Starting Your Custom Home Journey: Key Questions We Ask Our Clients

Beginning the process of building a custom home is an exciting and significant undertaking. It's an opportunity to create a space that perfectly reflects your lifestyle, tastes, and aspirations. At Sierra Homes, we believe that the foundation of a successful custom home build starts with a deep understanding of our clients' unique needs and desires. 

To ensure we capture every detail and deliver a home that exceeds expectations, we ask a series of essential questions right from the start. These questions help us understand your vision, manage expectations, and navigate the complexities of custom home building with clarity and confidence. In this blog post, we'll share the key questions we ask our potential clients, helping us determine whether we are the right fit for you and helping you prepare for your custom home journey. Whether you're dreaming of a modern retreat, a classic family abode, or an eco-friendly haven, these questions will set the stage for creating a home that's truly yours.

Lot availability 

We like to find out if our potential clients have a lot already, or need to find one. We can work with you either way, but the process will be different. It can be helpful for clients to utilize our expertise when finding a lot, as there is important research involved which may include topography, wetlands, and utilities to the property. 

Location 

What is your preferred location for your new home? We have extensive experience building in King County, and other city jurisdictions in the greater Puget Sound. We possess in-depth knowledge of the workings of these areas, especially concerning codes and permitting. 

House style

What is the design style of your dream home? At Sierra Homes, we can bring any vision to life whether that’s ranch, craftsman, contemporary northwest, or modern farm. Some clients choose stock floor plans while others create custom plans with an architect. Either way, we can guide you in the direction to get the house of your dreams. 

Budget 

Establishing your budget is a crucial step in the custom home building process. Determine how much money you are willing to permit yourself to spend on your dream home. When working with a trusted builder, such as Sierra Homes, we will provide you with potential costs and examples of projects we have completed in the past. Learn more about construction loans and get pre-approval from your financial institution. Our clients for custom home builds are typically working with a budget of $1.5m and up. 

Timeline

Understand that building a custom home takes time. The design phase alone may take 6-12 months for architecture, floor plans, and design selections. Next, permitting can take up to 6-9 months, depending on lot requirements and soils testing. Once Sierra Homes breaks ground, we typically take about 9-12 months to complete a project. Our commitment to superior quality and thoughtful design, delivered with unparalleled customer service, means that we focus on every detail of every home we build. 

Homeowner involvement

How prepared are you to actively participate in the design and construction processes? Each customer is different and there are varying levels of involvement in each project we have done. We enjoy engaging with our clients and have found that open communication and collaboration are essential for a successful partnership during the entire process of building your home - from the design phase, to breaking ground, to building and the final walk-through - we want to hear from you! 

These are just samples of the several questions we ask to get to know our potential customers before embarking on the exciting journey of building your custom dream home. If you are ready to bring your vision to life, contact Sierra Homes now!