Making your dream house a reality is about more than considering designs, choosing layouts, or picking appliances. These are important, of course! But to ensure that you are fully satisfied with your results and that you have a house you are proud to call home for years – decades – to come, you need to start at the very beginning: with the team who will put pen to paper (or stylus to screen) and then hammer to nail to get it done. If you are thinking about Port St. Lucie homes, what should you look for when in good home builders in Port St. Lucie?
5 Tips to Choose the Right Builder of Port St. Lucie Homes
Depending on the level of customization you want (e.g. model home, semi-custom, full custom), your relationship with a builder in Port St. Lucie can last for a few months to more than a year. Taking the time to find the right fit is essential; this becomes an important relationship, and it is built (pun intended!) on trust.
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Clarify What You Want/Need
Even before you are looking for Port St. Lucie homes to purchase or build, it is important to identify what you really want and need. What type of size is best for you? What type of layout is most conducive to your lifestyle? How many bedrooms/baths do you need? Are there any “must-haves” that you are not willing to compromise on? Are there any “nice-to-haves” that you are? What is your budget?
These are preliminary questions, but it is wise to have a solid idea of what you are looking for before you begin approaching builders.
Think about it like this: you walk into a car dealership. You know exactly what you want. The salesperson can hit the ground running, presenting only viable options given your list of criteria. If you don’t know what you want, can they still help? Sure. But you are inevitably going to see 5 cars you don’t like, 5 that don’t work for you, and 5 that are wildly outside your price range. Know before you go, so to speak!
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Hit Google
Start making a list of builders of Port St. Lucie homes. Simple enough (“Hey, Google!). Then begin narrowing it down. Not every business that pops up in a search will be a viable candidate for your home building needs. To do this:
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- Scour their websites. This is the perfect place to begin. Assess the site from a visual standpoint: Is it attractive? Are there images that help tell the story? Look at usability: Is it easy to find the information you need? Is there a clear “About Us” page? Do they provide content that is useful, educational, and relevant to your needs (e.g. articles, blog posts, guides, calculators, and other tools, etc.)? Does the site look polished and professional?
- Check out their galleries. Every home builder should be proud to show off their work! They typically have an online gallery for you to peruse. This will give you a sense of their craftsmanship and the style(s) in which they specialize.
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- Look for reviews and ratings. Critical! Builders’ websites often feature customer testimonials. Read these, of course, but also look for reviews in third-party sources, such as Zillow Builder Ratings, Angi, Houzz, etc.
- See if they offer a warranty. Newly built Port St. Lucie homes have the advantage of cutting expenses (e.g. you won’t have to replace the roof anytime soon!), but they are also typically under warranty. Builder warranties usually cover structural elements, such as the foundation, roofing, floors, insulation, heating and cooling systems, septic, doors and windows, electrical, etc. See what the home builder covers and for how long to further increase your peace of mind.
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Look for Home Builders with Ample Experience – In South Florida!
Experience matters. You don’t want to be someone’s “trial” customer or experiment! Everyone has to start somewhere – but it doesn’t have to be with you! This is an area in which it is important for professionals to not only be fully trained in the latest techniques and strategies but also able to demonstrate their mastery.
Having experience in the South Florida market specifically is also critical. The Sunshine State sees more than its fair share of severe weather, and your builder needs to be well-versed in the use of proper, safe materials and building techniques.
This dovetails with a point we mentioned earlier: looking at reviews. You can go further; ask prospective builders to provide you with referrals and references. And follow up! Are past customers happy with the builder? Would they choose them again if they were building another house? Would they refer them to friends and family? Why or why not? What worked about their experience – and what would they have changed?
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License and Proof of Insurance, Please
If a home builder in Port St. Lucie is not licensed and insured… Well, do not pass Go and do not collect $200. Get out of there. This is the red flag to end all red flags. Having valid and up-to-date licensure and insurance is non-negotiable. Ask for proof – and verify. Reputable home builders are happy to provide this evidence.
Also, inquire about how everyone (Every. Single. Person) working on your site is insured. The last thing you want is for someone to get hurt on your job site – and second only to that is not wanting to be on the hook legally and financially.
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Take a Tour
When you have narrowed down all the builders in Port St. Lucie and the South Florida area and have your shortlist, arrange a time to visit a home (or, preferably, homes), they have built. This will allow you to see how layouts work in real life – not just how they look in 3D renderings or photos. Walkthrough. Will this work for you? For your other household members? For your lifestyle?
Take the opportunity to look at the craftsmanship. Look beyond decorative effects and staging: is everything well-constructed? Solid? Durable? Is the quality up to par? And will everything look as great in two years, five years, ten years… and beyond… as it does now?
A home tour is another great opportunity to ask questions and get to know (and trust) your builder. Do they take the time to explain features in the home(s)? Listen to your needs? Describe how they can customize to suit you and your lifestyle?
New Port St. Lucie Homes
Houses in this area are exceptional investments. You can enjoy an outstanding quality of life and, when you choose the right building team, you will be proud to call Port St. Lucie home.
Synergy Homes is one of the premier home builders in Port St. Lucie. Specializing in energy-efficient, high-performance homes, we also deliver a smooth, streamlined process that takes the stress of an average new build right out of the equation. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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