June 19, 2013

BUYING & BUILDING A NEW HOME

Not sure how buying and building a new home works?  Many people are curious so I’m using my family’s recent new home purchase in Stapleton as an example to give others insight into the process.  I’m working with Stapleton builders, especially New Town Builders, to show you all the different phases of the process, from your first trip to the model home, through the phases of construction all the way through move in day.  Hopefully these videos help buyers get a glimpse into the process so they’ll have more appropriate expectations (and less frustrations) with their new home purchase and construction.  The most recent posts always post at the top so to start the series from the beginning start at the bottom of this page.  Keep me in mind if you want to buy a new home, I’d love to help!

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 14: CLOSING

    The home is almost done and you’re approaching the finish line.  Now its time to take the final steps on the loan process, prepare for closing and budget your time and money for everything that needs to get done on your new home.  Check out the brief video below for a few pointers about this phase in the new home buying process.  This is the best part of the process and what you’ve been working and waiting for.  Now it’s time to move into your new home and make it your own.

    I hope you enjoyed this video series on the new home buying process.  My goal was to give you a good overview so when you actually go through the process you’ll have a better idea of what to expect.  If you or anyone you know is looking to buy a home I’d love to help.

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 13: THE FINISH STAGE

    Ok we’re now at the finish stage of the construction progress which is really exciting.  Now when you go to check out your home (which will be at least once or twice a week if you’re like we were) you’ll see significant progress being made  every time.  Hardwood floors and carpet will go in, interior paint will happen, light fixtures will be placed, tile work will be done, trim will be installed, etc.  It’s a fun part of the process and this is the part where it became real for us.  After all the waiting now it’s time to start preparing for your move cause it’s coming soon.  Check out the brief video below with our builder about the finish stage of the new home buying process.

    As always, if you know someone looking to buy or sell a home I’d love to help!

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 12: INSPECTIONS

    The pre-drywall inspection has been completed by our third party inspector so we’re ready to move forward.  Below is a video with a few tips of things you should do before the drywall is up.  These may save you some time and money down the road.  Check it out.

    If you’re thinking of buying or selling in Stapleton I’d love to help.

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – joe@synergyret.com- (720) 545-9003

     

     

     

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 11: DRYWALL & INSULATION

    Ok the ducts, plumbing & electrical are all in and have now been inspected by the City and by the homeowner…time to seal up the walls by insulating and drywalling them.  This is a big step in the process and the home is starting to really take shape at this point.  In the brief video below Mike Carey from New Town Builders explains some of the benefits of the cellulose insulation they use in their homes.  Remember, every homebuilder is different but this will still give you a good understanding of this phase in the process and things you should be thinking about as a buyer.

    To watch the whole video series on buying & building a new home click here.

    Joe Phillips – Real Estate Broker – joe@synergyret.com – (720) 545-9003


  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 10: PRE-INSPECTION INSPECTION

    The builder is now ready to insulate and drywall the home…but before they do there are some inspections to be done.  Most builders will offer you a walk through of the property with them to make sure everything you wanted is in before they put up insulation and drywall.  Once they put those items up it’s a lot more expensive to make changes to the home.  What I suggest in the short video below is that you hire an outside home inspector (one that knows new construction) and have the home inspected before the walls are insulated.  This will help you catch a lot of little problems before they become hidden behind the walls.  It never hurts to have someone looking out for your best interests.

    Check out a the video below with me and my home inspector.  If you want to see the whole video series on buying and building a new home click here.  If you’re thinking of buying or selling give me a call, I’d love to help.

    Joe Phillips – Real Estate Broker – joe@synergyret.com – (720) 545-9003

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 9: PRE-DRYWALL

    Great progress has been made at this point and it’s almost time to insulate and seal up the walls with drywall.  Before we do that lets take a look at what’s behind the walls with Mike Carey from New Town Builders in Stapleton.  In the video below Mike is going to take us through several areas of the home in the pre-drywall phase.  We’ll get a chance to see wiring, plumbing and heating vents at this phase in the process.  This is an imporant phase in the overall building process because it’s critical to find errors, if there are any, before the walls are sealed up.  This is a chance for you as the homeowner to do an inspection of the property and make sure everything is how you requested.  Mike will also take us down into the basement to show us the electrical panel and the logic behind why framining is “floated” in basements.  Check it out.

