The Florida Building Process
Nothing is more exciting than moving into your brand new home that you designed and watch be built from the ground up! Knowing that you were able to choose your layout, the size of the rooms, how the kitchen would be positioned, and possible your personal man cave or workout room.
Before we get too excited about where the 80″ TV for movie night is going to be placed, lets discuss the key steps in the building process here in Florida and also some challenges that may come up. If you or your family is looking to take the next step in building your next Florida dream home you must check out this building guide.
Pre-Qualifying Process
Before we begin your journey to building a new home the very first step is knowing what you plan on spending to construct the house as that will determine the materials you use, the size of house you build and in some cases the location of where you will build. If you are going to finance the house you will want to get a construction to perm loan, which allows the builder to take draws from the dedicated account during specific checkpoints of the build process.
If you are planning on paying for the house in cash you will want to know what you plan on spending for an all in budget to ensure when it comes to picking out the finishes that you stay within the initial budget. Your builder will also be able to help you when it comes to the best places to allocate more of the funds.
Time to Look For Land
This is one of the fun parts! If you are looking to build your house on a private piece of land it is always best if you walk the property before purchasing. If you are out of state then you will want to be sure to have a real estate agent who is knowledgeable in land help you make a decision.
With our team we walk our clients through the entire process from acquiring the land to getting the keys to your new home! One of the things to look out for is what kind of protected animals live on the property, if any as that can be a large unexpected expense.
Find the Right Builder
This is one of the MOST important aspects when it comes to building a new home in Florida. This will determine if you will have a great building experience or not. In fact, we encourage people before they talk with us about building a home to talk with some other local builders so that you feel as comfortable as possible with us during the building process.
When looking for the right builder you want to look at their quality of work, as it will very. You want to know what materials your builder is using, what is the builders reputation, and most importantly what kind of communication to expect during the build process.
We understand that this is a very exciting time for you and we want to make sure it stays that way throughout the entire build. We give updates as often as our clients want, whether that is daily, weekly or bi-weekly.
Plan Your Design
Designing a house to your exact needs is one of the most exciting times during the building process for any future homeowner. This is where you will design your floor plan and where everything will go. We have general floor plans to choose from, but we can easily customize them to fit your personal needs. If you have a floor plan in mind, we can work with that as well!
Once you design the layout of the house, now comes the time to pick out your finishes. This is where you can spend as little as you want or as much as your want. You will be picking out your flooring options, your kitchen cabinets, paint color, counter tops, backsplash, etc.
Submit Permits
Once you know the location of your house and your floor plan your builder will then submit all those plans for permitting. To get approved, the timeline will vary depending on size of house, and the county/city you are in. They can take as little as 4 weeks or they can be 12+ weeks. This is the time where it is a waiting game to get the permits back so that you can get started building.
Site Prep
Once you have found your lot you want to build on, your builder will begin clearing the land to accommodate the house. This is when the trees will be cleared, dirt will be hauled in and the ground will be graded to ensure proper drainage away from the house.
Lay the Foundation
Time for concrete! When the trees have been cleared, dirt has been hauled in for your foundation, and the initial grading has been completed now it is time to start building the foundation form, laying the plumbing lines, gas lines and anything else that needs to be in the foundation. This form, which is built from lumber, is where the concrete will be poured into and have time to cure.
As the concrete is curing, it will be getting smoothed out by hand and by a machine to ensure once it is fully cured it as smooth as can be. Also, if you want to keep the cracking to a minimum be sure to have the foundation cut within 24-36 hours after being poured.
Frame Your Home
Once the foundation has had enough time to fully cure, now it is time to start constructing the frame of your new home. Once the house is fully framed is when you will want your builder to inspect the framing to ensure everything is level and no 2×4’s are not aligned. It is best to find any flaws in this stage because when you will notice it is when the dry wall is installed and you have a lump in the way. By then it is a messy process to fix.
Time For the Trades
Once all the framework is complete for the house it is time for all the tradesman to come in and start making your the rough framing actually look like a home.
- Rough HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical
- Install Insulation
- Drywall & Painting inside
- Stucco, Painting and concrete driveways outside
- Install flooring, cabinets and countertops
- Finish trim, Plumbing, lighting
It’s All About The Finishing Touches
This is the time when everything will be cleaned, wiped down, vacuumed so that you are ready to move in. During this time your builder will be obtaining the CO or Certificate of Occupancy, which states this home as passed all the necessary state tests to ensure the safety of the new homeowner(s).
Florida Building advice
Congratulations on your new home! You have been waiting 8-12 months for this moment when you are handed the keys to your brand new home. You are now if what is called the Warranty Period for the 1st year. This is where you will want to go through your home and find any imperfections or flaws in the house that were not caught when you and the builder did the periodic walk-throughs. You want to make sure:
- All the blinds work
- The windows open easily
- There is no paint on your counter tops or cabinets
- No dents in the walls
These are just a few of the things to look out for, but regardless if you have an issue reach out to your builder to have it fixed. If you saw something that was missed your a broken tile that needs to be replaced, we would be happy to ensure that gets taken care of ASAP as we know the moving in process can be stressful. We want to help you make it as stress free as possible.
Have Any Questions About Building a
House in Florida
We Would Love to Hear From You!
One Response