Builder and construction worker standing in a building under construction

The first step to building your Utah home, is to purchase an empty lot to build on. The prices in Utah have been climbing, so if building a home here in Utah is something you’re interested in, now is the best time to do it! There are a few things you should consider before getting your down payment together.

A lot

The location of your lot is important! Consider not only how the surrounding area is currently, but what it is projected to be like in the next five to ten years. If you’re buying a lot for the view, but there’s a high chance that view will be obscured by new buildings in a few years, then find a new lot! You’ll need to know the zoning laws for the lot you’ve picked out, as well, to ensure it is zoned for residential. Is it in an existing HOA? Are utilities already installed? These are all important things to take into consideration for the location of the lot you’re looking at.

Understanding the timeline

Building a home takes a lot longer than most people think that it will. It’s not a matter of a few weeks, you should expect around 6 months, depending on your architectural plans. This is something you’ll go over when you select your contractor. Don’t let the length of the timeline discourage you, because there are good reasons for how long it takes for your house to be built! A house that is rushed to be built will not be as structurally sound, and when it comes to your dream house, you don’t want to cut corners.

The right builders

The right builders for your home will make or break your experience! You’ll want to evaluate both the quality of construction of their previous projects, as well as their building process. Find someone who has a good reputation, and has built homes you are familiar with and know were done well.

Money

Obviously, you can’t build an entire house from nothing without money. You probably don’t have cash on hand to build your house, so you’ll have to get your funding elsewhere before moving forward. When building a house, the loan process is a little bit different than when you are buying a house. You’ll get a construction loan, which has a bit of a different process behind it. Your loan officer will be able to walk you through the process!

A house plan

After selecting your lot and builder, it’s time to formulate your dream house. You’ll work with an architect to design the perfect floor plans that include everything you could’ve ever wanted. From there, you’ll work on more specific details of the interior of the home. Once you have the basic house plan decided, you’ll be able to begin construction!