Building your own home can sound like an intimidating task, but what if we were to tell you that you can afford more home for the amount of money you put in. If you are like many residents in expensive metropolitan areas it is nearly impossible to purchase a home. We will outline how to finance, design & build your home in 5 simple steps.

Get Pre-Qualified for a Construction Loan

The first and most important step is to get pre-qualified for a loan. This type of loan would be different than a home mortgage since it has to do with construction of a home and not a purchase. There are construction loans out there with as little as 3.5% down. Without getting pre-qualified, the professional in charge cannot assist in the selection of land and design of your home. Whether you are using a loan or your own funds it is important to establish an initial budget. We have a trusted list of loan brokers we work that can pre-qualify you to start the process.

Hire a Professional

After a budget has been set for the project, a professional Architect can assist with the selection of land and design of your home. Current regulations are getting complex, especially in the hillside areas of Los Angeles. The Architect can carefully evaluate the complexity of land in relation to your budget and give you feedback.

Find a Piece of Land

There are pieces of land that can be great locations for homes, but the average person would not know the complexities of building on it. This is where the Architect can save you time & money while administering a project within your established budget. The three things to consider in a project are Land + Soft Costs + Hard Costs = Project. Assuming we all know what land is, Soft Costs are anything related to the design of your home which include professional & permit fees. Hard costs are anything to do with construction. The combination of the three create a project within the established budget.

Design Your Home

These are the soft costs associated with the project. The Architect in conversation with the Client design a home that is well suited to their expectations & needs. Once the design is complete, the Architect constantly reflects back and forth between the budget informing the client of the possibilities.

Build It

These are the hard costs associated with the project. Everything after a permit to build the project is considered hard costs.

The Architect can carefully evaluate the complexity of land in relation to your budget and give you feedback.