New Home - Finding The Help You Need
In this article we're going to discuss finding the people that
you're going to need in order to get your home into the ground.
Building a new home is a complex process. There are more people
involved with building a new home than there are in deciding
government policy. Okay, maybe not that many, but a lot.
So, just what is needed for building a new home as far as
personnel? How do you find them and how do you know they're any
good? Well, we're not going to try to answer all those questions
in this article but we're at least going to let you know who
you're going to have to hire so your home ends up being a home
and not a disaster area.
The very first thing you're going to need is an architect. He
may not do any hammering or sawing but without him your home
isn't going anywhere. An architect is the one who actually
designs the home itself. He makes sure all the angles are right
so that your ceiling doesn't come crashing down on your head.
The architect is the one who oversees the whole operation and
makes sure everything is done to specifications. The architect's
fee is usually a percentage of the construction costs. If it's a
smaller job the architect may charge you an hourly fee. Make
sure you find this out in advance. Those hourly fees can add up.
Some may work on a consulting basis only charging a small fee
for each consulting session.
After the architect you need to find a contractor. A contractor
is the person who makes it all happen. He reviews the drawings
and specifications of the architect. He then gives you an
estimate of what all this is going to cost you. The contractor
then hires the men who will actually do the job including
construction workers and plumbers. Anyone who touches even one
square inch of your new home is hand picked by the contractor.
One option that you have is to go with what they call a design
build company. These are basically one stop companies that will
provide you with both design and construction services. These
companies usually have a staff of architects and their own
carpentry crews. The usually subcontract the plumbing and
electrical work. The benefit of these companies is that they
keep communication simple. You're working with a company that
has a team of people that are used to working together. This
makes things go a lot faster than the conventional route where
people sometimes are working together for the first time. Plus,
this option is usually cheaper than the conventional approach.
You might want to hire a couple of specialists on your own for
kitchen and bath work. Generic workers are great for putting in
cabinets and things like that, but if you want specialized
plumbing your best bet is to hire a specialist for the job.
The last thing you're going to have to get on your own is an
interior decorator. After your home is put together you don't
want it looking like a shack. The right finishing touches are
what make YOUR home YOUR home.