Chicago Custom Home Builder: What To Look For

The Chicago custom home builder landscape has many options. From a sleek, ultra-modern dwelling to a traditional bungalow with a white picket fence: whatever your dream home looks like, you can find a reputable Chicago custom home builder to help you make it a reality.

But with so many home builders working in the Chicago metropolitan area, how do you know that you have found the right partner for you? Finding the right home builder is the key to your success and long-term happiness in your new custom home.

Benefits of a Custom Home

A home is the most expensive purchase most people will ever make, so you deserve to get a home that you truly love. A custom home ensures that you get exactly what you want for your money.

Choose Home Layout

When you develop a custom-built home, your Chicago home builder will design a specific layout that is tailored to fit your taste and needs. When you buy an older home, however, the layout is what it is: the floor plan, flow of the rooms, and functionality will likely reflect outdated tastes or ways of living.

Sure, you can always renovate an old home. But while knocking down walls and moving the kitchen seem simple when you watch it on home renovation shows on TV, customizing an older home can be complicated and expensive. Furthermore, depending on the layout of the older home, a seemingly simple alteration could require major structural changes or uncover problems such as asbestos or mold.

When you partner with a custom home builder to create a new house, you can tailor your home to your exact specifications without all the hassle of a major renovation. Do you need a second Master bedroom on the ground floor to allow you to take in an aging parent? A custom home builder can accommodate that. Do you need a home office or a gym? A custom home builder can make that work too.

Perhaps you want to maximize the natural light your living room receives so that your houseplants will thrive. Again, a custom home builder will know how to make that work too. Whatever your housing needs or preferences are, a Chicago custom home builder can transform them in a layout that fits your lifestyle, aesthetic, and budget.

Choose Lot Size

Another benefit of working with a Chicago custom home builder is selecting an appropriate lot. If you want space for an extensive garden, or you want to do as little landscaping as possible, your home building partner can help you identify the right lot for you and your custom home. In addition, a custom home builder can help you ensure that the zoning, lot conditions, soils, and floodways are appropriate for the weather patterns and neighborhood.

While zoning, permitting, and soil grades are not the stuff homeowners’ dreams are made of, they are key to a long, happy tenure in your new custom home. Your home building partner knows about all the red tape, invisible work, and underlying considerations that you might not think about as a home buyer. And a great partner will address those hassles on your behalf.

Choose Functionality and Accessibility

Finally, a custom home builder can help you with the interior design of your home. A good interior designer not only makes your home look great, but also ensures that it is functional and accessible for your lifestyle and all of the members of your family.

Do you have strong preferences for mid-century modern decor? Do you have a family member with special needs that should be accommodated with smart design choices? Do you just want something that will look beautiful and be easy to clean? A custom home builder’s interior design team will thoughtfully consider your tastes and your family’s needs to create a home that is as functional, accessible, and beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

What To Look For In A Chicago Custom Home Builder

1. Common Understanding

As you begin your search for a partner, start by conducting informational interviews with several firms. In the initial talks, evaluate how each firm responds to your questions, listens to your needs, and makes you feel.

Do you get the feeling the home builder understands your unique goals and vision for the build? Or do you feel they’re putting you in a box and recommending a standard package? The difference between the two is night and day. Finding a partner who understands your goals and is excited to collaborate with you to achieve them is critical for success.

Since the Chicago home builder you choose becomes a partner in accomplishing your vision, keep an eye on how they listen and communicate early. These early interactions set the tone for the whole relationship. The trends and behaviors they exhibit early on will continue, for better or worse, as you get deeper into the build.

In addition, a high-quality home builder will understand your needs and provide suggestions you may not have considered. By anticipating your wants and asking clear, clarifying questions, they will ensure that you end up with a stylish, functional home of your dreams.

2. Portfolio

When you compare Chicago custom home builders, you can start by comparing their websites. A professional site should clearly convey the builder’s style, process, services, and approach to development. In particular, a site should include photographs of past work and clearly state the non-design services a firm provides (e.g., lot preparation, permitting, and regulatory assistance).

In addition, ask the builder about their past projects. Besides reviewing their pre-prepared portfolio photographs, tell them about your vision and ask them to share information and pictures of similar builds. Also, be sure to ask them what they learned during those projects and what recommendations they would make for yours.

Finally, when you think you have found your preferred custom home builder, ask to speak with their former customers, especially ones with a similar vision to yours. When you talk with these clients, learn how the builder communicated with them, how the builder’s team conducted themselves on the construction site, and how they handled problems and delays. Of course, any project will have issues, but a good construction team will handle them professionally and seamlessly.

3. Price

It is almost always a mistake to choose the lowest price for a product, unless you are purchasing a commodity like gas. In that case, the product is the same no matter where you are buying it, and the price is all that matters. Choosing one gas station over another will not matter much for most cars.

A custom home builder, however, is not like a gas station. Rather than comparing apples to apples, evaluating two builders is like comparing apples and oranges. A custom home is not a commodity, it is an investment that you will hopefully live with for years. Since you will live in your custom home every day, it should be something that provides a true value for your money.

With a custom home build, price is what you pay, and value is what you receive. So while you should still buy based on your finances and not overextend yourself, buy based on the value and skill you will receive for the price.

When you meet with a potential Chicago custom home builder, be honest and upfront about your budget. A good builder will listen to your goals, respect your budget, and set clear expectations on what they can achieve for the amount you can afford.

If your vision is too big for your budget, a good home builder will tell you that in a professional manner. They will also provide options and explore ways to achieve a similar result within your financial means.

Finally, a home builder should be transparent about all of the costs included in the build. As stated earlier, there are many steps in a home building process that the buyer may not know about (such as permitting, zoning, or lot preparation). A good custom home builder knows all the steps necessary to translate your home from a vision to reality. And they should know the cost of each step.

Make sure your home building partner is transparent with you about what services they will provide, what services they will not provide, and how much everything will cost. No one appreciates an unexpected expense, and a good partner ensures that you will not encounter one.

How Scotford Homes Can Help

Buying a home can seem daunting. While older homes are often charming, they were built to suit someone else’s vision, and renovating an older home can be stressful and expensive. In addition, they can encounter zoning delays, become complicated quickly, and potentially uncover additional problems.

Building a custom home, however, provides you with a clean slate and ensures that the home you get at the end of the process fits your lifestyle, your aesthetic, and your wallet. A Chicago custom home builder will help you create the custom layout, lot, functionality, and accessibility you need.

So how do you find the right custom home builder for your dream home? There is no one perfect method. Interviewing potential partners, reviewing their portfolios, talking with former clients, and having clear, transparent discussions about your budget will help.

No matter what process you use, be sure to interview Scotford Homes as a potential custom home building partner. We are a known leader in Chicagoland custom home construction, offering a one-stop-shop approach to home design and construction.

We can guide customers through every step of the home building process, including identifying and preparing the lot, designing and building a beautiful, functional home, securing the necessary permits, and planning a thoughtful interior design.

In addition, Scotford Homes prioritizes transparency in project management, communication, and pricing. Our extensive network of suppliers and partners ensures that we can deliver high-quality homes to clients on time and within budget.

Whether you want a large mansion or a tasteful cottage, Scotford Homes has the expertise, experience, and connections to build you the home of your dreams. When you are ready to find the perfect custom home partner in the Chicago metropolitan area, be sure to reach out and contact us. We are prepared and ready to help you truly craft a home of your own.