Considering building a house...I don't know where to start! (McKinney: real estate, renting)

[mircad]

My husband and I have been renting for a while, and we would love to build a house in McKinney. The thing is, we don't know where to start!
We have considered buying a home, but we haven't found one that is in the style that we love that is in our budget. We like homes like these:
House Plan 53716 | Country European Tudor Plan with 1959 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2 Car Garage at family home plans
House Plan 90348 | Contemporary Narrow Lot Tudor Plan with 2088 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2 Car Garage at family home plans
House Plan 62407 | Tudor Plan with 1606 Sq. Ft., 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms at family home plans

What contractor/business do we use? Would we have any freedom with the plans if we used a business? Would we be able to use any of these plans? Could we modify them?

I basically just need some advice and links!

Thank you!

[Squirl]

what is your budget?

[mircad]

Our budget is $200,000 - $250,000, but of course I would like to keep it as inexpensive as possible.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by mircad

My husband and I have been renting for a while, and we would love to build a house in McKinney. The thing is, we don't know where to start!
We have considered buying a home, but we haven't found one that is in the style that we love that is in our budget. We like homes like these:
House Plan 53716 | Country European Tudor Plan with 1959 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2 Car Garage at family home plans
House Plan 90348 | Contemporary Narrow Lot Tudor Plan with 2088 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2 Car Garage at family home plans
House Plan 62407 | Tudor Plan with 1606 Sq. Ft., 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms at family home plans

What contractor/business do we use? Would we have any freedom with the plans if we used a business? Would we be able to use any of these plans? Could we modify them?

I basically just need some advice and links!

Thank you!

Good Morning,

What you are planning is a custom build home obviously. The procedures for a custom build are no different than a home purchased in a development only you will be more directly involved in the process. The very first thing I would do is become familiar with The City of McKinney building requirements. The Building Inspections Department falls under the Development Services branch and their WEB page is Welcome to the City of McKinney . To the left is a link for Building Inspections with various reference sources there for the requirements you will be following. Here is one link that is not so obvious and very helpful. It is the "Residential Builders Packet" which will provide you an overview of the builder's responsibilities for what must be performed with the City http://www.mckinneytexas.org/uploade...%206.19.12.pdf. Once you have a basic understanding of the building process you will also be able to generate interview questions when you look for and interview General Contractors, or others, for the building process.

There are multiple ways to approach this depending on how involved you want to be. There ae many different pitfalls to being your own GC so I am going to leave that method out. It is very easy to do if you have the background in building, but if you don't I would not recommend you going that route. You sound as if you want to build a home suited more to your needs and desires rather than purchase a stock plan and build with options for less structural issues.

The first thing I would do is to speak with a mortgage provider to see if you can qualify for a construction loan. They are still available but with the credit tightening they have become harder to obtain but not if you qualify. You would need to learn how much you qualify for and what the loan terms and requirements are. Make sure you understand all of their requirements and what the time lines are for the loan as well as requirements for refinancing at the end of construction if they require it. A good mortgage broaker can advise you of all the details and how it will play out.

Almost any house plan you choose can be modified to some degree to fit those needs. What you need to do then is find a plan that most closely meets your needs and will require the least amount of structural modifications as possible. By structural modifications I mean repositioning of walls (exterior and interior), changes of roof lines, re-arranging of room locations (i.e. shifting a bedroom from one side of the home to another), additions to the footprint of the home, etc. Once you have found that plan, and decided on any changes, the next thing I would do is contact a reputable and licensed Architect that is well versed in residential construction. Architects here are licensed by The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and they have a search function on their site for licensed Architects Texas Board of Architectural Examiners . Not only do they list the license expiration date but also list when they were first certified/licensed. Develop a set of interview questions for them and make sure they have some type of project portfolio they can provide you so you can see their finished work.

The licensed Architect can review your plan and your desired changes for you. They can then obtain a general estimate for what you want to do just so you are aware if the project is within your price range. A good Architect can provide the general costs from start to finish for the building process but keep in mind they are general costs only and you will need to calculate in some type of "overrun buffer" in the event you encounter unexpected additional costs. Also materials and labor can change at any time which could move the final costs higher. The Architect might even have stock plans that fit your needs and can be easily modified for what you want.

That is where I would start and if the costs are in your budget, and you decide to continue, then you can visit the remaining requirements which can be many. The Architect might be able to refer you to a reputable custom builder who is familiar with his work, and McKinney building, as well as a Real Estate Agent to help you find land to build on. First though I would go through these steps just to make sure it is what you want to do and can afford the build.

Ask more questions and keep us posted so others can learn from it.

[Squirl]

I would get recommendations for builders in McKinney and meet with one or two, If they are building in McKinney, they are familiar with all the local codes and requirements. That is the first step. After meeting a couple of different builders you will have a better understanding of the process and the kinds of decisions you will need to be making.

A parallel first step is to continue to search for existing homes that fit your needs. Find a realtor and have the realtor help in that search. There are some wonderful existing homes that, with slight modifications, could be you dream home in an existing neighborhood with landscaping, fencing, etc, already done. I think you will get more house for your money if you found an existing home.

[ggolf]

I would definitely go with a Realtor who knows McKinney and the builders there well. After all, you don't pay him/her the builder does.

[CREW747]

Check out Bloomfield Homes...their building plans look alot like the ones you posted...

You could get ino Prosper's Cedar Ridge starting at 230,000

[DitsyD]

You would also need to find a lot to build on.

Most subdivisions/developers have a "look" and other requirements that they contract with builders to provide. The homeowners in the subdivision expect their neighbors homes to conform. If your home does not fit that, you will need to provide a suitable lot.

[mSooner]

No advice, but I really like the style of those homes. Very classy.

[TheOverdog]

Agree with DitsyD. You need to find a lot for those custom homes first, and then decide on style. McKinney is an HOA friendly city, and I don't think they would allow those models to be built in most subdivisions. If you can buy an acre or two in north or far east McKinney, then you could probably put one of those in. I'd say your budget is low, unless that is just your budget for house and not land.