Step 1: Where Do You Want to Place Your Roots?
Building a home means that you’re embarking on an exciting new journey. Before you begin, though, you’ll be making decisions about where you’d like to place your roots. Costa Homebuilders is ready to help start you on your journey using our New Life® Custom Home Building Process.
- First, we’d like to hear about you and your family. The more we talk, the better we’ll know exactly what you want in your dream home.
- Next, we’ll talk about your budget and discuss what you’d like to spend on both a lot and a newly constructed home. This will allow Costa Homebuilders to guide you as you think about what your new home should include.
- Now, we can help you find and reserve a lot if possible—whether it’s in a developed plan or an uncleared site. We can take you step-by-step through the process so your roots take hold exactly where you want to be.
- Costa can help you understand financing options and make some recommendations on banks.
During this first step, Costa’s experts will focus on your needs, your budget, and your lifestyle. Then, we’ll work together to design and build your dream home.
Step 2. Your Home Stands the Test of Time
In this next step, Costa Homebuilders will guide you from imagining your home to planning it using quality design and construction processes that are the hallmark of every Costa home.
- First, it’s time to talk about the costs involved with building your home on your own lot. For instance, your site may need to be cleared or utilities added. We will discuss the cost of your home and preparing the lot.
- We’ll invite you to visit us at our design center workshop for an initial meeting, and we will tell you about our standards and what to expect from the Costa Homebuilders experience. We’ll design your home to match your budget. It’s the most important part of the process. By blending your list of “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” with your budget, your dream home will start to take shape.
- Now, it’s time to talk about style and amenities. For instance, if you plan on having children or adding to your family—then you’ll want to talk about available space, bedrooms, and bathrooms. If you’re a gourmet cook, we can help you create a kitchen and eating area that can include special touches, like commercial-grade appliances. Movie lover? Then you’ll enjoy a home theater room. Costa works with you to ensure that your dream home is truly your own, and that it provides you with everything you need for many happy years to come.
Step 3: Putting Pen to Paper
Now, your home starts taking shape. This means that you’ll begin meeting with us or our architect to design your home. Your deposit will be due at this point, and it’s time to arrange the paperwork that’s required to build a house, including permits and financing. This is also when you’ll sign your contract with Costa Homebuilders. We’ll also guarantee that the home you’ve designed matches the budget that you have in mind. Usually, the financing takes 30-60 days.
Step 4. Kick-Start to Construction
The fun starts here! Costa Homebuilders will conduct a preconstruction meeting where you’ll meet some of the key players, including your construction manager and your personal selections manager.
- You will review the construction process from beginning to end, and receive a timeline, so you’ll know when to plan to move into your beautiful new home.
- You’ll receive a detailed selection form with choices for everything in your home, plus all the dates by which you’re required to make your picks. This is what makes your home truly yours. You’ll have about a four-month period in which to select everything—we believe that giving you this extra time ensures that you’ll be happy with everything that you’ve chosen.
- After your preconstruction meeting, it’s time for the groundbreaking, and you’ll watch your home explode from the ground and then flourish, with the foundation and framing growing around you.
You can visit your home and see the progress on-site as often as you want. During this time, you’ll also be deciding on your sidewalk dimensions and inside trimwork. While you have a lot of choices to make during this step, the New Life® Custom Home Building Process makes it easy.
Step 5. Polish and shine.
Your new home is ready! We’ll put the finishing touches in place, review the construction with you for a final time, and hand over the keys to your dream home. The New Life® Custom Home Building Process has guided you every step of the way, and you’re ready to live in your gorgeous new Costa Home.
FAQs
Should I buy land before contacting a builder, or should I contact a builder before buying land?
If you haven’t already purchased a lot, get in touch with a builder. We have found that the best results come from partnering with one of Costa’s Build On Your Lot Specialists before you start looking for land. A specialist will ensure that the land you choose is suitable for the type of home you want to build.
Can I save money by building the house myself instead of hiring a builder?
