The floor plan is one of the most fundamental things that one has to consider while purchasing a house or choosing a house to take on rent. The importance of a floor plan cannot be overstated. You require a floor plan so that you can visualize diverse design ideas and effectively communicate the same with architects and contractors.

A floor plan is basically a drawing that displays the rooms that make up the structure of a house. If you are planning to design your dream home, having a bird’s eye view of the home is essential. However, the basic question that you need to address is how to get a suitable floor plan in the first place.

The lack of insight into appropriate sources to collect details of the floor plan of your house can make your search extremely tedious and time-consuming. If you have sleepless nights due to your inability to get your hands on the floor plan of your home, you can take a sign of relief. There exists a broad range of sources that can come to your rescue and ensure you have your house’s floor plan.

Approach a builder or architect

One of the easiest ways of acquiring a floor plan is to reach out to builders or architects who have worked on your house. Hiring a home builder is a fundamental practice among these professionals to maintain copies of home projects that they are working on. You must try to find the name of the original developer or architect so that you can get in touch with them and get your hands on the blueprint of your home. It is a simple yet effective trick that can help you get the visual image of your house that you have been looking for. If your house has been built by one of the popular Maine Custom Builders, you can surely get the floor plan of your house without any hassles.

Enquiring with the neighbors

If you think that neighbors are good only for gossiping and bitching purposes, you are mistaken. You can talk to your neighbors and ask them about the developer of your home. It is likely that the neighbors have appointed the same contractor to build their house. In case you have such a neighbor, you have nothing else to worry about. You can easily acquire details about your home’s real estate agent or developer, and then acquiring the floor plan of your house is nothing but a cakewalk.

Get in touch with the Local Permit Agency

Typically, at the time of construction of houses, builders need to submit the house floor plan to the local permit agency or municipal office. These offices have the authority and the responsibility to store not only floor plans but other important documents for future use. You can get in touch with these agencies if you want to get a precise floor plan that represents the graphical image of your house.

Reach out to your real estate agent

In case you are unable to find out the name of the developer’s name who has constructed your home, you do not have to lose hope. You have the option to contact your real estate agent. Generally, real estate agents collect and store all kinds of information about houses so that they can attract prospective buyers. There is a high chance that you can acquire the floor plan of your house by asking your agent for the same. By interacting with these agents, you can get to know about the construction companies in Maine that might have been involved in your house development project.

Approach a professional

You can seek professional help so that they can create a clone of your home’s floor plan. You can approach a structural engineer or an architect in this regard. As these professionals have immense experience in their field of work, they can capture the necessary details to design an identical floor plan.

These experts will put their specialization to good use and ensure that the floor plan that they have designed is an ideal match to the original floor plan of your home. They can even give you a perfect replica of house plans that are known for their unique and creative elements. Although this method of getting your hands on your home’s floor plan may be expensive, it will definitely be worth it.

Conclusion

There exist diverse sources from which you can collect the floor plan of your home. Now that you are aware of all the options that you have, you must make sure that you get your hands on your home’s floor plan before redesigning or making modifications to your house. It is a basic prerequisite that will help you design your house and transform it into your dream home.

Approaching the right individuals or agencies is instrumental to having an accurate and exact floor plan that represents your house. The sources that have been shared with you will be of great help when you are looking for your house’s floor plan. You must always try to get in touch with suitable parties and enquire about the floor plan of your home. However, if you have been out of luck, you can take the help of professionals and experts, including trusted Maine Home Builders who specialize in creating custom floor plans tailored to your needs.

It is a fact that constructing your dream home is an exciting as well as alluring prospect. When you build your house, you will be able to design it in the way you want. Besides, you can personalize it to your tastes. But the entire process can be very challenging. As building a house is a massive investment, it is crucial to work with a reliable and professional home builder. Hiring the right builder will make the project go smoothly, and you will witness an outstanding result. So how to find the best home builder for your home construction project? Check out the below-given points.

Why Should You Hire a Home Builder?

If you don’t have any knowledge about building codes, construction processes or ordinances, then it will be better for you to work with a professional home builder. A builder has the expertise and experience to manage many critical aspects. For example:

• Working as a liaison with local jurisdiction, building inspectors and more.
• Getting the certificate of occupancy.
• Managing ordering as well as installation of building products.
• Assisting you in getting construction loans.
• Building plan designing and more.

