Can You Build Some of Your New Home Yourself?
Can You Build Some of Your New Home Yourself?
Direct answer: For West Michigan buyers building a new home, whether family can do part of the work — like a cousin doing the tile — is yes and no: it depends on your builder, and it depends on your cousin.
The cousin question
One question Steve gets a lot: can my cousin do the tile on the new house I am building?
The answer is yes and no. Sorry, it is not that cut and dry. It depends on your builder, and it depends on your cousin.
Production builders usually say no
Production builders are traditionally going to say no. They have their own people, they know their pricing, and they know their schedules. Bringing in outside help could mess up the schedule.
That is not personal. It is how a production process works — the same crews, the same sequence, on time.
Custom and semi-custom builders think about their brand
A semi-custom or custom builder might say yes, depending on what they want as their brand. Remember, when you are building with a custom or semi-custom builder, the end finish of the house has to equal their brand.
When someone walks through the house, they are not going to talk about your cousin. They are going to talk about who the builder was. So if your cousin is not established, it is going to be a lot harder for the builder to say yes.
Is it worth it?
So before you push for it, ask yourself: is it worth having your cousin do the work, when the finished house carries the builder's name?
Make sure that when you are going through this process, you know whether the trade-off is worth it — for the builder's brand, and for the house you end up with.
Key takeaways
Whether family can do part of a new build is yes and no — it depends on your builder and on your cousin.
Production builders traditionally say no: they have their own people, pricing, and schedules, and outside help could mess up the schedule.
A semi-custom or custom builder might allow it, depending on what they want as their brand.
The finished house has to equal the builder's brand — visitors will talk about who built it, not who did the tile.
If your cousin is not established, it is much harder for a builder to agree.
FAQ
Can my cousin do the tile in my new build?
Yes and no. It depends on your builder and on your cousin — it is not a cut-and-dry answer.
Why would a production builder say no?
Because they have their own people, they know their pricing, and they know their schedules. Outside help could mess up the schedule.
Why does the builder's brand matter here?
Because the end finish of the house has to equal the builder's brand. When someone walks through, they talk about who the builder was, not about your cousin.
West Michigan New Construction FAQ Series
Financing a New Construction Home
Can You Build Some Yourself? — you are here
What Is a Semi-Custom Builder?
What Kind of Builder Are You Looking For?
What Is a Production Builder?
Finding Land
How to Interview a Builder
How Long Does It Take to Build a House?
Price Per Square Foot
Custom Builder
Watch me explain it
Here is an older video of me explaining the process. It might be older, but the info still rings true.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUcJyl6HUG0
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Author: Steve Volkers, Associate Broker, Steve Volkers Group at Five Star Real Estate, Grand Rapids, MI — phone 616-717-2179, stevevolkersgroup.com
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