Homes of Distinction

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SPRING HOMES OF DISTINCTION

in those relationships, she says.“These are people you’re going to be working with for months, and therewill be a lot of communication back and forth,” she says. “So one of biggestsuggestions I can make is to select people you are comfortable with in thecommunication process from the start, someone you have a good give-and-take with.”Fortunately, she says, there’s no shortage in the region of qualifiedbuilders and artisans from which to choose.

THE SEARCH FOR A BUILDER

One of the greatest challenges in a region rich with talented builders isnarrowing the search to three or four contenders.Paul DeLeers of DeLeers Construction Inc. suggests homeowners beginby defining and maintaining realistic expectations, particularly when itcomes to budget and timelines. Homeowners should enter the selectionprocess with a realistic budget that reflects affordability, and they shouldcommunicate it while interviewing prospective builders, he says.“When potential customers explain what they’re looking for and whatthey are expecting to spend, it not only gives them a chance to see if we’rea good fit, but it allows us to make sure we can provide what they’re look-ing for,” he says.Homeowners can begin researching builders, interior designers andlandscapers by attending programs sponsored by the area’s home buildersassociations. The most frequented programs include tours of newly con-structed homes, such as the Valley Home Builders’ Parade of Homes and

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uilding a new home is oneof the largest investmentsmost people will make in alifetime.Selecting the professionals whowork on those homes — from build-ers to lenders — will be some of the most important decisions they’llever make.“Before homeowners turn a largesum of money over to build what isbasically their dream, they need todo significant research to under-stand the process and investigateindividuals to make sure they’repeople they can work with,” saysBrown County Home Builders Association executive officer MariMcAllister-Charles.Much of what goes into the deci-sion-making process is tangible,such as pricing, references, yearsof experience, credentials and pro-cess-related issues. But homeown-ers will also want to pay attentionto factors that might seem a bitmore touchy-feely, such as commu-nication style, flexibility, organiza-tion skills and personality fit, sayindustry experts.That’s because the quality of therelationship between homeownerand builder matters, particularlywhen working together on the proj-ect of a lifetime, says Valley HomeBuilders Association executive vicepresident Christine Shaefer.Whether it’s the builder or theinterior designer, homeownersshould strive for a level of comfort

How to choose thosewho create your home.

BY GINA MANGAN

The home

professionals

professionals

HOMES OF DISTINCTION

Photo courtesy Travis Industries

SPRING HOMES OF DISTINCTION 2009

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The challenge in home design is “trying to put together a package that has as much detail and drama asthe buyer wants while still being a good value,” says Andy Backus of Fine Homes by Andrew.

the Brown County Home Builders’Showcase of New Homes. Duringthese tours, homeowners can chatwith various builders while touringexamples of their work.“This is the chance to observequality of workmanship, witnessbuilders’ creativity and experiencewhat they do in their own envi-ronment,” says McAllister-Charles.“Often the builders will bring pic-tures of other homes they’ve pro-duced.”Don’t assume, however, that thebuilder only builds luxury homes ora certain style, just because of thehome featured on the tour.“Any of our builders can buildany size home to any price point,”says McAllister-Charles.Exposition-style home showsalso provide opportunities for hom-eowners to interview builders andother professionals, see examplesof their products and gather infor-mation. Typically homeowners willnarrow their list down based on thesamples they’ve seen and the dis-cussions they’ve had, Shaefer says.Once that list is narrowed to twoto three contractors, formally inter-viewing the selected contractors is agood idea, DeLeers says.This is the chance to ask basicquestions, including how long thecompany has been in business,how many homes they’ve built,whether they’ve the acquired thenecessary Wisconsin Departmentof Commerce credentials, if they’readequately insured and whetherthey can provide references. It’salso important to ask about war-ranties, the process for handlingchange orders and details related tocontracts, Shaefer says.Face-to-face interviews create alevel of trust between the hom-eowner and contractor, DeLeerssays.“If you can’t trust your builder,you should not be working withthem,” he says. “Every project runsinto unexpected challenges, whichcan be stressful. When there’s trust,both sides know a positive resolu-tion will happen.”When it’s time to put the projectout to bid, select just three to fourcompanies; any more than that canbecome cumbersome, Shaefer says.Carefully review the details of thebid and what’s included in the costbreak downs, paying close attentionto the value of allowances, the pro-cess for managing change orders,when payments to the builder willbe made and whether they’ll be sup-plying you with lien waivers fromsubcontractors.

THE SOONER, THE BETTER

At the same time homebuy-ers are considering builders theyshould also be shopping aroundfor other professionals they wanton the job. That includes lenders,interior designers and landscapers.Home builder association directo-ries include lists and contact infor-mation for a variety of subcontrac-tors, designers and financiers.Many of these businesses areavailable at home expos, along withtheir product samples and photos of completed work.Ideally, interior designers andarchitects are brought on board dur-ing the earliest stages of the homeplanning process, DeLeers says.Doing so helps alleviate confusion

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