You have a vision for a home that represents you and your legacy. You can see it perfectly in your mind and can’t wait to watch it come to fruition before your very eyes. From the extraordinary architecture to superior craftsmanship, unique layout and interior features that are personalized to your exact tastes. It sounds like a dream, but you’re making it a reality. The only thing is, the building process is going to take some time.
The honest truth is that you can’t build WOW without a healthy timeline, and sometimes the building process can feel long, but the result is always worth it. But to ensure you have all the necessary details and realistic expectations of what it takes to make your dream a reality, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you start the journey of designing your luxury home to being able to move into it.
The Process of Custom Home Building
At Riverview Custom Homes, we don’t do ordinary; we build wow by developing a home that’s uniquely yours. The design is created with your style, preferences, and personality in mind. From start to finish, your input is instrumental in ensuring your home is personalized to your unique vision.
While every custom home builder in Calgary follows their own process, in most cases, you can expect the timeline to build your custom home from start to finish to include the following steps:
Initial consultation
You’ll meet with our design and architectural team to discuss your ideas, including whether you prefer a traditional or modern home, your desired location, lifestyle, needs, and overall vision for your personal build.
Choosing your location
We can help you choose the location for your custom home and examine the property. We’re experienced in optimizing land to fit unique wants and can offer expert recommendations that will complement the space you ultimately choose. Once you’ve chosen the perfect location, an offer to purchase can be made, and once the land is secured, the design process can begin.
Design concepts
Our team will wow you with an initial design concept based on your personal vision. We’ll walk through the design with you, making adjustments where necessary to ensure it’s fully customized to your unique needs and specifications. At this point, you’ll be able to choose the materials, colours, flooring, countertops, backsplashes, and other details that will truly make the home your own personal sanctuary.
Review of the final home plan
The design concept often undergoes several revisions before receiving your approval. Once every element has been customized, we’ll review the plan with you one last time, and one of our architects will sign off on it to confirm that it’s architecturally sound and ready for the next stage.
Breaking ground
Once the design is approved and funds are secured, the construction process begins. This process involves many hands on deck, including a project manager and site supervisors to ensure the build goes as planned while following all of Alberta’s laws and regulations. The project manager and supervisors will conduct monthly inspections and ensure you stay up-to-date on the project status throughout this process.
Home orientation
Once your custom home builder in Calgary has completed the building process, your home will be ready for the first walkthrough. Outside of the day you actually get to take possession of your new home, this is one of the most exciting moments as you’ll get to see your vision brought to life in person for the first time. As you walk through each room, we’ll inspect every last detail and make a list of any issues or adjustments that need to be addressed.
Possession day
After months of anticipation, you’ll finally be ready to receive the keys to your beautiful luxury home. While the process may take some time, we promise that having a one-of-a-kind home that’s specially designed for you and only you is more than worth the wait!
Your Custom Home Warranty
The custom home building process doesn’t end on possession day. At Riverview Custom Homes, we’re here to provide you with support even after you’ve moved in and started living your dream life. If you happen to experience any issues with your home, you’ll be covered by our Progressive Home Warranty package, which includes:
- 1-year materials & labour warranty
- 2-year mechanical systems warranty
- 5-year envelope protection
- 10-year, $60,000 structural defects warranty
- $25,000 deposit security warranty
- $6,000 additional living expense coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to build a custom house in Calgary?
There’s no one answer for this as each home is unique and can have its own factors to deal with. However, generally speaking, a home can be built from the ground up within three to four months. Key factors to add into the timeline are weather, size, and specialty orders.
If you’re looking to build in winter, the process typically takes a little longer. If the home is larger, if specialty materials are required, or if the build relies heavily on the expertise of specific professionals, then the timeline for your build can lengthen to nine months or longer.
What are the most common mistakes that delay custom home builds?
Projects can run into a number of issues that can delay the initial timeline. Some of the most common mistakes that can push back your move-in date include:
- Changing selections of materials or design changes after orders have been made.
- Starting construction before finalizing designs, which can lead to holdups on permitting and cause a need for corrections.
- Ordering custom products late. Specialty trades often have longer wait times, so if you want items such as custom staircases, specific tiling, shelving, or specialty products, it’s good to know that those need to be ordered up to four months in advance to allow proper time for the perfect product to be created.
- Not accounting for inspection wait times. While there are many things under our control, backlogs or wait times with municipalities can’t be helped. Final inspections and occupancy permits can tack up to six weeks on the tail end of your project, so it’s best to plan ahead and keep that in mind when building out an initial timeline.
What should I consider when choosing land for my custom home?
Choosing the right lot is important to ensure the success of your custom build. Some key considerations to make include the size of the lot, the slope and potential for drainage issues, location, sunlight, and soil conditions.
What level of involvement will I have with the building process?
You can be as involved in the process as you’d like. If you prefer to leave much of the design and build in our expert hands, we’re happy to take that on; however, if you prefer to have total control and remain in constant communication, we’ll be sure to keep you informed at every stage.
Build Your Dream Home With a Trusted Custom Home Builder in Calgary
At Riverview Custom Homes, a trusted custom home builder in Calgary, we build wow on every project by helping you design and build a home that’s uniquely you from the ground up. From the initial consultation to possession day, you’ll have the opportunity to put your personal touch on every element of your home and create a legacy that you can take pride in for years to come.
Connect with us today to learn more about how we can help bring your vision to life.