Choosing a Custom Home Builder:

You need a guide. Choose wisely.

Planning and building a custom home is an adventure and a commitment. If you want to rest easy knowing you have an experienced guide to help you navigate the Central Oregon building process, let’s talk. We would be very happy to setup a consultation and discuss your vision. In the meantime, below are some helpful tips for choosing a custom home builder.

What are good questions to ask a home builder?

For starters, we recommend you ask the following questions:

• Do you have experience building a home in the size and style we want? (Hint: check their portfolio)
• Can you provide references?
• How long will it take to build our home? (ahem, it depends…)
• Do you have time for us or are you too busy? How many projects do you currently have under construction?
• What is your fee structure and when do we make payments?
• How will you keep me updated on project progress?
• Can you recommend a designer/architect? (We sure can)

There are no shortcuts to building a quality custom home

What makes a good home builder?

Many home builders promise fast and cheap. That’s great if that’s all you care about. But in construction, just like in life, you can’t cut corners and come out ahead. At some point, cutting corners will have consequences. We take pride in doing things the right way. And when we hand you the keys to your new home, we promise you will get more value and satisfaction at the end of the journey because you chose to work with a builder with 40 years of experience doing things the right way.

Here in Bend, many of the well known builders have a flashy process and a big team of project managers. They build a dozen homes or more per year and they do a good job and deliver a good product. It’s a well oiled assembly line. Steve Bennett Builders is different. As a low-volume, “boutique” builder, we commit to only 1 or 2 custom homes per year. You deal directly with the owner, Steve Bennett, and you get a very personalized experience. Steve himself has been building high-end custom homes since 1981 and in Central Oregon since 1995. He will personally be on your job site every single day. Click here to learn more about our process, our experience, and our promise.

Tips for choosing a custom home builder:

• Focus on the relationship; after all, you will likely spend 12-18+ months with your builder. It’s a long-lasting relationship.
• Ask to visit the builder’s recently built homes. Do you like their work? Look at the details
• Do they have a good reputation?
  
• Do they have good relationships with their subcontractors? How long have they been using the same subcontractors? The high demand for skilled and experienced craftsmen in Central Oregon can have an impact on a project’s completion date. Loyalty with and from subs is paramount.
• Are they accessible? Ideally, you want a builder you can speak with directly when you have questions or concerns
• “Price is what you pay and value is what you get.” Price is ultimately driven and determined by value. Said differently: you get what you pay for. Make sure you calculate the hidden long terms costs of a low bid

Are You Planning A Custom Home Project?

How to find a local builder:

1. Word of mouth referrals
2. Online searches
3. Local design magazines
   
4. Referrals from designers and other vendors

Since 1995, we have built more than 50 distinctive custom homes in Central Oregon and they can be seen in every top development in this region including (but not limited to) the following:

– Do you already own a lot in Central Oregon?

– Want to tour lots with a builder?

– We can help you with next steps!