building code requirements. This is done to protect the owner from shoddy work and to maintain a standard.

Your lawyer should insist that you hold back some of the builder’s fee, so that if there are areas neglected or that require attention in the house, you are not held in limbo waiting for your contractor to finish those small important details.

Once you are settled in your new home, I hope that you and your family can enjoy the space designed.