Step 1: Finalizing Plans and Selections
If you are building a home from the ground up, one of the first steps is your design meeting. This is where you will make selections that shape the look and feel of your home, including cabinets, flooring, countertops, interior and exterior colors, door styles, fireplace surrounds, hardware and any electrical or low-voltage additions you may want. At the same time, work is happening behind the scenes as plans are drafted, documents are prepared for permitting and trade partners begin getting scheduled for construction.
If you are purchasing a spec home, the process may look a little different depending on how far along the home is and whether any changes were included in your contract. Our team will walk you through the next steps for that specific home. One area Jason encourages buyers to think through carefully is electrical needs. Consider where you may want outlets, lighting, TVs, charging stations or other technology before construction reaches the point where those decisions become harder to change.
Step 2: Preparing for Construction
Before construction begins, there are a lot of moving pieces to coordinate. Permits need to be secured, materials need to be ordered and trade partners need to be scheduled in the right sequence. The superintendent plays an important role throughout the process by coordinating trade partners and inspections while monitoring the progress, quality and completion of each stage of the home.
Communication is also an important part of the experience. The Prairie View Homes sales representative and superintendent communicate with homeowners weekly to share progress updates and answer questions that come up along the way.
Step 3: Building Your Home
Once construction begins, your home starts moving through each major stage of the building process. Like any construction project, the schedule can be affected by factors outside anyone’s control. Weather is one of the biggest variables, especially here in Iowa, and labor availability can occasionally affect timing as well. If a material experiences a significant delay, our team may look for an alternative product of similar or higher quality to help keep the home moving forward.
One common misconception Jason hears is that building a new home takes too long or involves too many decisions. Prairie View Homes works to make both parts of the experience as simple as possible. A new home can be built in around 120 days, although weather, labor and other construction factors can affect the schedule. The selections process is also designed to be convenient, with choices made in the Prairie View Homes design center rather than sending homeowners from showroom to showroom.
Step 4: Preparing for Closing
As construction nears completion, several things begin happening at once. Prairie View Homes communicates with the lender and closing professionals as they prepare documents for closing, while appraisals, final inspections and quality control walkthroughs are taking place as trade partners finish the remaining work.
About one week before closing, homeowners complete a New Home Orientation with the superintendent. This is more than a final walkthrough. It is an opportunity to learn how your new home works. The superintendent will walk you through important features and systems, explain maintenance items specific to the home and answer questions. You will also have the opportunity to review the home for any cosmetic touch-ups that need to be completed before closing. Between the orientation and closing day, trade partners finish quality control items, address any cosmetic items noted during the walkthrough and complete the final cleaning.
Step 5: Getting Ready to Move In
While the final details are being completed, homeowners can start preparing for move-in day. One important step is contacting utility companies to transfer services into your name. This is also a good time to schedule internet or cable installation, so those services are ready when you need them.
Once closing is complete, your home is officially yours, but the Prairie View Homes relationship does not stop there. Around 30 days after move-in, our team will contact you for a follow-up meeting in your home. This gives us an opportunity to revisit maintenance information from your New Home Orientation and address any items that may have come up since you moved in. We also schedule an 11-month follow-up meeting as you approach your first year in the home.
Buying a new construction home involves a lot of coordination, but it should not feel overwhelming for the homeowner. From your initial selections and construction updates to your New Home Orientation and follow-up after closing, the Prairie View Homes team is there to guide you through the process and answer questions along the way.
If you are thinking about building your first new home, Jason’s advice is simple: start by talking with one of our knowledgeable sales representatives. We will help you understand your options and guide you through the process from start to finish.
