Homeowners Ask, When Can I Move Into My New Custom Built Home?

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Homeowners Ask, When Can I Move Into My New Custom Built Home?

As a Custom Home Builder this is a question we often hear when building a home for a family. It makes sense because the homeowners are dealing with a lot of issues. Vacating their existing home or rental, transferring utilities, coordinating the moving company and other deadlines. The homeowners are under a great deal of pressure and so is the Builder.

As the homes delivery date approaches the Builder is coordinating the building trades, County and bank inspections, obtaining the Certificate Of Occupancy and setting the power meter on the home after all County inspections have been completed. All items that are mostly beyond his control. Most of the items that require completion are not physically obvious to the anxious homeowners. In fact it looks as though nothing is happening on their home as the delivery clock counts down.

The actual closing date may still be in question even though the Builder has been providing “weekly status reports” and daily “web camera photos” for almost a year. The Owners keep asking the Builder for a solid closing date and his answers sound circumspect because he can’t be absolutely certain.

From 30+ years of experience I can tell you the worst mistake is to move into your home before it is 100% complete. It sounds like the right decision when the pressure is on but it’s a mistake for the Owners as well as the Builder. Believe me, no matter how well meaning intentions may be it’s not going to end well. Homeowner work days are lost, materials have to be ordered and trades miss appointments. If the walk through list is more than 25 items (not counting paint and drywall touch up) the house isn’t ready to be turned over the the homeowners. It’s better not to move in until the home is more complete.

Every Home Builders goal should be a “zero item” walk through list with the Owners. That s not always possible but that should be the goal. A 25 item punch  list or less  is certainly a reasonable expectation. Obviously, the items should be minor and not “install kitchen cabinets”.

Smart Builders set an appointment to complete the minor items on the walk through list 10 working days from the actual walk through. It allows enough time for the Owners to settle into their home and enough time for the Builder to order materials and schedule the proper trades for completion. The goal should be to have all the workers show up on the scheduled date and finish all the items on the list.

Have an awesome day!

Mike