GBX Custom Homes

Plan Your Budget and Secure Funds

Begin considering the budget from the very moment you start thinking about building your house. Develop a realistic idea of how much you can afford to spend and how much it will cost to build a new home. The budgeting phase is really about balancing your wants with a realistic assessment of what you can afford.

At the same time, this early stage involves looking at what different elements of your new home will cost, including the land itself, the architect or designer, the general contractor who will manage the project, the construction materials, and appliances and interior features.

Tips for Budgeting

Plan for cost overruns. Although Gaddis Bros. Inc. has a “turn-key contract”, virtually all construction ends up costing more than initially planned. This often occurs because the costs of building materials change, or because of changes, you request during the design and construction phase. Make sure you build in a buffer to your budget so that the inevitable overruns don’t break the bank.

Hidden Costs of Building a New Home

First-time homeowners are often startled when they begin to recognize the hidden costs of owning their own homes. There are many one-time start-up costs to building your first home—furniture, lawn and garden equipment, window treatments, internet, and media wiring. And homeownership comes with ongoing monthly expenses that can catch you off-guard if you’re not prepared for the—expenses such as homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, and lawn-care services. If you’ve been a renter up to now, these expenses can be a shocking surprise.

Choose Your Lot

If you have not yet purchased a building lot for your new home, talk with realtors to get a rough estimate of land costs in the areas you are considering. Gaddis Bros. Inc. can assist you in finding a realtor as we have preferred realtors. Although land costs vary greatly depending on local land costs, in general, you plan for 20 to 25 percent of your new home cost to go toward the purchase of the land.

Whether you are building your home in a suburban development or a site with sweeping ocean views, you will almost always need to choose the land before you select floor plans or other details. Gaddis Bros. Inc. can assist you in investigating factors such as soil condition, drainage, zoning, flood zones, utility access and building codes in the region.

Pick a House Plan

Many new homes are built using stock plans from a printed catalog or an online source. Finding the right plan can take some time. One place to begin might be deciding on your favorite house style. Get ideas from the many catalogs available, and if necessary, Gaddis Bros can assist in through the design phase during a consultation. Gaddis Bros. designers can also make minor modifications to the plans in terms of room size, window styles, or other details. Gaddis Bros. can even make slight modifications to stock home plans that you find.

At Gaddis Bros. Inc. we have all the necessary components to assisting with the design, placement, and functionality of your new home. We have an engineer, draftsman, surveyor, and designer to assist with almost anything!

A custom-designed home, on the other hand, is created specifically for the family who will live there and the site it sits upon. In most cases, custom-designed homes require the services of a Gaddis Bros. preferred licensed architect. They ask questions like “Where is the sun in relation to the lot? Where do the prevailing breezes come from? How can we save money on long-term heating and cooling costs?” The architect should also ask exhaustive questions about your lifestyle and preferences.

Whether you opt for a stock or a custom design, it’s wise to choose a plan that will meet your needs for many years to come. A young couple may want to plan for more family members, for example, while an older homeowner should anticipate aging-in-place needs.

Things to think about

Number of bedrooms and bathrooms. How many people will be living in the house? Is your family growing, or are you downsizing? What about houseguests?

Single story vs. two story or more. Are there mobility issues that should be accommodated? Would a one-story home be easier for those with limited mobility living there?

Outdoor space. How important is outdoor space and how much should you have? Should there be a screened porch? Fireplace? Or just wide open space?

Open concept or individual rooms. How open you want your house to be depends on your taste and lifestyle. Individual rooms give a more classic feel, while open concept homes are more modern.

Home style. What aesthetic do you want your house’s exterior to have? Tudor, Cape Cod, craftsman, colonial?

Interior design. Are you partial to modern design, a more traditional look or something in between? If you plan on using the same furnishings you have now, will they match the look of the new home?

Additional features. Think through other features that need to be decided on early in the process, like smart home compatibility, eco-friendly materials or solar panels.

Future resale value. If you think you’ll sell the home at some point in the future, consider the home’s possible resale value. For example, if you add a pool or an upscale kitchen, will your home be priced too high for the neighborhood?

