1. Find the lot – Contract

2. Meet your builder on the lot – discuss site features, challenges, advantages

3. Review architectural control guidelines

4. Close on the lot – Sometimes you can delay the lot closing and do a onetime close on lot and construction loan but this is contingent on the land seller timeline. Short term land financing is a possibility if seller needs to close earlier

5. Order tree survey, topographical survey, and soils report

6. Set up a preliminary design meeting with builder and designer (brainstorm, discuss needs and wish lists). – Buyer needs to bring pictures, drawings, notes, etc., anything to give to the designer so they can gain a better understanding on what the buyer wants. This is conducted on the actual home site.

7. Designer draws a block-out sketch of the home

8. Block-out design meeting with builder and designer – this can be set up as a phone conference

9. Designer begins preliminary design based on buyer’s and builder’s comments

10. Preliminary design meeting with buyer (via phone conference). – Buyer will give green light to start final drawings. Usually a bank set of plans are completed at this stage and builder can start pricing plans.

11. Order Engineered Drawings – Slab and Frame (No MORE sq ft changes after this step, footprint must remain the same) Foundation engineer will need the soils report for the foundation design and full set of floor plans for the framing. All masonry areas must be decided at this point as well.

12. Final Design Completed – final design meeting with builder and designer, conducted in person or via phone.

13. Builder will establish final design budget – Buyer signs contract, and submits to Bank for Loan Approval.

14. Buyer will close on the construction loan – if you did a sort term loan, your first draw on the construction loan would be to pay off the land note.

15. Builder will break ground on your Dream Home.