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1.How much will my home cost per square foot?
We can't answer this
question because it varies between $115 and $275 per square foot!
The size of the house, the siding (brick, vinyl, cedar), the floor
covering (tile, carpet, hardwood), the heating system (gas, heat
pump, geothermal), the number of baths and their contents, the style
of kitchen, the garage, the driveway material, the landscaping, and
many other things all affect the cost of your house.
2. How does
Rakow Homes price my home?
We "zero-base" the price based on the plans to build your home. We count
the number of block in the foundation, the windows, the doors, the
cabinets, the plumbing fixtures, the fireplace, the heights of the
ceilings, the roof detail and the type of shingle, the columns and other
special detail for exterior and interior trim. We meet with suppliers
and subcontractors to discuss the complexity of the house and gather all of
the necessary details to come up with accurate pricing. Our pricing process
may take longer than other builders, sometimes several weeks, but when
you're talking about building a home that costs many hundreds of thousands
of dollars, it should take time. While many builders price your home
quickly, they may include only the basics and insufficient allowances. We
like to include everything that you want in the home in the contract so you
have no surprises.
3. How
does Rakow Homes design your home?
There are two ways
generally that we develop building plans. First, we can use a plan
you found in a magazine or plan book. All plans are copyright
protected, so when you see a plan in a plan book that you like, the
law requires that a license to build the plan be purchased. This law
applies even if we have to do extensive modifications to the plan.
Second, and most common way we design homes, is to develop plans
from a personal sketch or from concepts you've seen in other homes.
We would then have one of our local designers draw up the plans, or
you may have an architect draw them for you. Designers charge
between $1500-$3500 depending on the size of the house and the scope
of work required to meet your needs, while architects usually charge
a fee based upon a percentage of the contract price of the house.
Regardless of how your home plan is developed, we will assist in
this process and develop your plans with you.
4. What about permits, surveys, and inspections?
We usually obtain all of
these for you. The cost for these requirements are normally included
in the cost of the home.
5. How do we pay for the home?
At the time we enter into
a contact, we take a deposit that is normally 2% of the contract
price. This money is used for permits, surveys, and other start-up
costs. The balance of the payments are made in "draws" as the work
progresses. The draw schedule is part of the construction contract
and consists of five to seven separate payments. If we've previously
entered into a professional services agreement to design the house
for you, we'll deduct that fee from that contract price.
6. How long does it take to complete a new home?
Normally, we can finish a home in seven to eight months, but many
factors go into the schedule. The size of the home, the amount of detail
to be done, and the weather are principal factors. For example, brick or
stone siding takes longer than most other siding. Hardwood, tile,
special trim take time. Weather can have an impact, especially if the
home is not under roof before a cold or rainy period sets in. We build all year long and even start
homes in the
winter. Just keep in mind that to do it right, we have to have enough
time.
7. Why should we use Rakow Homes as our
builder?
If you check with our
customers, they'll all tell you that we go the extra mile for you.
Our integrity and work ethic speak for themselves. If there's ever a
problem that we run into during construction, we'll make you aware
of it. Nothing ever remains hidden from the customer! We spend the
time supervising the jobs and we spend time with our customers to
ensure that you get the product you deserve. We're established
throughout the area and our financial status is quite strong. We'll
be more than happy to provide references from our customers,
subcontractors, suppliers, and bank if you like.
8. How do we start the
building process?
Call or email us to arrange for a meeting. Decide on whether to use an
architect or one of our designers to complete your plans. Then, we'll price
the home based upon the plans and the specs. We'll provide you with the best
price we can give.Once the contract is signed, we'll do all
the paperwork required for permitting. Once this is done, we'll take care of
the approval process for permits. Your loan application process, if you're
financing through a lender, can run concurrently.
9. When and how do I make my selections?
At the time of contracting, we'll have you make your brick,
stone, siding, roof, fireplace model, garage doors, windows, railings, and
other exterior trim selections. While we're waiting six to eight weeks for
permit approval, we'll have you work on many of your interior selections.
Before we can start the foundation, you'll need to select all appliances,
cabinets, tile, hardwood, carpet, and plumbing fixtures. We';; also develop
a rough electric plan and have you select the major lighting fixtures during
this time. Other selections, such as paint colors, special trim features,
bathroom hardwood mirrors, and closet layouts will be made according to a
detailed timeline that we'll provide to you at the time the foundation
starts.
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