Picking Gaddis Bros. Inc. as your Contractor

Once a working budget, a building site, and home design are selected, you can now begin assembling the team of experts to design and construct your house. Key players can include a builder, an excavator, a surveyor, and a home designer or an architect, if needed. In most cases, homeowners begin by selecting the builder (general contractor). Gaddis Bros. then selects the remainder of the team by selecting proven partners in the industry that we have worked with in previous projects.

Gaddis Bros. Inc. has the reputation and experience like none else. We will walk you through the entire construction process and coordinate a full turn-key project. Why a full turn-key? A full turn-key project is a very seamless way to have your home construction completed. With one firm that handles all your needs it eliminates loose ends, hidden fees, and reduces your stress. You will no longer have to worry over scheduling contractors, getting permits, or handling proper inspections yourself.

At Gaddis Bros. we develop a comprehensive contract with detailed specifications so there is no guess work. We have proven subcontractors that we have seen time and time again that live up to our quality standards. All of our subcontractors have agreements with us that they will abide by all of our standards, keep active insurance that we check up on regularly, and abide by all local codes and government regulations.

Get started

At Gaddis Bros. we try very hard to make the construction process as seamless and painless as possible however, construction of a family home build is very personal. There will be items along the way that you may want to change or may want to learn more about. Communication is a two-way street and the most important element in the construction of your home. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions or to let us know your feelings toward the progress or process. Because communication is important it is vital to understand the construction process.

Construction Process

1. Land prep
The first step in the construction process is getting the land ready. This includes clearing the area, digging trenches and making sure utilities are installed.

2. Footings and foundation
Your foundation will be made of poured concrete reinforced with steel rods. Depending on the part of the country you’re building in and the design of your home, you may have a slab foundation, crawl space or a full basement.

3. Framing
In the framing step, the bones of the home start to take shape. Framing includes the floor joists, subfloors, studs that form the walls and roof trusses. During this step, the crew will wrap the house to protect it from moisture. If construction is taking place during a rainy time of year, Gaddis Bros. may also install windows, roof shingles and siding during this step.

4. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC
Once the home is “dried in,” Gaddis Bros. Licensed and Approved subcontractors will start installing the home’s major systems, including plumbing pipes, electrical wiring and heating and cooling ducts. Each of these steps requires signoff from a local inspector.

5. Insulation
Your home’s insulation needs will vary, but in general, insulation will be applied to exterior walls, basements, crawl spaces and attics. Fiberglass, cellulose and foam insulation are all options.

6. Drywall
Drywall panels are hung with screws, taped and mudded. Then the new walls are primed with paint.

7. Interior finishes
In this step, most of the home’s interior features will be added. This includes doors, baseboards, casings, window sills, stair balusters, kitchen counters and cabinets, bathtubs, vanities, and hard-surfaced flooring. Interior painting and hardwood installation are sometimes done during this step, but they may be done later if there is risk of damage due to continuing construction.

8. Exterior finishes
Driveways, walkways, patios and final grading to direct water away from home will all be completed. Landscaping and exterior decorating happen during this step too.

9. Fixture installation
With the house close to completion, toilets, faucets, light switches, heat register covers, the hot water heater, the electrical panel and the HVAC systems are all installed. Many of these items require another round of inspection. Another task that happens in this step is the installation of glass fixtures like mirrors and shower doors.

10. Flooring installation
Carpet and hardwood flooring are added in this late stage. Gaddis Bros will communicate heavily with you about the status of your hardwood finishing process so you don’t accidentally damage them.

11. Final inspection
Once construction is complete, a final inspection will be conducted by a local building official. Upon passing, you’ll receive a certificate of occupancy, which gives you the green light to move in. This stage is called Substantial Completion.

12. Final walkthrough
Before you move in, Gaddis Bros. will conduct a final walkthrough called the “Home Welcoming” with your builder to identify punch list items that need to be repaired for the job to be considered complete. Common punch list items include electrical defects like non-functioning outlets, damage to drywall and paint, or missing fixtures.