Studded with picturesque beach towns and gorgeous coastlines, the city of California can rightly claim that it is one of the best places to live on the planet. One of the cities in Northern California that is known for the best in sun, surf and fun are without a doubt Santa Cruz. While the city is known for its undeniably natural beauty from mountains to coastlines, it also offers a buzzing city vibe and a fantastic lifestyle for people of all ages.
Just like its natural beauty, the homes of Santa Cruz are nothing short of spectacular. From quaint and cosy to elegant beach vacation mansions, the Santa Cruz property market offers something for everyone.
Whether you’re building a home from scratch or undertaking a few home renovations in Santa Cruz California, there is nothing more exciting and rewarding than building your dream home in this gorgeous city. Santa Cruz offers some of the most experienced and skilled home builders in the country.
For those of us lucky enough to have the opportunity to build a home or undertake a home remodelling project, we most probably will only do it once or twice in our lifetime. As a home-owner or prospective home-owner, the chances are that we are not experts in this field and don’t have the knowledge or skills to do it ourselves. No matter how many articles we read, nothing will really prepare us for how many decisions we’ll have to make over the building project.
For those of you going through this exciting process, let us outline where to start. Once you know where to start it gets easier to lean on the experts to guide you through the process so that you can focus on enjoying the process.
Where to start with building a home in Santa Cruz
So, what is the most important step in building a new home? For most people, it would be choosing the right Santa Cruz home builder. Due to the magnitude and scale that is involved when building a home or even renovating your current home, it is extremely important to find the right home builder. Someone who you can trust and work closely with to bring your dream to life.
Step 1: Define your priorities
You will be surprised how often families make assumptions that they are all on the same page in terms of what they want for the home build project. Be sure to sit down and definite exactly what you want from your home-build project from the onset.
Step 2: Set a budget
When putting together your budget it is important to not utilise the average cost per square foot when budgeting for your home build. There are so many large expenses that a construction loan often does not cover.
The following items are often not covered:
– Fencing
– Landscaping
– Internet wiring
– Driveway
– Window coverings
– Decking
It is advisable to get pre-approved for your building mortgage with a specialist. You will then know upfront how much you have available and if you will need to add in any additional savings.
Step 3: Finding your team
You will need to source and hire the following people:
An architect – If you are building from the ground up you will need to work with an architect to prepare the house plans. If you are opting to rather purchase a house plan your builder can often help with that.
A designer – Even if you have spent hours scrolling Pinterest and consider yourself a self-proclaimed designer, a designer skilled in rendering and planning is a wise choice for a home-build project.
A builder – It is advisable to have renderings already prepared before getting a building quote. Often hiring the builder early on in the process allows the builder and the architect to liaise to ensure every angle of the plan is considered before breaking ground.
What do home builders do?
Most Santa Cruz home-building contractors also act as developers. This means that they conduct local market research to determine which prospective home sites make sense in Santa Cruz. This involves surveying the land as well to ensure it is suitable for construction and obtaining the necessary approvals.
High-quality home builders in Santa Cruz operate beyond “just construction”. They supervise subcontractors, keep informed on local zoning regulations, inspect work for unforeseen problems and perform the construction. From the first spade in the soil to the last picture that gets hung in the living room, Santa Cruz home-building contractors are involved every step of the way.
Questions to ask potential home builders in Santa Cruz:
– How long have you been in the industry?
– How many other projects similar to mine have you completed?
– Can you provide a few references for similar projects
– Are you and your employees licensed
– Who will be working on my project
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