Frustrations may be an unavoidable part of life, but they don’t have to raise your stress level when you’re building a new home in New Jersey. Being prepared for common building frustrations will help you ensure that you know what to expect during every phase of the building process.

Construction May Not Begin Immediately

While reputable builders will do everything in their power to start the construction process on your lot as soon as possible, there are sometimes unavoidable circumstances that can cause delays. The builder may have to wait to receive the building permit from the township, for example. It's important to keep the lines of communication open with your builder from the beginning, so that you're always in the loop on the status of your new home.

You’ll Pay More for the Features You Really Want

The price of your new home includes all of the things you’ll need to make your house comfortable and livable, including flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, lighting and other items. If you don’t like the standard finishes, features and appliances, you’ll need to pay more for upgrades.

If you're looking to add hardwood flooring to the family rooms or bedrooms, for example, you'll need to add those upgrades to your budget. Other big budget upgrades include adding rooms, expanding room size, increasing garage size, upgrading cabinets and countertops, installing top-of-the-line appliances and finishing the basement.

Lot selection is another aspect of new home construction that many homeowners don’t consider when evaluating their budgets. Large lots or those in premium locations cost more than standard-size lots.

Making a Change During Construction Can Be Complicated and Costly

You certainly can discuss the possibility of making changes with your builder during construction, but even small alterations may delay the building process and cost more than you anticipated. It can take a little time to order and receive new materials and schedule sub-contractors, if needed. Once the materials arrive, workers may need to remove the fixtures or finishes already in place before installing your new choices. Until they’re done, finishing other parts of the home may have to wait.

You May Experience Decision Fatigue

Making decisions about every square inch of your new home is one of the most exciting parts of building a new house. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most tiring. If you become too fatigued or overwhelmed, you may make decisions that you’ll soon regret. Decrease the risk of fatigue by making selections over several days and limiting decision-making to the morning hours when you’re more alert.

Construction May Be Delayed by the Weather

It’s bound to rain, snow, sleet or hail at some point during construction of your new home. Although the construction schedule may be padded a little to account for weather delays, a massive snowstorm or two weeks of nearly constant rain may mean that your home won’t be ready when you expect.

Keep in mind that workers may not be able to resume work the day after a rain or snowstorm. If the ground is wet, they can’t pour concrete, grade your lot or run underground plumbing lines. Cold weather can also lead to delays in concrete work or installation of siding or windows. Those products and materials can be damaged if installed during extremely low temperatures.

Miscommunications May Happen

Poor communication with your builder only adds to your stress level. Before you choose a builder, request references, read a few online reviews and ask how communications will be handled. Builders who don’t explain things clearly, fail to provide frequent updates, or don’t return calls, emails or texts may not be the best options if you’re looking forward to a low-stress building process.

Country Classics makes homeowner communication and customer satisfaction a priority. If you’ve been thinking about building a new home, you’ll want to check out our available communities in the Central New Jersey area. Our new construction homes feature spacious living spaces, gourmet kitchens, and generously sized bedroom suites, amongst other features. Contact us for information about our available home sites and floor plans.  

Sources:

Association for Psychological Science: Is There An Ideal Time of Day for Decision-Making?

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/minds-business/is-there-an-ideal-time-of-day-for-decision-making.html

Freshome: How to Deal with Construction Delays

https://freshome.com/moving/construction-delays/

Redfin: How to Buy a New Construction Home

https://www.redfin.com/resources/how-to-buy-a-new-construction-home