How to Hire The Best Custom Home Builder?

Understand the Types of Builders

In general, you will find two types of builders in the market. The design-build builders and build-on-your-lot home builders. A design-build builder will plan your house from scratch, and every project will be custom designed. However, their services will cost you more. On the other hand, a build-on-your-lot firm will offer you a collection of floor plans, and they allow you to choose certain products. With this, you can save money.

Understand the Cost

As per the experts, you may need to pay around USD 150 to USD 200 per square foot for a builder. That means if you are building a 2000-square-foot house, it may cost you around USD 300,000 to USD 400,000 to construct. On the other hand, the construction cost will also vary considering the home’s design and features such as fixtures, appliances, flooring and more. A professional home builder can help you save money on these things.

Ask Around For Some Recommendations

When you are planning to construct your home, you can also ask your friends, family or neighbours who might have hired a builder recently. You should also ask about what types of services the builders offer and whether they offer home or land packages. If they include house design in the prices, then you can save more.

Don’t Forget to Verify the Credentials

Before finalizing with the builder, you should always check the licenses and insurance information of the contractor. Based on the location and size, the license requirements will vary. Remember that different states have different licensing requirements, and in some states, it is also compulsory to get local zoning board clearance. It is crucial to verify all these things, as if you don’t have a clearance; then you could end up paying penalties and fines. Make sure the home builder you are hiring can help you with that.

Interview With Your Custom Home Builder

Well, while hiring a custom home builder, here are some important questions based on the NAHB- National Association of Home Builders’ recommendations that you can ask the builder.

• Can you offer some references from your recent clients?
• What will be the estimated property taxes?
• What type of financing strategy does the custom home builder offer?
• Does the home builder offer any warranty? If yes, what is the duration of the warranty?
• Does the builder offer house design services?
• Can the builder help you get all the required permits?

Inspect Their Work

You can look at the previous work done by the home builder to ensure it effectively meets your desired standards. Take a tour of model homes and check if they are well-built or not. If possible, check the project they are currently working on and check how their teamworks.

Final Words

You all know that the process of home-building can be very long. However, in the end, you will get the prize of enjoying your stay in your dream house. Follow the above-mentioned tips carefully and choose Maine Home Builders who can understand your vision for a perfect home and can attain it.

Building a custom home is a dream for many young people in the United States. While there are many pre-built homes on sale, certain people opt for acquiring a piece of land and building a custom-designed home because there are more perks to go with it.

As we will be focusing on the state of Maine, Custom Home Builders Maine is ready to guide you all the way from acquiring the best land for your specific requirements regarding the house to building and erecting your custom-designed house.

 

While the average cost of building a house in Maine is around $300,000, it is no surprise that many individuals may look for building a simple house to cut costs. Custom Home Builders Maine provides reasonable rates so that you also have the opportunity to build your perfect home.

What Is the Cost per Sq. Ft of Building a Custom House in Maine?

The cost per sq. ft varies from land to land in the Northeast and Southern parts of Maine. Every contractor will have a different price for every rural and urban location in Maine.

The average cost of building a house per sq. ft in Maine is about $150. Going with this rate, a 2000 sq. ft home will cost around $250,000 to $300,000 which is the perfect home for a family of 4 or five people.

On the other hand, the construction costs can be lower as well but a lot of negotiation and finding the right construction team will take time. However, the price goes up instantly when you approach a premium construction team. Their per sq. ft costs can go above $500.

Cost Factors for Building a House in Maine

Planning and Designing

This is the initial part of the whole building process. You will have to work together with your home designer to figure out the perfect floor plan to build your home. 

The house designer will then work with an architect and an engineer to see what kind of a house can be built on that specific piece of land.

The final blueprint will be presented to you with all the details about every process to make sure that you are happy with the final product.

Land

Whether you already own the land or are looking to buy a piece of land for a house that you already have an idea of, the state of Maine has some beautiful prime locations.

The cost of land depends on some factors such as whether it is closer to the city or not, the location in regards to its scenery, and the facilities around that piece of land.

In regards to the facilities, you have to check if the location is in a good school district, how much transportation is needed to get into town, where is the nearest hospital, or supermarket, and so on.

