Take a moment and envision a home that has everything you’ve ever
wanted: The floor plan fits exactly how your family lives, the paint and
finishes match your style, and every room feels warm and welcoming.
This is a home unlike any other because it’s yours—and you had the
chance to build it exactly as you wanted.

These days, building a custom home doesn’t have to be just a dream. It can be more affordable, and more achievable, than ever before. Whether you dream of building a custom home for its brand-new custom features, floor-plan options, ideal location, or all of the above, you’re certainly not alone. A growing number of homebuyers across the country are going custom and realizing the process is easier, more affordable, and more satisfying than they previously thought.

Of course, building a custom home is much different from buying a pre-owned house or even selecting from new inventory homes. As the buyer, you have the opportunity to be more involved throughout each stage of the process, and in the end, you get to enjoy the home you have always dreamed of.

THESE DAYS, BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME
DOESN’T HAVE TO BE JUST A DREAM.

Before you start on your custom homebuilding journey, get to know a bit more about the process. Here are seven key things you should know:

1. How Long Does it Take to Build versus Buy?

The custom homebuilding process takes about nine months to a year, from start to finish. Some customers experience the occasional delay due to weather, the permitting process, and other factors. But in the end, you wind up with your dream home, in the location you have always wanted.

Buying a prebuilt home usually requires about one to two months. However, many buyers spend up to a year finding an agent and the right home. And in hot real estate markets, many customers put in unsuccessful bids on several
homes before finally being approved for one. This process can be extremely stressful and may force you to compromise on a home or its features.

2. What is the Process, from Start to Finish?

Although building a custom home may sound like an enormous project at first, it’s actually an achievable and well-established process. It’s especially helpful to break it down into individual steps, which are outlined in our resource guide, the Homebuilding Process Timeline. Outlined below are the 13 key steps of the homebuilding process, along with the approximate time required for each:

1. Get started – 1-2 Weels
   Meet with a Home Ownership Counselor to determine home design, estimate budget, and gain loan pre-approval.
2. Evaluate location – 1-3 Days
   Visit the site with your Project Manager to determine development needs and decide where on the land the home should be situated.
3. Finalize design and estimate – 2-3 Weeks
   Visit a Harris Home Builders Office and work with a Designer to choose your finishes, including flooring, cabinets, and countertops.
4. Finalize the Agreement – 5-7 Days
   Work with the design team to finalize your floor plan, customizing the layout to match your lifestyle and future plans.
5. Drafting and Permitting – 2-4 weeks
   At this point, you finalize your project order. After a full review of the budget and the home design, the contract is complete, and it’s time to finish drafting the plans and apply for the permit.
6. Site prep, Septic and Foundation – 4-6 weeks
   Once the permit is approved, the first process in building is prepping the land for the septic, plumbing, electrical and foundation.
7. Framing, Roofing, Siding – 3-6 Months
   After the foundation is built, the frame of the house is next to be built, followed by the roof and the siding.
8. Plumbing, Electrical, Insulation and Sheetrock – 2-4 Months
   With the house properly weatherproof, the plumbers and electricians can now install all the rough materials. The insulation can be installed shortly after this followed by the Sheetrock or other wall coverings.
9. Finish Carpentry, Tiling, Flooring, Painting – 1-2 Months
   Now the cabinets can be installed, the flooring, the showers, and everything else that makes a house feel like a home. This is where everything finally starts to come together and your dream really begins to take shape.
10. Landscaping and Driveway – 2-4 Weeks
    This can overlap with the previous steps, but it’s generally one of the last things to be done.
11. Wrapping it up – 1-2 Days
    The most important thing before handing over the keys is to make sure you are 100% satisfied by going through a final walkthrough with you to go over final checklist of items that are important to you.
12. Dream becomes Reality
    Finally! The keys are yours!

ALTHOUGH BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME MAY SOUND LIKE AN ENORMOUS PROJECT AT FIRST, IT’S ACTUALLY AN ACHIEVABLE AND WELL-ESTABLISHED PROCESS.

As mentioned above, the entire custom home building process takes about nine months to a year, which can actually be a good thing. This time frame gives you plenty of time to sell your existing home, shop for furniture, and make other arrangements before settling into the home of your dreams. Keep in mind these time frames are estimates only and can vary depending on site
development, permitting, and construction factors.

3. Who is Responsible for What?

Compared with buying a prebuilt home, the custom home building process requires a bit more involvement on the part of the buyer. However, this close connection to the project gives you the opportunity to watch your dream home take shape—and even save some money throughout the site-development phase. A custom home is your chance to tap into your creative side to get everything you really want.

