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See our 21st Century Victorian Demonstration Home Showcasing Green Building!

One of the most exciting parts in building your own custom home is finding that perfect home site. Your first step is to determine the town(s) you want to live in. Because of local control and small school systems, each town in New Hampshire is truly unique. Once you decide on a town or two, our selected Realtors will show you available building sites. Then we will walk the land with you so that you understand the good and bad aspects of each site. We offer years of experience in land evaluation.

Assuming your site does not have public sewer (rare in New Hampshire) we will create a septic design with our certified septic designer. This is a matter of excavating a hole and reading the soil profile. The soils information is used to design the septic system which is approved by the State of New Hampshire. The septic design determines how the house site will look when finished and influences how we place the house.

This is the process of deciding how your home will look on the outside and how it will "live" on the inside. You may have a design you like that we can adapt to fit your budget or you may take one of our plans and modify it. There are many house plan services on the internet and we have several plan books that you can borrow. As part of the home design process we will finalize your Specifications, a list of the materials to be used in your home. We offer three levels of standard specifications (Affordable, Designer, and Premier) and we often modify them to change areas important to the customer (from faucets to the heating system). We also offer a list of popular options so you can determine what special features you might be interested in will add to the budget.

Now that you have your land selected and your dream floor plan, the question is how to pay for it. There are two common options:

• Builder financed: We finance the construction of the home through our own cash flow and/or a private construction loan. When the home is complete, you attend a closing and purchase it just like a resale home. You will often hear this referred to as an "end loan".
• One-step construction loan: This option is popular with people who want to save money or be more involved in the construction process. In this case you take out the construction loan and there is one closing at the time the land is purchased. As construction progresses, there are periodic inspections and disbursements on the loan. The final payment is made right before you move in and then the loan becomes a traditional mortgage. We can provide you with mortgage companies that are experienced with this type of loan.

While the financing is being finalized, we are working on the required permits which include a driveway permit, New Hampshire Energy Code Compliance, and the building permit. Final color and material selections also need to be complete before construction on your new home begins.

Work begins on site to prepare the land for the foundation. This may require clearing and removing the trees, stumping, building the rough driveway, and excavating for the foundation. Next the foundation is poured, damp-proofed, drainage added, and backfilled. As many as four subcontractors may be involved in this process.

The "rough" part of the homebuilding process includes framing the house, the rough plumbing, the rough electric, usually an inspection, and then the insulation. Often as scheduling permits, the siding and well drilling may be done on the outside. Two important events occur during this stage of construction:

• Electric walkthrough: You meet with the electrician at your new home to discuss lighting, phone and cable locations, and any special needs including dedicated circuits for a microwave or computer.
• Kitchen design: You meet with our kitchen designer to assist in the kitchen cabinet layout and to select the cabinets.

Now the house really starts to take shape starting with the drywall, followed by the interior trim and painting. After the electrical and plumbing are finished, the flooring is installed. Outside the septic is installed, stairs and decks built, and the final grading done.

Now that your home is almost complete it is ready for various inspections. The mortgage company will send the appraiser out to verify that the home is built according to the plans and specifications. In most towns, the building inspector will visit the house for the last time and grant the Certificate of Occupancy.

The Big Day!

We continue to work with you once you are in your new home. Our warranty covers cosmetic items for one year and systems for two years. We conduct two inspections with you during the first year.