In our final Q&A session with Real Estate Agent Casey Rutherford, Ken Warlick, VP of Construction and Brent Jay, VP of Custom Homes, dive into the custom homebuilding process and what you can expect when working with Harrison Homes.
A transcript of the conversation is below.
The Homebuilding Process
Can you go over the custom home building process and what to expect?
Harrison’s homebuilding process can be broken down into 3 phases. We consult, plan and build.
- Consult – in the beginning of the process, we get to you know you and understand the vision of your dream home. At this point, you’ve narrowed down your desired location, timeframe and budget. We will introduce Harrison Homes and our processes. We determine your wants, needs and must-haves for the home. If you have not found a lot to build your custom home, we get started on the property search and secure the partnership with a deposit.
- Plan– through a series of scheduled meetings, Harrison Homes designs the site and architectural plans, estimates the project, selects design details and specifications to then submit the entire house for a finalized cost estimate. Once you are happy with all the details, we execute the final contract, which helps you secure the CP loan.
- Build- Harrison Homes manages the entire construction operation from permitting and development through inspection and completion. At the end of the homebuilding process, we do a final walk through and sign off that the home is complete and you are satisfied. Eleven months later, we return to manage the home warranty period. And you live happily ever after in your Harrison Home.
How long does it take for a home to be built?
- Planning: 1-3 months
- Building: 9-12 Months
- Total Process: 12-18 months
Depending on how prepared the homeowners are, the planning part of the custom homebuilding process can take anywhere from one to three months. Once we break ground and start construction, the building process moves quickly. Harrison Homes follows a specific, efficient homebuilding process and our subcontractors are very familiar with how we build. Most of our custom homes are completed in 6-8 months. Possible factors that can impact timing include weather delays, permitting time with the municipality or supply chain delays.
Do I need a blueprint/floorplan before hiring a builder?
You do not need architectural plans or blueprints prior to contracting with Harrison Homes. Most homeowners do not have house plans prior to meeting with us. If you have a floorplan design in mind, then we’d like to see it so we can understand what elements of the home design speak to you. In the beginning, Brent starts by sketching the initial client vision before submitting to our in-house architect. We have floorplans we can refer to and draw inspiration from, or we can also draw a completely custom set.
Harrison Homes has an in-house architect that will draw your plan. But, if you have an architect you’d prefer to work with, that’s ok too.
In our experience it saves homeowners time and money for Harrison to execute the plans in house and ensure the drawings properly represent your custom home vision and accommodate the property specifications.
Do you have a designer in-house?
Yes, Harrison Homes has an in-house design team. Our head designer Jenny overseas every step of the design process. Our design team works closely with the homeowners to:
- Extract Your Vision
- Design to Your Lifestyle and Tastes
- Create and Update Your Customized Design Presentation
- Facilitate Showroom Appointments for Selections
Our design team helps homeowners visualize their dream home from paper to completion and makes the home building experience exciting and enjoyable.
When interviewing builders, what are the most important things to look for?
- An established and licensed company
- Good reputation; check the online reviews and ask your neighbors
- Have they built in the neighborhood before?
- Can you walk one of their completed homes?
- Understand contract specifications and what is included in their builder grade specifications and design finishes
Why Choose Harrison Homes?
We call it the 3 P’s. Our people, process and product.
- Our People: We’re passionate about homebuilding and genuinely love our craft. Harrison Homes is a family-oriented company with a true desire to build a quality home that our homeowners are proud of.
- Our Process: We follow a defined, efficient process that we expertly facilitate from planning through construction. Harrison Homes is cognizant of our client’s time and money.
- Our Product: Structural quality and premium finishes define our homes. We put our seal of approval on each and every one of our builds.
