As future homeowners, you need to decide what is the goal of this home. Are you just trying to design a starter home to get into the homeownership game? Is this your forever home for you and future generations of your family? Or is this going to be an investment property to rent out?

Having that open conversation with your bank will allow you to have an initial financial picture to see what kind of financing you can arrange. A custom home or renovation should be a cost-effective method to get a home suitable to your needs. Still, expenses can quickly escalate and get out of hand. You want to make sure your living within your means to enjoy your home and make it a stress-free endeavor.

For new construction, before any construction begins, several site tests may be conducted to examine the water table, the soil, and the bearing capacity of the ground. For renovations or demolitions, additional environmental tests are conducted for dangerous substances such as asbestos and lead for the safety of you, your family, and the environment.

Then after several conversations and collaboration, we spend time developing the plans for your home. When finalized and verified against the local bylaws and building code requirements, we then submitted it to the municipal building permit office for review. With this information, final engineering adjustments can be made to the plans. Then all the permits for building, electrical, plumbing, septic system, or sewer connection are obtained.

New construction requires the land to be prepared and for your future home to be staked out. Often, the topsoil is removed and piled elsewhere for later use. Excavation is done, and the footings (concrete slabs to support the foundation walls) are formed and poured. Water, electricity, telephone, and cable services may be brought in at this time. The foundation walls are erected. Depending on the design and goals, we may use poured concrete in temporary wooden forms or permanent insulated concrete forms (ICF). The foundation will be insulated and damp-proofed. Drainage is installed to keep ground moisture away from the house. A municipal inspection of the foundation is conducted before the outside perimeter is backfilled.

On the other hand, renovations will focus more on structural support and engineering to modify the structure. Professionals will be answering the following questions: how does the weight distribute down to the ground? And how does the home hold up against external forces like the wind?

During this time, we ask you to begin making your selections—deciding on flooring, tiles, cabinets, and so on. We also can suggest interior design themes to facilitate expedience whiles still meeting your desired look. While it will be weeks or months before these items are installed, they must be ordered early to prevent delays later. Depending on our arrangement, we could have an allocated budget or set products to choose from.

Exterior walls, interior partitions, and the roof are assembled. This usually means erecting a framing skeleton and applying exterior sheeting, or another framing technique may be used. Once the house is fully framed, windows and doors are installed. Our aim is to get to "lock-up," where it is closed as quickly as possible to protect the structure from the elements.

The basement floor is installed. Electrical and plumbing services are roughed in, and ducting for heating, cooling, and ventilation is put in place. At this time, the building inspectors require a structural inspection to ensure that the home meets all building code requirements. Electrical and plumbing inspections will likely be conducted as well.

For the next several weeks or months, a great deal of work will happen inside and out, much of it at the same time.

The exterior walls and the attic area are insulated, and a vapor-permeable barrier is applied. Another building inspection is done to ensure this work has been correctly done before the drywall is installed. During this stage, we conduct infrared and blower door tests to look for air leakage. Any discoveries will be sealed up.

Based on your selections, the walls and ceilings are painted, flooring is laid, and kitchen and bathroom cabinets are installed. Plumbing and electrical fixtures are put in, trim is applied, and interior doors are hung. Siding is applied on the outside, along with eaves troughing, and porches and decks are installed.

Final lot grading is done, and the driveway and walkways are put in.

Let's not forget the outside. Final lot grading is done, and the driveway and walkways are put in. Preliminary landscapes are laid out.