Purchasing a new home is always an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. When you choose to do a new build or pre-sale, it can be an added layer of excitement to the home buying process. You & your family have the opportunity to watch your home from the slab stage to a completed product. It can be so exciting to see your personal choices come to fruition during construction & envision your family living in the space as it is created.
We’ve taken the 18-20-week process and condensed it into 7 stages to share the progression of your home from slab to lockout! Keep in mind, you & your agent can always schedule a visit to view the home. We ask that your agent notify us prior to the visit so we can ensure a safe environment.
- Laying the groundwork
Once you have selected your desired lot in the development of your choice, a crew will position wooden boards in the shape of your home and then dig structural support footings. It will be graded to ensure a level surface for your home’s foundation. This is a weather-sensitive task. Once the site has settled, they will roughly install plumbing & dig in structural support footings. Utilities will be also be run to your home at this time.
- Going vertical
During this phase, the skeleton of your home will be constructed in what is referred to as the stick frame. Walls, floors and the roof will be built to shape your home. Plywood is then added to this stick frame to provide the home with even more dimension. A protective house wrap is then used to cover the frame, this will keep moisture out and prevent molding or wood rot.
- Rough Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC
Once the exterior shell of your home is completed, HVAC ductwork, plumbing & wiring can be run through the interior walls of the home. Water supply lines are run for each bathtub, toilet or sink in your home as well as sewer lines are constructed. At this point, your bathtub will also be installed because it will be too big to install once the walls are in place! HVAC techs will install ductwork & electricians will install the breaker box & wiring. Once these tasks have been completed, insulation is added throughout the home. From that point, the next step is drywall installation! Now the floorplan of your home really takes shape!
- Curb appeal
While the central nervous system of your home is being constructed inside, the exterior of your home is also receiving some attention. Whether you have an entirely brick exterior or vinyl siding with a brick skirt, it will be installed at this stage. The driveway & sidewalk leading to your home will be poured pretty late in the process. Waiting until the home is almost finished prevents damage & cracking of the concrete by large trucks used in earlier stages of construction.
- Add a touch of personality
Now that the blank canvas has been created, it’s time to add some personality. Painting, as well as cabinet & lighting installation, will make your vision come to life inside the home. That gorgeous chandelier you picked out will be hanging in the dining room soon! Your chosen flooring, countertops & those sleek stainless-steel appliances will all be installed, too! If you’re not excited yet- you should be! Trim such as crown molding, doors & other decorative moldings are installed at this point.
- Finishing touches
The devil is in the details they always say. Once the home is roughly 90% complete, the finish trim pieces & other accessories are put in place. This includes shoe molding, door knobs, bath fixtures and more! A team will come in and clean the home from top to bottom before it’s officially considered “complete.” We want you to be amazed at your future home!
- Landscaping
The final step prior to your walkthrough, will be exterior landscaping. Sod is laid to the front corners of your home unless you’ve upgraded or your lot determines otherwise. A sprinkler system will also be installed so you can maintain that luscious lawn & small plants will go in the beds by your front door.
And now, your home is complete! You will have a chance to view your home before your closing date during your walkthrough. At this time, you will be able to point out any inconsistencies with quality or issues you’ve noticed. One of our staff members will be present with you & your Realtor to aid in this process. To learn more about that process click here.
