Buying your custom home is a significant investment and milestone for your life. Should you be lucky enough to be in this position, having a detailed roadmap and a reliable partner you can trust like OakWood can make your custom home building process much smoother and enjoyable.
In this blog , we will highlight and cover the main stages of the custom home building process, touch on the timeline of the construction process, look at some of the most frequently seen challenges and also discuss the importance of maintaining communication throughout the entire process.
Table of Contents:
- The Custom Home Building Process
- The Custom Home Construction Timeline
- Common Home Building Challenges & How OakWood Overcomes Them
- Importance of Communication
Overview Of The Custom Home Building Process
Initial Planning & Design
Designing your custom home in Ottawa begins with carefully planning and designing your dream home. At OakWood, we believe that by collaborating closely with homeowners at every step, we can ensure that every single detail aligns with their vision.
- Defining Your Vision: Our architectural design experts, builders and designers will work with you to capture every aspect of your vision of a dream home and will work relentlessly to ensure that your preferences, style, layout and functionality is included in their designs.
- Setting Expectations: During this initial phase, we will be managing expectations and work with you to get a better grasp of your budget and timelines so that you can get a better understanding of what’s to come. This is a critical step that will help with transparency and accountability, in hopes to eliminate any surprises during the construction process.
- Designs & Materials Selection: When all of the groundwork has been done and you have a solid understanding of the upcoming process, you will soon be presented with our conceptual designs. This will be followed by an invitation to come to one of our design studios at our Taylor Creek Drive or Bank Street locations for materials selections. We will also leverage state of the art 3D design tools and provide you with virtual tours to help you visualize your future home! Not only do these high-tech solutions help you understand your future home, but they also help you make more informed decisions and tweaks before going through with the construction process.
Permitting & Approvals
Complying with local laws and regulation and obtaining the required construction permits can be dauting. Luckily OakWood’s experienced custom home experts provides you with a white-glove experience and will handle the entire process to ensure compliance with Ottawa’s building codes and regulations.
- Permit Acquisitions: OakWood will handle all documentations needed for acquiring permits to build your custom home. Our custom home experts will ensure that the entire process will be painless and as efficient as possible.
- Regulatory Approvals: Our custom home experts have the expertise and knowledge needed for compliance with local regulations and building codes. By working with a professional home builder, you will be on schedule with your construction timelines.
Construction Phase
Once the planning and permit phase has been completed, it is time to start the the exciting construction phase where multiple milestones will need to be achieved so your vision turns into reality.
- Groundbreaking and Foundation: The first step in the construction phase is to prepare your site. This includes laying the foundation and doing the groundwork for your custom home. Take a look at how we lay the groundwork for infill lots.
- Framing and Structural Work: We will then start framing and build the basic structural components of your homes. This involves building walls, floors and roofs. It is essentially the outline of your home!
- Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC: Once your home has been framed and all of the structural component have been built, it’s time to install your basic utilities for comfort and functionality of your home.
- Interior & Exterior Finishes: This is when you will start to feel that your vision is coming to life! Your cabinetry, floors and all other interior and exterior finishes will be built with craftmanship of the highest standards.
Final Inspection & Handover
When you approach the completion of your dream home, a thorough final inspection will be done to ensure that every aspect of your home meets our stringent standards for quality.
- Quality Assurance Checks: We will undergo a comprehensive inspection that guarantees that every detail of your dream home complies with building codes and meets your expectations.
- Client Walkthroughs: Once our team has completed the Quality check, we will undergo a final walkthrough with you to show you your new home, address any concerns you may have and make the necessary adjustments.
- Handover: Once you are thrilled and satisfied with the final touches, we will hand over the keys to your home so you can live the life you’ve dreamed of!
The Custom Home Construction Timeline
To provide you with more transparency and to manage your expectations, here is a simplified outline of what you should expect:
- Pre-Construction Planning (3-6 months): This involves creating your designs, acquiring permits and setting up timeline and expected milestones.
- Construction Phase (8-12 months): Which covers everything from framing all the way to the finishing touches.
- Post Construction (1-2 months): Final Inspections, addressing any quality issues and handing over the keys!
Common Home Building Challenges & How OakWood Addresses Them
Anyone that has undergone a renovation or have built a custom home will tell you that there are some obstacles that you may come across. By working with a custom home expert such as OakWood, you will be able to smoothly and efficiently over come these hurdles:
- Budgeting & Costs: By being transparent and communicating with our client, we provide transparent cost estimations and detailed planning that will help prevent any surprises. By providing financial updates at every step, you will be informed about the progress and expenses incurred.
- Weather Delays & Seasonal Factors: By carefully planning and creating construction timelines we will be able to work with the weather in Ottawa and strategically schedule work to avoid any disruptions due to the weather.
- Materials Shortages & Delays: Supply chain disruptions are never fun. We have incredible supply chain partnerships that ensure that you get access to the best quality materials with minimal disruptions.
The Importance of Communication
Open communication is a necessary component for a successful custom home-building experience. At OakWood, you can expect the following:
- Setting Expectations Early: We will provide clear communications from the get go to ensure that we achieve realistic milestones, budgets that are accurate and goals that are well defined.
- Regular Updates: By frequently providing our clients with ongoing updates, you will remain informed about the progress of your custom home.
- Problem-Solving & Decision Making: By working closely with your OakWood representative, you will be able to ensure that issues are promptly addressed and that no momentum is lost.
Ready To Turn Your Dream Home Vision Into A Reality?
Building your custom home is a rewarding experience. With OakWood at your side, you can rest assured that our attention to detail, experience and open communication will ensure that your dream home turns into a reality without the stress.
Book a consultation with OakWood today and explore our exceptional custom home building services.,