happy couple speaking with their home builder

23 Questions to Ask Your Home Builder

Lombardo Living

­­­Your home builder is there to help you during every step of the homebuilding process. They’ll be your point of contact throughout the entire process and can help with questions you have regarding paperwork, important dates, community living, or any other part of the process. Our sales team receives continuous training in the home building process, giving them the expertise to guide you through the experience.

What, though, are some ways you can help your home builder help you? Ask questions! Really get into the nitty gritty so you can feel confident about this life milestone. Let’s dive into some of the key questions you will want to ask your home builder before beginning construction. These will also help guide you in the process of choosing a homebuilder.

Questions About Your Homebuilding Company

It’s extremely important to ask your home builder the right questions. After all, this company will be building your home on your land. You’ll want to ensure a smooth and successful building process with the right builder. Here are some key questions to ask your home builder:

1. How long have you been in the homebuilding business?
2. Are you licensed, insured, and bonded?
3. What sets your company apart from other home builders?
4. Can you provide references from previous clients or examples of homes you have built?

 

Questions About The Community

Sometimes a person will walk into our sales offices and know they want to live in or near a specific city. A good practice is to work with your sales manager to find out if the community is the right fit for you. Perhaps you love the area and floor plans offered, but the community isn’t in your desired school district. Maybe you have young kids and want to make sure they will have play areas and open space in the community. Maybe only certain homesites are available during the time you’re looking, but none offer the features you currently want. You want to know this information before you sign off on something you might not love in the long run; you’re committing to a whole home and experience for at least a few years, if not longer, and we want you to feel like you’ve made the right choice. Consider asking these questions:

5. Which homesites are currently available? When can I expect my favorite homesite to be released?
6. Are there any community events for members living here? Are there any special perks for being a part of this community?
7. Is there an HOA? What are the rules or bylaws about trees, fences, pets, or swimming pools?
8. Is the neighborhood walkable? Does it have sidewalks?
9. Are there at-home amenities within the community?
10. What are nearby amenities and places of interest? Recommendations for nearby restaurants or shops? Is this area good for the route I need to take to work/other places?
11. What is the school district?

oakland hunt neighborhood

Questions About Your Home

You’re building your home literally from the ground up, and we want to make sure it’s the perfect home for you, whether you’re planning to live in your new home for life or only for a few years. It’s a good idea to mention how long you plan to stay in your home because your sales manager is trained to help you prepare your home for your future home. If you only want to live there for a few years and resell, they can help you select options that might make the resale value go up—and stay away from options that will make it harder to sell. Some questions to discuss:

12. What are my customization options?
13. I only plan to live here for __ years, then resell. Are there any features that I should be aware of now that will impact my resale value?
14. What disability accommodations can be made to the home?
15. Are there any floor plan restrictions for the homesites I am interested in?
16. What are my upgradable finishes? Can I choose my own appliances or other finishes? If so, are there credits?
17. Is the home built for energy efficiency?

 

Questions About Other Aspects of Your Experience

There are countless questions you can ask your sales manager! Remember, you can always go back to your sales manager/homebuilding BFF later in the build process and ask more questions when you think of them. Our sales managers will do their best to make sure all of your questions are answered in a timely manner, especially if they pertain to time sensitive choices. Some final ideas for questions you can ask:

18. Are there any incentives for using the builder’s preferred lender?
19. What is the registration process?
20. Can I get a home inspection after the home is completed?
21. What happens if I notice issues after closing?
22. What is the preferred method of contact should I have more questions moving forward?
23. Is there anything you wish I’d ask you or want to make sure I know?

 

Questions Home Builders Won’t Answer

Sometimes there are questions you want to know in order to make an informed decision regarding your new home that we won’t answer. Lombardo Homes practices Fair Housing and will be unable to answer questions regarding personal data of anyone in a community you’re considering; we will never reveal information about our homeowner demographics. Questions asking if there are kids in a community, who lives there, the ages of our homeowners, or any other information about your potential future neighbors are often asked and will be unable to be answered. If a community is legally developed for a certain age group, it will be advertised as such.

Building and buying a home is a two-way street; as much as you rely on your sales manager, they rely on you as well! Communication might span scheduled meetings, or could be casual texts or emails depending on preferences. Clear communication on both ends will be what ultimately leads to you getting the most out of the experience and having no regrets about your new home.

Interested in building a new home with Lombardo? Check out our communities in Michigan and Missouri.

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