    To watch the whole video series on Buying & Building a New Home click here.

    Joe Phillips – Real Estate Broker – joe@synergyret.com – (720) 545-9003


  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 8: THE DESIGN CENTER

    The house is coming along quickly and we’re past framing.  Now it’s time to go down to the design center a few times and select all of the interior finishes for the home.  There is still a lot of work to be done before the finishes are put in but the builder needs to know what we want now so they can order it and have it all ready in time.  In this video I meet with Susan Bastine from New Town Builders to discuss the design center process.  Every builder is unique and there are differences in their processes but this video should give you some insights of what to expect when making your selections.  With all the options available it can seem overwhelming but if we use the strategy we discuss in the video and take your time it doesn’t have to be stressful.

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 7: FINISH FRAMING

    In this episode the home has now been framed and we’ll take a look around inside before walls are insulated and electrical starts to go in.  Plumbing and some of the duct work has now been placed in the home and pretty soon electrical work will be started.  To watch the whole video series click here.

     

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 6: FRAMING

    In this episode we’ll take a look at the home being framed on top of the foundation.  This is the phase in the process where it seems like a ton of work is done on your home in a real short amount of time.  It goes from being a hole in the ground to a completely framed out structure in what seems like no time at all.   With Mike Carery from New Town Builders we’ll take a look at 2×6 construction vs 2×4 construction, energy efficiency innovations in the framing stage, what osb board is and more.  To see the whole series on the New Home Building Process click here.

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 5: FOUNDATION

    In the last episode we showed you the footers and now Mike Carey from New Town Builders in Stapleton will show what the foundation walls look like once they are poured on top of the footers. Mike will also explain a few other things such as backfilling, waterproofing and how the home is connected to the foundation via the “rim joist”.  After this we’ll be above ground and start the framing.

     

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

     

  • NEW HOME BUILDING PROCESS EPISODE 4: POURING FOOTERS

    In this episode we start to see actual construction progress which is fun.  The first physical steps include digging the hole and pouring footers which the foundation sits on.  After that the foundation forming walls will be built and then a foundation can be poured.  Depending on the area and the soils present other methods besides footers may be utilized but in Stapleton this is common.  Finally, you can see progress on your new home being built which is exciting!  To view the whole series click here.

     

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 3: PERMITTING

    In this episode I discuss the permitting process, which is the slow part where you’ve invested money and no physical work has been started on the property.  Typically production builders have their plans on file with the City and County so it expedites the process.  On our home we’re having a carriage house built which is not in the builder’s standard plans filed with the City and County so it’s slowing down the permit process.  In general with construction if you’re doing something outside of the box you can expect it to take longer and cost more. Think of production built homes like a widget on an assembly line, any time you ask them to take the product off the conveyer belt and tweak it the result is increased labor cost and delays.  To see the whole video series click here.

    Joe Phillips- Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 299-1730 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 2: VISITING MODEL HOMES

    So where does the new home buying process begin?  Most likely you searched on-line or drove around a new neighborhood and ended up at a model home.  This video goes over what a production builder is compared to a custom builder.  It also highlights a few things you should expect when working with a production builder and a few things to watch out for.  Once of the biggest things to watch out for is the way the “base Price” of the home quickly becomes more than you expected.  This price creep is one of the biggest shocks for buyers and if they aren’t aware of it going in there can be a real sense of resentment towards the builder.  Armed with this information you’ll know what to expect.  By the way, if you have a Realtor representing you be sure to bring them to the model homes with you.  To see the whole video series click here.

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com

  • NEW HOME BUYING PROCESS EPISODE 1: INTRODUCTION

    What’s this video blog series all about?  We’ve built a new home in Stapleton and we’re documenting the whole process so you can learn from it.  By taking you through the construction of a new production home from start to finish you’ll have an idea of how the process works and what to expect.  It’s very different from a normal “resale” purchase of an already existing home and I hope you find it useful.  For those of you not interested in buying a new home I think you still might find it interesting if you’re curious about the construction process and the various phases a home goes through between dirt and finished product.  The introduction video is below.  To see the whole video series click here.

    If you need some help with the purchase of your new home give me a call!

    Joe Phillips – Synergy Real Estate Team – (720) 545-9003 – joe@synergyret.com