Why You Need a Budget BEFORE Selecting A GC
Ok, so you are about to build a new home. AWESOME. And you’re ready (or so you think) to interview General Contractors? SWEET! But can we pause real quickly? Keep reading …
Recently my husband and I inquired about a custom home in a future allotment in our current town. We were so excited as we had the plans and met with the Builder. Then we got the allowances and honestly, if I wasn’t in the industry myself I probably would’ve been thinking WOW … this is so great. Not the case.
A rendering of a future kitchen, designed by House of Huck
The front door allowance — mind you this was going to be on our forever home — was $1,100. The tile allowance was $6,500. Sounds good? This home had four bathrooms (tile was needed for floor, backsplash and shower walls in all four full bathrooms + one half bathroom), a laundry room (floor, backsplash), a mudroom (floor), a butler’s pantry (floor, blacksplash), a kitchen (backsplash), and a bar (backsplash). When we did the math it meant I wasn’t going to be tiling as much as I thought and it would be with low quality (boring!) tile. Not exactly the tile I’d want to put in my forever home.
Construction Budget Calculator
Cabinetry is another area that often goes unlooked. There is a whole lot of difference between stock cabinetry and custom cabinetry. And keep in mind custom cabinetry is usually installed by your cabinet maker. Stock cabinetry will have to be installed by someone else, which could be a line item of labor that isn’t included in your allowance.
Construction Documents
Designing your home, and therefore having a firm budget for any sized construction project, is an absolute must. Whether a powder room or a custom build.
Change orders are costly. They cause delays too, so if your design is complete before you even start the project you are going to be in a great spot. And if you need some help, give us a ring. We’d love to help!