Finding a lot that’s right for a custom home for you can be overwhelming and lot of people don’t really know where to start. Here are five steps and an example with figures to help you on your way.
1. Call a Custom Home Builder.
Well, what we really hope you’ll do is call DH Custom Homes. We have nearly forty years of knowledge and experience and have developed processes to help you navigate the selection and purchase of a homesite for a new custom home in the St. Louis metropolitan area. We enjoy an excellent reputation in the municipalities we have built. We work very closely with our customers to assist them through the process, and when we say we are custom, we mean it.
2. Get Financing.
Get pre-qualified and / or your financing in place so you know what you want to spend. The lot market moves fast, and recently it’s been picking up speed. You need to be prepared and ready to buy when you find a lot that works for you. We can help you do this.
Example: A client wants to spend approximately $600,000 total for the lot and home in Ladue school district.
3. Select a Home Design and Search for a Homesite.
With your needs, preferences and budget in mind, we can assist you with selecting a home design and finding an appropriate lot in the neighborhood or school district you want.
Example: Our home designs that are pre-priced at different specification levels range from approximately 2,300 square feet to 4,500 square feet and $279,500 to $549,500. In our example:
Home design – The client is interested in the Compton Two-Story, 2,848 square feet, with a starting price of $297,500.
Homesite – Obviously the cost of lots varies depending on the location. In our example, we are looking at lots between $165,000 and $210,000 in Ladue school district.
Site Preparation – Plan on about $35,000 to $45,000 in site costs for tearing down an existing home and preparing the site for new construction.
4. Pick your Colors.
Well, not exactly only colors, but this is when you select the materials, finishes and options of what you want in your new custom home.
Example: Some of the popular items people include in their homes are upgraded cabinetry, GE Profile appliances, granite kitchen counter tops, plank or job-finished oak strip floors throughout the main floor, ceramic tile floors in the baths and laundry, some special ceiling treatments, crown mold in the dining room and foyer, cased openings and windows, gas direct-vent fireplace, undermount lavatory sinks in the master, three-car garage, 8’-10” pours, etc.
To continue our example, the Compton with the options listed above plus a few more is about $66,744. Apply our current 50% option discount* on up to $80,000 in options (see details below), which brings the options total to $36,787.
5. Buy it and Build it.
You are now armed with the information you need to go out and make a good deal. You know what your house costs and what the lot costs. So, you purchase the homesite and enter into a contract with DH Custom Homes to build your new custom home.
To get a little more bang for your buck, we are offering a 50% option discount* right now on up to $80,000 options for the first four buyers who enter into a firm contract to build a new DH custom home. Hurry! Two opportunities remain!
For more examples or if you would like more information, please contact Dennis Hayden at 314.439.5820 ext. 102 or email us at info@dhcustomhomesstl.com.
*A maximum of $40,000 to be applied to construction agreement. Contact builder for more details. Prices, features & special promotions subject to change without notice.
