If you’re looking for your dream property for sale in Florida but you find that standard “Production Builder” homes don’t match up to your individual needs, the next step is to decide how to get your “custom home” built.
In Central Florida, there are several ways to go about this:
1. Owner/builders take responsibility for running the whole project, which can include
- Finding the land.
- Designing the home.
- Getting the planning permission (“permitting”).
- Hiring sub contractors.
- Quality controlling the work.
Using this approach when building your property in Florida demands the most time and experience but you may get more for your money because it offers the greatest cost saving opportunity. It can be high risk, though!
2. Hire a building foreman (“Superintendent” in US terminology) to build on land that you’ve acquired. This has worked well for many people with limited time or building experience, but it does depend on finding the right person. We have heard of some great success stories and some horror stories, so reference-checking is highly recommended.
3. Work with an Owner/Builder organization. These are companies that will (for a substantial fee) provide the necessary “hand holding”, including planning, permitting, finding sub contractors and evaluating the quality of work done on your property in Florida.
4. Hire a custom builder: this is likely to be the most expensive option, but is also likely to be the least risky for a UK resident. There is a wide range of custom builders – some have plots available for you to buy and they will then build your property in Florida, while others specialize in building on your own land. There is an even wider range of extras and options that can affect the cost of your home enormously, so choose carefully!
These are only brief notes on decisions that can be difficult and costly, so click here to contact us for further information.