Over the years, we have developed great relationships with our suppliers, which gives us buying power and you lower costs. Plus, our builders are always up-to-date on changing building codes, safety regulations, and energy-saving home products. With our vast knowledge and expansive resource base, we can help you save money without having to put in all of the work yourself.
How much of my time should I budget for when you’re building my home?
Each home is unique. As a result, building times vary from project to project. Usually, we are able to complete the building process within 7-14 months.
What do I need to know before I buy land to build a home on?
Before you buy land to build your home on, you look into zoning laws, easements and any additional excavation work that might be required. We understand that these details might not be things that you are familiar with – that’s why we recommend partnered with one of our Build On Your Lot Specialists before you buy land. We’ll help make sure you avoid any unforeseen complications.
What happens if we want to make a change in the middle of building?
Building a home requires a lot of decisions, and we at Costa Homebuilders understand that. We know tastes change and things come up, so we have a streamlined process in place that makes us flexible when it comes to design changes.
Why should I choose Costa Homebuilders over other builders?
We are Pittsburgh’s premier custom and luxury home builder. We will work with you every step of the way. From picking your lot and designing your home all the way through the building process, we are here for you to make sure you get the home of your dreams. We are also mindful of your budget during the process. Our architects will design for you only after an agreed upon budget so that we do not show you a home that you love, but cannot afford. No matter what stage of the process, we will always put you first!
Do I have access to the jobsite throughout construction?
We are building your home, so we always welcome you to come stop by and view the progress.
Will I have a schedule of when selections are needed?
Yes. We know it can be overwhelming trying to decide on all the details for your home. To make the process easier, we will provide you with a timeline with each selection deadline so you can stay organized and stress-free.
Are you licensed and insured in Pennsylvania?
Yes, we are both licensed and insured in the state of Pennsylvania and are happy to provide you with a copy of the documents if desired.
When can I start moving in to my new home?
Upon completion of your custom home, we will do a final walk-thru before closing. After we cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s, we will turn the key over to you. At that point, you are free to turn your house into your forever home.
Do you also do any work with the landscaping and natural features of the land?
If you choose to build on a wooded lot, you can select which trees you wish to keep around the home. After building is complete, we will do a final grade of the property to ensure the dirt is sloped away from the house. This is done in order to prevent any water issues around the foundation.
Any additional lawn or landscaping will be completed by the homeowner or by a landscape contractor of their choice.
Do you provide any kind of after sales service?
During the first year in your new home, we ask you to keep note of any issues that may come about. At 12 months after move-in, we contact you for that list and schedule contractors to come fix those issues. The most common problems are small drywall and paint touch-ups.
Additionally, we have our own in-house service department. Please do not hesitate to contact them after you move in with any questions you may have regarding your new home.
What happens if my house isn’t finished on time?
At the beginning of the process, we provide you with a target finish date. As with any construction project, however, setbacks such as weather, product delays, changes by the customer, etc. can delay the process. While the completion date may change throughout the process, we will be in constant communication with each other to ensure the completion date is never a surprise.
Can we review your recently finished projects or see references from previous customers?
We are happy to take you to current job sites to show you the different stages of the building process. We also have great relationships with our customers, so taking you to see a finished home is never a problem either. If you simply wish to check out some of our designs, visit our gallery of work on our website.
What kinds of incentives do you or your preferred lender offer?
We work with several different banks for financing. After discussing your situation, we will refer you to the bank that best fits your unique situation.
How often should I expect to hear from you during the building process?
Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. We are always available by phone or email to answer any questions you may have throughout the process.
What sorts of features come standard in my custom house?
You can view our standard features here.
My budget is _________, what kind of house can you build for that amount?
Our custom homes begin at $300,000 not including the price of the lot you choose. We will work with you to create a budget for your home by listing all of the must haves and the nice to haves. After we finalize a number you are comfortable with, we will sit down with the architect, and he will custom design a house that matches your wants and needs while staying within the agreed upon budget.