There are many factors to consider when deciding to build your own custom home such as location, foundational structure, budget, and more. You’ve put hours of thought into mapping out this ideal dream home, conducted the proper research, and now you’re so excited that you want just to start building. The next step is to find the best custom home builder. How do you begin to do that?
Read below to discover tips on finding the best custom home builder to make your dream home a reality.
ACCESSIBILITY TO YOU AND YOUR NEEDS
Choose a home builder who is easily accessible to you and your innovative ideas for the creation of your custom home. After the wants and needs (size, type, price range, etc.) of your new home are clearly defined, it is essential to choose a home builder that provides you with the ease of accessibility. Your ideal home builder should be understanding, approachable, and attentive to your vision.
Also, choose a home builder that is local to you or the soon-to-be location of your new home.
Make sure the home builder of choice will operate in your desired price range and are more than willing to accommodate your desires of making your new home.
At MK Homes, our building process starts with the articulation of motivations for wanting a custom home and then bringing those needs and desires to reality in your new home. We focus on personalizing the building process. Our team will walk you through each step from design, construction to move-in day. 
We try to make the design and building process simple:
- Meet with the MK Homes owners, Matt and Kim Keith. You will discuss needs, wants, home styles that you like and more in this meeting. We will talk you through the preliminary decisions and when they should be made.
- Meet with your home loan expert (four to six weeks). If you are financing your new home, establish yourself with your banker and mortgage broker. Get pre-approved so you can set a price range that you are comfortable with before you start home shopping. Check to see if your bank writes construction loans and if they close on the loan once, at the beginning of the project.
- Choose your home design and location (one to two-month average). We have three types of floor plans customized to our homeowners. You also have the option of bringing us a home design you like, and we will work with you on your specific needs and wants.
- Enter into a design agreement, and review the final floor plan. After agreeing on the floor plan, specifications, and contract price, you will enter into a design agreement with MK Homes.
- Execute purchase agreement and finalize your home construction loan. A purchase agreement is a legally binding contract between the seller and buyer agreeing to the contract price.
- Start the construction process. The entire home construction process takes about seven to ten months with many phases: excavation and foundation, framing and roofing, mechanical rough-in (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), insulation and drywall, paint and interior trim, flooring and cabinetry, final mechanicals, and final punch out. The timeline can vary depending on other factors.
HIGH STANDARDS
Know what you want in your custom home. Keep in mind that as you grow, your house should grow with you to be able to accommodate you and your family with consistent quality.
Find out information about past projects, check references, structural materials used, and make sure you are choosing a home builder with high-quality products from the countertops to the framing.
At MK Homes, we build quality custom homes personalized to the way you live. Each home is made to the highest construction, Energy Star 3, standards ensuring they are comfortable and convenient to live in for years. Our homes are energy efficient created with quality design and development, and they are built to a higher standard that will last a lifetime. Our homeowners see measurable savings on their energy costs.
At MK Homes, we concentrate on building a few homes at a time to customize each home catered to its family. We outlined our specific construction standards, how we compare to the standard home builder, and what each material we use means to you in your home building process:
- Foundation: We use superior walls with precast, insulated concrete foundations, prepared footer, and rain leaders.
- What this means to you: Our foundation stays dry and comfortable, and it adds quality living space, which feels the same as the rest of the home.
- Structural Beams: Our custom-designed steel beams are sized for each home.
- What this means to you: The beams allow for more extended free-span basement spaces with minimal posts. The posts are buried within walls in most floor plans.
- Framing: We provide 16” OC premium-grade studs, engineered truss roof system with bottom chord overhang trusses, sealed and vented.
- What this means to you: Premium grade studs make for straighter walls. The engineered truss system reduces the requirement for bearing walls on the interior of your home, allowing for more open floor plans. It also minimizes the human error of on-site roof construction. The bottom chord overhang trusses prevent ice damming and heat loss at the intersection of the roof and walls. It also allows room for the option of architectural detail and more space over windows below the roofline.
- Exterior Sheathing: We provide R5 1” DOW exterior sheathing, glued and seams taped.
- What this means to you: The exterior foam working with other layers of insulation provides multiple thermal breaks to prevent air, noise, and dust infiltration into the home. This results in lower energy costs and a healthier, more comfortable home to live in.
- HVAC System: Our sealed supply and return ductwork minimizes energy loss, and it is installed in a conditioned space. The system is sized for your home to maximize efficiency.
- What this means to you: No energy loss results in less money being spent on heating and cooling your home.
- Insulation: We offer 1” closed cell spray foam insulation on all exterior walls with R11 batts (total exterior wall R-Value R23) and R49 blown cellulose in the attic, garage walls R13 batts, and soundproofing insulation standard.
- What this means to you: Better designed insulation makes the home more comfortable and healthier to live in, with lower utility bills, which saves you money.
- Plumbing System: We provide a Manifold PEX System with an individual quarter-turn shut-off for each water line with additional shut-off at the sinks and toilets.
- What this means to you: No hot water surges/scalding. Direct water lines allow for equal pressure to each fixture, and maintenance to individual installations can be accomplished without shutting off water to the rest of the home.
- Plans: Your home is designed uniquely for the way you and your family live. We create the house with you and cater to your budget, needs and wants as the foremost concerns.
- What this means to you: The resulting home is the one you want, and you decide where to spend your money based on what matters most to you.
- Interior and Exterior Selections: We provide unlimited selections that are guided by knowledgeable and experienced professionals. Aided by our online customer selection system, we will walk you through each step of customizing your new home.
- What this means to you: You select and love every item that goes into your home, and you have help along the way to make each choice.
- Energy Rating: We regularly achieve HERS scores in the ’40s. Our homes exceed the Energy Star standard.
- What this means to you: Significant reduction in energy costs (~$2,000 per year), along with living in a more comfortable and healthier environment.
We use a web-based project coordination program to ensure ease of communication and clarity with all who are involved in your home’s construction.
Click here for more information: Custom Home Building Guide
ASK QUESTIONS
A good home builder will be happy to answer any question, comment, or concern you may have about the construction process of your new home. They will also be very clear about the timeline of your home construction by providing a comprehensive estimate. Secure communication between all individuals involved in the home creation project removes any suspicion with the lack of transparency. Your perfect fit of a home builder will listen to your goals and vision. You want a home builder who will respond promptly and with attention to detail.
Examples of questions to ask:
- How long have you been in business?
- How many homes over you overseen the construction of in that time?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- What are additional fees associated with the home and its development?
- How will you determine costs with the building of my home?
- Do you enjoy a good working relationship with your subcontractors?
- Are you open to working with a designer that we’d bring on the project?
- Will it be possible to make adjustments during the construction process?
- What is your inspection process like?
It is recommended that you take notes during the detailed discussion of your home creation to compare and contrast responses to choose the best home builder that caters to your desired needs.
Our team encourages you to ask questions. We are always available by phone or in-person to answer your questions and share ideas. We want to craft a home fit for you and your family’s needs.
MK HOMES EXCEEDS THE STANDARD
We offer outstanding quality design, construction, energy efficiency, and customization. We build our homes to a higher standard completely custom to you and your needs, ensuring a house you can call your forever home.
Give us a call at 724-206-9741 and schedule a time to sit down and talk about what you are looking for in your new home.
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