When the buyer purchases their land (or the builder has lots available) and then contracts a builder to build a home of their choosing, they are building a custom home. The buyer may choose their floor plan and choose all of the finishes, sometimes with assistance from the builder or an interior designer. Additional costs to expect may be: lot preminum, upgraded finishes, custom features. The process typically takes 7-9 months from start to finish.

Normally a builder offers a warranty lasting from 1 year to 10 years, on specific items. You should know what is covered under the builder’s warranty and for how long. A common warranty is referred to as a Builders 1-2-10 Warranty, which means 1 year for appliances, 2 years for mechanicals, and 10 years for structure. Normally, the warranty starts the day that you close on the home.

Even though your home is brand-new, we still recomend obtaining a third-party home inspection. Sometimes an inspector will catch something that slipped past the contractor and code enforcement. 

99.9% of the time the answer is no. The Builder Representative represents the builder and they have already built-in the cost to pay for you to be represented by a Realtor. You will want someone negotiating on your behalf, keeping the builder accountable, and making sure the timeline of your home is on track to close timely.