So, who is responsible for what?

Your Responsibilities:

• Set your budget.
• Decide on the floor plan and how the
  home will be situated on your land.
• Choose finishes for the home.
• Order an appraisal and work with the
  lender for funding (if using financing).
• Prior to moving in, create a punch list of items for your builder to finalize or fix.
• Review all materials on new home systems and warranty.
• Obtain a certificate of occupancy.
• Move in!

Builder’s Responsibilities:

• Provide cost estimates for the land, home, and site development.
• Consult with you on desired features, finishes, and custom home plans.
• Advise you on house placement and site-development tasks.
• Recommend contractors for site development.
• Finalize construction drawings.
• Manage the site-development tasks and obtain permits.
• Coordinate with contractors and suppliers on site-development tasks when necessary.
• Manage the home build from foundation to finish.
• Complete all punch-list tasks.
• Explain all new systems and the warranty program.

4. What is the Builder’s Reputation?

Be sure to select a builder with a positive and long standing reputation in your area. Look for a company that also has well-established relationships with the realtor community, local contracts and suppliers, and a trusted financial services partner. It’s best to find a builder that specializes in custom homes so that you can rest assured that its team has the process down to a science. Finally, search online for customer testimonials to ensure that the builder does a good job of standing by its homes.

Harris Home Builders launched in 2023 and has been building a reputation as Harris Home Improvement since 2018, and before that as David Harris Painting since 1982. We may not have any reviews yet for Custom Home Builds, but we have proven our Skill, Knowledge and Talent in Remodeling and will continue to do the same in building Custom Homes.

5. Who Else is Involved?

An entire team of professionals works to build your custom home and is here to help you through the process. Throughout the build, your main points of contact at Harris Home Builders will shift as key tasks are completed.

1. Designer:
   
   From the start of your home building project, the Designer will be available to help guide you through the process. He or she will help you select a home plan, identify the features you want, finalize the design, estimate the total project cost, and then answer any questions you have throughout the build.
   
   During your visits to the Design Center, your Designer will help you select your finishes, such as flooring, countertops, and paint colors, to ensure your home reflects your unique style.
   
2. Project Manager:
   
   The Project Manager leads the construction and is your main point of contact throughout the building process. He or she will visit the site often and determine what site-development tasks are needed and then perform the midpoint inspection and the final walk-through with you. The Project Manager and the Construction team will also help guide you through the site development phase, as well as answer any questions you have about the building process, finishes, and so on.
   

During the site-development phase, you will also work with two key groups outside of Harris Home Builders:

Contractors: We can’t do everything in house with our own employees. Some things, like plumbing and electrical, have to contracted out to other contractors.

Suppliers: Various material suppliers will be showing up from time to time to deliver materials and supplies needed to build your home.

6. How Well Will a New Home Accommodate My Family?

Many homebuyers are looking for a larger or higher-quality home that is going to suit their family better in the coming years. Perhaps you have a growing family, or maybe you’re ready to enjoy upgraded finishes and appliances in your home. Whatever your motivation for upgrading, you’re probably looking a bit further down the road and hoping that your new home will accommodate you and your family for years to come.

This is one of the key perks of building a home: You can customize your floor plan, materials, and finishes for now and the future. For example, if you have young children now, you may want to ensure they’ll have extra living space when they become teenagers. Or you may want to plan ahead in case an aging parent needs to stay long-term.

As you plan two, five, or even 10 years ahead, think about how your living conditions, needs, and wants will change. You want a home that fits your day-to-day lifestyle, right from the start, and also has the space and the features to work for your family down the road. Buying a prebuilt home often requires some level of renovations to make it your own. But with a custom-built home, you can customize every detail and design your home around you and your family.

THIS IS ONE OF THE KEY PERKS OF BUILDING A HOME: YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE YOUR FLOOR PLAN.

7. Get started

Is this your first time building a custom home?

Still have questions?

Don’t worry if the process seems like uncharted territory. We’re here to help you, step by step, and turn what seems like a daunting process into a delightful one.

Harris Home Builders has been serving Connecticut and Mass since 2018. We have more than 30 satisfied customers, and many of our happy homeowners return to us when they are ready to build their next custom home.

We want to make your dreams of a custom home a reality. To learn more, request a consultation with a Designer at our office in Granby, CT.

GET STARTED TODAY

During your first call, we will provide construction recommendations for the project you have in mind and will help you determine if Harris Home Builders is the right fit for you.

Contact us today to start your free custom homebuilding consultation. (860) 817-7191