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If you are having a custom home built,
the Florida home is quite
different than the home you probably now live in. The Florida home lives out the rear of the home
with as many rooms as possible opening to the rear where the
pool becomes the focal point of the home. Try to design the
main living areas of the home with either access or a view
of this pool. Also, many people like to see the pool from
the front door.
Most
Florida
homes are single story, but we are beginning to see some 2
story homes. However, the single story has been the most
popular. Most Florida homes are a split bedroom plan with
the master suite on one side and the secondary bedrooms on
the other side of the home. It usually has an access from
the pool area to a bath.
I would suggest that you look at as many
completed homes as possible to get a feel for the
Florida
home. The builder will also have many different floorplans
that you might view, offering you the flexibility to make
changes to fit your needs and lifestyle.
You can also design the home from scratch
using the builder's designer. This process will be much
easier if you prepare a "must have" want list of the items
that you would like in your dream home. By showing the
designer floorplans of homes that appeal to you he can then
combine various elements of those homes such as baths,
living areas, kitchens, etc. to fit your needs. The first
meeting should be held at the homesite and the home designed
to maximize the sites assets and minimize any liabilities
the site may have. You should choose your focal point which
may be the pool, a view such as a golf course, water, or a
special tree. The home should be built around this focal
point with every room having a dramatic view.
If you do decide to design from scratch,
choose your builder first then work closely with the builder
and his professional design team to be sure the home is the
latest in innovation, fits your needs and desires, and can
be built within the budget that you have established.
Over the years we have seen many people
who consulted an architect first. Many architects design
very few custom homes and the end result is not what the
customer expected nor wanted. Most spend tens of thousands
of dollars on design plans and many frustrating months only
to find that the home is hundreds of thousands of dollars
over their budget or the design is really not that great.
Most Builders offer the services of an
interior decorator to help choose the interior and exterior
colors and materials for the home. This person can make the
experience of building your new home a pleasure. The
decorator has many different samples and makes the
decorating task easy. I would suggest you use the builders
decorator even if you are a decorator yourself. The
builder's decorator knows the selection sequence and how to
make the task easy for both of you.
You will view many different homes and
floor plans offered by builders. When you agree to a
specific home it is very important that the plans be
modified to reflect the home as it will be built. You and
the builder should initial those plans. If changes are made
during construction the original plans should be changed and
all previous copies, before the changes should be destroyed.
This will help eliminate mistakes.
Specifications are probably the most
important part of the agreement. Since it is so easy to
forget things in today's hectic world, the complete home
should be described in writing. The builder should offer
specifications detailing exactly the items to be included in
the home. The specifications should offer not only what is
provided, but also what is not provided in the home. Those
specifications should also be signed and agreed to by all
parties. Should you make changes or any of the
specifications seem vague or unclear they should be amended
so that you, the Buyer, and the Home Builder have a clear,
20/20 vision of the finished home. With clear concise plans
and specifications there are no gray areas and everyone
knows what is expected and what the end result will be.
Without this communication, errors are bound to occur
causing stress for all parties. CAUTION:
The specifications should be at least 20 pages long.
Anything less than that does not adequately specify what
will be included in the home and offers opportunities for
problems.
If you make changes during construction
ask that the change be put in writing. The cost should be
established prior to the change being made. This will
eliminate all surprises and you will remain friends forever.
When the plans and specifications are
complete you should receive a firm price for the home. This
price should complete the home as specified on the chosen
homesite. Do not sign any agreement that leaves fill cost,
foundation height, utility connections, governmental fees,
etc. as an allowance item. This cost can be astounding and
any knowledgeable builder should be able to estimate these
items and offer a firm price. Most communities establish a
minimum floor elevation height and the price of the home
should include adequate fill, foundation height, etc. to
accomplish this.
I would highly recommend the firm price
method over any form of cost plus agreement. A cost plus
agreement removes the incentive of cost control by the
builder and you are leaving yourself wide open to many
unpleasant surprises. Good business says to know the final
outcome at the beginning to eliminate the surprises.
The quality of homesites can vary
greatly. I would suggest that you have a builder look at any
homesite you are interested in purchasing prior to agreeing
to the purchase. In addition, never purchase a
homesite without having a soil test performed on the lot to
be sure the soils are buildable. The builder should
alert you to this need and have this test performed for you
at your expense. Many times, the purchase of a homesite is
conditioned upon satisfactory soil test. It is further
conditioned upon satisfactory percolation test if a septic
system is required. I have seen the cost to correct soil
problems run $50,000.00 and higher. Therefore, please spend
a small amount for the soil test. It is the least expensive
insurance that you can purchase!
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