New Home Construction in Santa Rosa
Here at Christopherson Builders we offer several different solutions to finding or building you a brand new home. When we speak with a client about their new home dreams, the path they will ultimately choose always starts with a few different variables. In the end, your timing, degree of customization desired and the land itself will ultimately guide you down 1 of 3 paths to a new home. In a nutshell, the Christopherson Builders’ paths to a new #christophersonbuilt home are:
- Custom Home Design and Build
- Semi-Custom Build from a Christopherson Plan
- Purchasing a New Home before or under construction
We do it all, and we can help you any way you prefer to go. But first, let’s talk about the factors that will help you determine which path is right for you.
Timing.
Timing is a significant determinant in whether or not a person can build. Happily, our general contracting clients receive the benefit of our production home building experience pared down to individual home processes. That’s a mouthful. Basically, it means we can cut down on the time it takes us to complete a new home build, because we have built homes (lots of homes) and we know how to be efficient. But building still takes time, as does finding the land on which to build if a property purchase is needed.
The average Christopherson home takes about 9-10 months to complete from breaking ground. Prior to breaking ground, there is a fundamental period of pre-construction time when all the proverbial ducks are placed in a tidy row. The amount of time a client needs for their pre-construction (plans, permits, selections) is highly variable and depends a lot on 2 different factors; (1) whether or not the property already has infrastructure in place and (2) where the property is located.
Bringing in new infrastructure is something that our team has a great deal of experience in, so the task is not insurmountable. However studies will be required prior to design, and certain studies such as percolation testing can only happen at specific times of the year. Permits also tend to take longer when building on raw, previously undeveloped land. Location is a large factor in terms of timing as well – the neighborhood and jurisdiction in which a property is located may have specific timelines and design review requirements. Getting to know the area in which you are interested in building is key.
A great way to cut down on timelines is to explore our library of pre-engineered plans. Our plans have been designed by excellent architects, and continue to be refined over time. Selecting a Christopherson pre-engineered home design means that you will significantly reduce your time spent making architectural decisions, and it means that we’ll have designed the plan in a way that provides high aesthetics and livability while reducing extraneous components that drive cost.
If planning to build a home, selecting a pre-engineered home design, or working with us to make light changes to the plan is the first, easiest and most time and cost effective path you are likely to have.
Location.
Location, location, location. It’s not just a real estate investment wisdom adage. The property location, type, topography, easements and more heavily influence what can be built on a specific lot. Although we offer an extensive library of plans, we also strongly advise building to the highest and best use of the land. When we build a new Christopherson home to sell or a new home community, we don’t just grab a plan that we have used again and again and plunk it down on a lot because that’s the easy thing to do. We take our time to understand how the end result, the home, is going to live for its future owners.
While we are proud of our home designs and stand behind them, there are times when we will advise you that a custom home design is best. In the end, we want you to enjoy the best home that you can, and have it be the best option for your property, and if a custom plan will be the best option we are happy to help guide you from a building and cost perspective while your architecture is underway.
If your prefer to start from a blank slate, or if the land simply commands it, it is very wise to engage a builder at the outset of the process. We understand the cost implications of architectural decisions and are able to help our clients create the dream home that is right for their lifestyle and their “all-in” budget. Building a custom home does not have to be scary if you have a reputable builder guiding you along the way. Trust us, we design custom homes all the time – that’s how our plans begin.
Degree of customization available.
All of our home-building and home-buying clients have the opportunity to personalize their home. How much can or cannot be personalized is directly related to what construction stage the home is in. Clearly, a completed home will not be able to be personalized – because it’s already been done. The good news is – our team of design professionals undertook the task for you so if purchasing new, your new home is cohesive and appointed with some amazing finishes. Yet another piece of good news is – paint is easy, and it is a great way to change up the feel of a home.
If purchasing a home that is partially completed, you may be able to choose your floors, tile and light fixtures. If purchasing a home before we break ground, the odds are good that the majority of the interior finished will still be able to be selected, but the exterior is set. So, the sooner you talk to us about a new home that we have either under construction or breaking ground soon, the more opportunity you will have to be able to control the design finishes that go into your future home!
And of course if building, you get to choose everything. We do mean everything. Even the plan itself can be modified to reflect a different style than what we may have pictured on a rendering. Making modifications to a plan to suit is exactly that – a plan modification, which is the third path to a new home that we have to offer. This author’s favorite example of a plan modification is a prior client’s request to change up a bathroom to accommodate a dog wash – what a great idea! And what a great way to have a happy home for all the members of the family.
We love to talk. If you have questions about building and are not sure what is the right path for you, we can help – from lot identification and acquisition to design, to planning and permitting, to building – we do it all, and we love what we do.
