Your 3 Options for Building a Custom Home, Explained
When building a custom home, you have 3 options. Which one is best for you & your family?
When it comes to building a custom home, there are two types of people…
If you’re considering a new custom home, you might be on the fence about which option to choose. Option #1 would involve hiring a home builder or general contractor to coordinate, execute, and manage the project. Option #2 would involve you taking on the role of general contractor and managing the project yourself.
But there’s also a third option. More accurately, option #2B: building your home yourself with the help of UBuildIt!
When you choose this option, you’re still the general contractor, but we act as your hands-on construction consultant. Thousands of people have chosen this option because it allows for more control and savings, while providing peace of mind that there is always expert help at hand.
That said, we understand we’re not right for everyone. So let’s take a look at your 3 options for building a custom home to see which works best for you.
A general contractor is essentially the boss of a home build. Their responsibilities include providing the materials and equipment, hiring and coordinating the subcontractors, overseeing the job, getting building permits, monitoring cash flow, scheduling the project… basically, anything and everything. A home builder also does these things and performs the actual construction of your home as well.
Home builders and general contractors charge anywhere from a 15-30% markup. That means if your builder has a 25% markup, you pay an extra $75,000 to build a $300,000 home. That’s a lot of money, but some people find it’s worth paying for the reassurance that a professional is handling the project.
People opt to build their own home for a number of reasons. If you choose this option, you get total control over the process, more chances to flex your creative muscles, and the right to skip the builder markup. Plus, you get the unequaled satisfaction of building your own home.
That said, being your own general contractor can be daunting. This is typically why it’s recommended you have at least some construction experience if you’re tackling a home build with no help. Otherwise, things can spiral out of control quickly—cost overruns, change orders, project delays, uncooperative subcontractors… you name it. If you have no industry experience, you probably won’t know how to handle these setbacks properly.
Building your own home also eats up much of your time—expect to spend at least 30 hours a week on the project. That kind of time is hard to come by for most people, so be sure you can dedicate the equivalent of a work week to your home build before diving in.
This option is for people who want the benefits of Option #2… with the expert assistance to avoid all the problems.
As we said earlier, we’re your hands-on construction consultant. We’ll help you with bidding, hiring subcontractors, plan development, and project costing. We’ll review your plans and budget to make sure everything is on target. We’ll visit the jobsite 25 times to ensure the project remains on track. We’ll provide guidance and assistance throughout the project to help you steer clear of setbacks and properly handle issues.
Bottom line: You’re still calling the shots; we’re the ones helping you navigate the process.
Choosing to work with UBuildIt can also provide you with savings you can’t get with Options #1 and #2. We have a strong relationship with our suppliers, so they typically provide our clients with builder-level pricing. We don’t have the same markup as general contractors and builders, so we can help you build your home with instant equity. And our assistance throughout your project can help you avoid costly change orders that can eat into your budget.
You’ll also save much more time when building your home with our help. On average, our clients spend 5-15 hours a week (or 1-3 hours per business day) on their projects. This allows you to be the boss of the project while still having, you know, a life.
No construction experience is needed when you work with UBuildIt. We aid you throughout the process, while you still get the satisfaction YOU are the one who built your home. Win-win!
Grab our Free Information Kit for more details about our business. In the kit is a 20-page report that includes case studies, cost comparisons, and what to expect when working with UBuildIt. Happy home building!
