Tips for Building Your New Home

Burnett Realty Tips for Building Your New Home

1. Contact a Burnett Realtor® to guide you through the homebuilding
    process.

  1. Your Realtor® will assist you with the following:
    1. Finding and purchasing a lot
    2. Finding a builder that fits your needs
    3. Obtaining construction and end financing
    4. Negotiating with builder on details

2. Start your own design wish list

  1.  Get design ideas from:
    • Homes you drive-by
    • Articles you read in magazines
    • Pictures you see
    • Homes you visit
    • Open houses or home shows
    • Design books
  2. Take an inventory of your current home
    • What are your likes and dislikes?
    • What changes would you like to make with your current home?
  3. Ask yourself other questions
    • How many bedrooms are necessary?
    • How many bathrooms are necessary?
    • What size do each need to be?
    • What extra rooms are important to you-formal dining room, porch, rec room, playroom, four-season room, home office?

3. Picking a builder

  1.  Ask friends for referrals, call the Des Moines Home Builders Association, and visit model homes to help you select a builder.

4. Build a relationship with your builder

  1. Trust and good communication are critical to a successful building experience.
  2. Determine a regular communication schedule that works for both you and your builder and Realtor®.
  3. Visit the job site, but be respectful of the crews that are at the site. It's not a good idea to interrupt the crews with questions, comments, concerns, or changes to the original plan. All communication should go through the builder and Realtor®.
  4. Send thank-you notes to your builder and the crew members.

5. Walk through the home 5 to 10 days prior to closing to develop a "punch-list" of items which need to be
    wrapped up or fixed prior to closing.

  1. Open and close all doors, cabinets, and windows.
  2. Operate all mechanical systems throughout the home.
  3. Use stickers or sticky notes to indicate imperfections in the drywall and trim.
  4. Inspect the exterior of the home.
  5. Test the smoke alarms.
  6. Note any cracks of flaws in ceramic tile, flooring, tile grout, caulking or other surfaces in your new home.
  7. Check to make sure that the tops and bottoms of all doors have been painted or sealed.

Click here for home building frequently asked questions.