How do you handle building a home that is hundreds of miles from your current primary residence? It is becoming more and more common for people to hire a General Contractor for this type of situation and it can be a very successful project, but here are a few helpful guidelines :
Wise use of your time before construction begins will pay huge dividends. It is always important to choose your builder carefully, but this is especially true in a case where you live a great distance from the project. Be sure to follow the steps outlined in the article “How Should I Choose a Builder?”
Take your time going over the details before construction begins. This is beneficial in more than one way. First, it will help assure that you get the home you want even though you won’t be on site frequently. Also, if your builder knows small details from the start, it can cut down drastically on building time and cost. Although small changes (“Oh, do you think you could go back and do this a little differently?”) may not appear to add much time or money to the project, they add up much quicker than you think and almost always have unseen ripple effects down the line that also cost time and money. These ripple effects create additional decisions that have to be made, which in turn adds difficulty since you are not on site to make those decisions. No doubt, some decisions will have to be made during the project, but try to handle as many of these ahead of time as you can. Also, try to stick to these decisions. Constantly second guessing yourself during the project rarely produces good results.
Make sure your contract is set up for your situation of living at a distance from the new home. The contract should include arrangements for giving you regular progress reports. A larger project may require more updates than smaller ones. With modern technology such as digital cameras, cell phones and e-mail, these reports can be made faster and easier than ever before. Thus for example, you should have established arrangements for how often you will be in contact over the phone and/or by e-mail. Be balanced! Updates are very beneficial, but you are excited about your new home and might wish for many frequent updates. Remember that requiring too many, or being on the phone too often with your builder can easily interfere with his business and slow his progress. Also, don’t expect your builder to spend a great deal of time learning to use the newest technology for these updates. Most contractors work more with saws and hammers than with computers and this would take time away from finishing your home.
Aside from the regular updates, arrange for your builder to inform you at the start and finish of major parts of construction (foundation, framing, roofing, etc.) If possible, visit the job site periodically (possibly once per month or as each of these major projects are completed).
Oddly enough, many have found that building from a distance can actually run smoother than being close by. You may know the expression: “A watched pot never boils.” Visiting the site everyday makes it appear the project is progressing much slower than it should, whereas with a once a month visit, the progress stands out (It’s the same reason that your spouse didn’t notice the ten pounds you lost, but the friend you hadn’t seen in a month noticed right away!)
Also, a reputable General Contractor is quite used to seeing and handling many, many, many problems that arise during a project. If you are on site regularly you see these challenges. Since you are not used to handling them, they appear much bigger to you. They may cause you to lose sleep and have additional stress. However, if you build from a distance but have carefully chosen your General Contractor, you will likely find that your he will have solved these challenges before you are even aware the problem exists.
As you can see, there are some challenges to building a home when you live quite a distance away. Don’t let that scare you off. With a little preparation and working with a reputable builder, it can run quite smoothly.
