You’ve made the exciting and daunting decision to build a house. You’ll soon find out there are a great many considerations not only to start the process, but to see it through to a successful completion.

Maybe you’ve selected your lot, and now you are wondering about finding a builder. But where do you start? What should you be looking for in a home builder? Obviously, you want the experience and the expertise, but you also want someone who is passionate about the projects they work on and has great attention to detail and superb communication skills.

Here are some insider tips from the experts at Vertical | Design+Build:

Talk to your friends and advisors.  Ask any friends or acquaintances who have recently built a new home about their process. Talk with professionals in your network, such as bankers, real estate agents, attorneys, and financial advisors. Maybe your neighbor is an interior designer or architect. These are all great people to start your search with.

Investigate Their Work.  Begin your initial research on any recommendations. Look at the website of builders, and confirm that they can build the kind of home you want. Many builders lend themselves to a certain style or aesthetic. Remember, a fancy website does not necessarily mean experience. You should be able to see your dream home goals in the body of the builder’s work.

Interview.  Once you have narrowed down your short list, call to schedule quick face-to-face meetings with each of them. The important qualities to have in common with your builder are the same qualities that make for any great relationship: commitment, trust, time, attention, communication, partnership, honesty, respect, the ability to compromise, and the ability to have fun. Most people can feel if it’s a good fit fairly quickly.

Research and references.  After interviewing a few home builders, narrow it down to your top one or two choices. Now is the time to get specific with services, processes, timelines, general pricing, and references. Request a sample contract to show terms and conditions. Also ask for two to three references of past clients to hear how the process went for them and whether they experienced any issues.

After going through these steps, you should be able to make a fully informed decision on selecting a home builder! If you are looking to build a home in the Sarasota area, consider setting an interview with the team at Vertical | Design + Build, where they take pride in guiding clients from concept to completion.