Permit Process

Before starting any sort of construction in the United States, you have to apply for and get a permit to do that construction. This permit acts as an authorization by the local government.

The permit costs in the state of Maine vary from city to city but generally, the rate is anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000.

This permit is needed if you have to repair any interior or exterior part of the house and if you decide to sell your house, and in your taxes to show that you own this house and have constructed it with legal means and passing all formalities.

Cost of Labor

One of the major costs of building a custom house is the labor costs. 

If you decide to have a premium construction team with lots of credibility and years of experience, they will charge more. 

The labor costs vary on the design of the house itself as a multi-story house with plenty of rooms and other perks such as a basement, big backyard, and swimming pool will make the labor costs higher. But if you are building a simple house with a few rooms, a basic kitchen, and a driveway, the labor costs will be considerably lower.

It all depends on the type of house you are building and the construction team you are hiring. Generally speaking, the labor costs around 30 percent to 50 percent of the total construction costs. 

Cost of Materials

The cost of materials is also prominent in your total construction costs.

If you opt for premium construction materials, you would have the peace of mind that nothing will go wrong in the long run but it takes a toll on your wallet. 

So if you do not have a flexible budget, you have to go towards medium to low-quality materials. It is better to have a talk with your construction team manager and see what kind of materials lie within your budget.

Cost of Foundation

The foundation of your house or any other building is the backbone and main support for the entire building. If the foundation of your house is not sturdy, the whole house may not have structural support in case of an earthquake. 

Due to this, the foundation of your house can also be a major expense along with labor and material costs.

There are many types of foundations that you can opt for for your house. Each has varying costs as well. Having a basement is the most expensive while having a crawlspace is the cheapest.

Nevertheless, a basement provides many advantages as it is perfect for storage, a laundry room, an extra bedroom (if needed), and so on.

Cost of Utilities

During the construction of your house, utilities have to be installed. These include plumbing, electronic wiring, HVAC, and son. These are customary for each house but if you are looking for high-end materials, the cost of these will be higher than average. 

One of the main electrical utilities is whether or not you choose to install solar panels on your roof. Maine has sunshine for more than half of a year and the local government is keen for people to use solar energy and has even reduced the permit costs.

In the United States, solar-powered houses do have better resale value than conventionally powered houses. The installation, panels, and batteries to store the excess energy may put a huge effect on your wallet, it is better for the long run and gives you the inner satisfaction of being eco-friendly.

Interior Design

The cost of interior design depends on your preference. Some people might say that this expense should not be associated with the total house construction but in most cases, it should be associated as the house is not ready for use without it. 

The furniture, appliances, cabinets, closets, cupboards, tile floors or wooden floors, and paint are some of the interior design costs of a house.

These costs can be lowered if you bring some of the old furniture and appliances from your old house. Some people do opt for new stuff when moving into a new house but if your budget is not flexible, reusing the existing stuff will do wonders in lowering your expenses.

How Can You Acquire a Loan for Building a House in Maine?

To get a house building loan, you need to have a good credit score and viable means to ensure that you can repay the loan. 

Construction loans Maine depend on the type of house you are building and the amount of money you want to spend on the land and the construction of the house. When applying for a loan, you also need to make a down payment. This can be anywhere from 5 percent to 20 percent but it depends on the lender and the total amount of the loan.

Is It Better to Buy a Pre-Built House or Build One?

Many people ponder over the thought of either building a house from scratch or buying a pre-built house. While both have their pros and cons, there is no right answer as it depends on the person and their interests. 

It is often believed that pre-built homes are cheaper than custom designing and building a house. But the price of both initiatives depends on the location and the job market regarding labor and materials.

If the land and labor costs are cheaper in your specific area then building a house will be cheaper and preferred than buying a pre-built house. 

On the other hand, if the labor and land costs are significantly higher for your budget, your options are not narrowed to only opting for a pre-built home, you can still go forward with custom building your home by using cheaper materials or by acquiring a house building loan.

Conclusion

So it all depends on your preference on how you want to build your house, how many rooms it should have, how many floors, whether it should have a basement, and so on. Maine Home Builders is here to bring your vision to life, ensuring every detail meets your expectations.

The total requirements of your custom home will reflect on the total construction cost of your house with the added labor and material costs.