It takes a village to build a house. Although skilled fixer-uppers have shown that it’s possible for a one-man crew to build a house, you’ll need a team of professionals and experienced construction crews on board if you want to build at scale and finish in less than a year.
Here’s a list of people who’ll play a crucial role in the construction of your dream home.
Architect
It is the architect’s job to put together your ideas and needs into a blueprint for your home. Having an architect from the beginning of the design process is crucial because you need someone who can tell you if the plans you have in mind are possible for the lot where your home will stand. Your architect can also advise if you need a bigger budget or a longer time frame for your dream home.
Architects have signature styles for the homes they design. Take your time in finding someone whose portfolio consists of houses that are similar to what you have in mind. You’ll also want someone who knows how to work with the materials you want to utilize. For example, if you dream of a biophilic house, you’ll need an architect who’s a master in designing buildings made of sustainable materials like stone, clay, wood, glass, and steel.
General Contractor
Ideally, you should already have a general contractor before the design of your home is finalized. It’s to save you the hassle and expense of revising design plans at the last minute because of limitations in the budget, schedule, materials, or equipment that were overlooked in the design stage.
General contractors are responsible for obtaining all the necessary permits and documents for residential construction. This is another good reason why they need to be present at the beginning: they can process the permit applications as early as possible so that construction can begin as soon as you approve the designs and release the funds.
Another key role of general contractors is project management. They oversee everything, like finding experienced laborers, hiring subcontractors for the HVAC installation, and finding suppliers for the engineered wood flooring for your living room or the natural granite slabs for your kitchen island. They make sure that construction goes as planned and will finish on time.
Interior Designer
It’s so easy to fall in love with the aesthetics of rooms pictured in architectural magazines and websites. What’s difficult is recreating them for your home on your own.
Interior designers can complete your dream home. They make your house look and feel exactly the way you want. Even if you don’t give specifics on the furniture, wallpaper, decor, etc., they can bring to life what you visualized for each room in your home. They analyze your needs, consider your house’s physical limitations, and create sketches or 3D renderings of the designs they’ve put together based on your wants and needs.
Interior design teams are also responsible for finding and buying the furniture and other items you need for your home.
Landscape Designer
Most homeowners save the landscaping work for last. You can, after all, move into your house even if the yard’s not yet done. That having said, you shouldn’t allow months to pass by before removing construction debris from your home. A cluttered yard will bring down your home’s curb appeal and might even put you on your homeowners’ association’s watch list.
Hiring a landscape designer saves you these troubles. Like with interior designers and residential architects, landscape designers can advise, design, and help you plan what to do to maximize your lot.
Project Coordinator
A project coordinator is an unofficial position that can go to anyone you know who’s reliable and detail-oriented. You can even take this role yourself if you have the time.
Project coordinators are not involved in the construction. Instead, they act as a messenger and coordinator between you, your general contractor, interior designer, architect, and landscape designer. They help out where they are needed, like ensuring that all involved parties are aware of any design or scheduling changes.
Relish the excitement of building your dream home by assembling a capable, reliable, and complete team. You may not be able to oversee every single hire, but if you get these people right, the construction of your home will be in good hands.
