As custom home builders, we can create a one-of-a-kind home for you. We can either design it from scratch, or work from plans created by your architect. Either way, the end product is the same — a home that is built for you, from the floorplan to the chimney. The steps to building a custom home are described below. If you have any questions and/or are ready to get started, be sure to contact us today!

Steps to Building a Custom Home:

• Select your Location
• Architectural Design
• Interior Details
• The Nitty-Gritty
• Construction
• Welcome Home

Many of our clients already own their lot when they first contact us. Others ask us to help them locate or choose a lot that they want to build on. Some of these customers also have their own plans that they want to have priced to build. We at Little River Capital, LLC are versatile... we can build on your lot with your plans, or help you find both a lot and plans.

Building a custom home on a new lot can pose several possible complicated obstacles. Placement of septic systems, water wells, building setbacks, pools, outbuildings etc. are all critical in the coordination of your home. Little River Capital, LLC has many years of experience in doing just that.

After selecting the land for your custom home, it's time to select the plan (blueprint) that fits the characteristics of your land. It can be very expensive to haul in dirt or grade a lot to make it suitable for a plan. It's better to make the house fit the land rather than try to make the land fit the house. Also, the size and shape of your lot affects the type of home you can build on the lot.

When choosing the plan for your new home, be sure to remember that exteriors are easy to change. Some people will only look at a home blueprint to see if they like its appearance, but changes to an exterior can be so dramatic that you won't realize you are looking at the same house. To change the exterior, you can use different windows, modify roof lines, and change exterior materials. Don't judge a home by its appearance... it's the inside that really counts. After all, you'll spend 90% of your time on the inside of your home.

Try to find blueprint plans that are close to what you want, then make changes to suit your needs. Maybe you need to enlarge the master bedroom, move a wall, or add a pantry off the kitchen. Custom home floor plans have this kind of flexibility "built in" from the start.

Great places to find a wide variety of home blueprints online:

• Eplans
• Home Plans
• The House Designers
• Dream Home Source
• Frank Betz

Tips and things to consider when selecting your design:

• Do you want a single-story home or multiple stories?
• Do you want the master suite downstairs or up?
• Do you want a guest suite downstairs or up? This is especially important if you are considering elder care in the future.
• If it is a two-story home, do you want to plan ahead for an elevator?
• If the bedrooms are upstairs, consider placing your laundry room upstairs also. It will save you from having to haul laundry up and down the stairs.
• A built-in ironing board in the master closet is useful if you iron your clothes just-in-time. If you iron them out of the dryer, put it in the laundry room.
• Make sure your master closet is called a "Changing Room" on the plans. This will allow you to have a return vent for your climate control system. The uniform code prevents you from having return vents in any closet.
• Three-way mirrors and benches are popular in master closets.
• If your laundry room is going to be near the kitchen, consider space for a freezer. You will want a dedicated electrical circuit. You may want a water supply if it will have an ice maker.
• Many people like to have a second laundry room upstairs. If your children's rooms are upstairs, it prevents having to haul laundry up and down the stairs. Whirlpool and Kenmore have stackable, full-size washers and dryers to help save room.
• Garage space is not that expensive. Consider an extra-large garage so that you can get in and out of cars, especially large ones, with ease.
• The path from the garage to the kitchen should be short and free of multiple steps for bringing in groceries.
• Consider leaving room in your garage for a freezer, central vacuum system, whole-house water filtration system, water heaters, etc. Make sure you have the electrical/plumbing you need for any of these items.
• If you are planning to use wood windows, you'll want to pick them out before you complete the architectural design so that they can be specified in the plans. Wooden windows are in different sizes than aluminum windows.
• If you want eyebrow arches on windows, consider using rectangular windows and faking the arch with brick or stone. Arched wood windows can be very expensive.

If you plan to hire an interior decorator, you will want to start with your interior designer at the same time you begin the architectural design of your home. If you wait until the building has begun, there will be many missed opportunities.

Your interior designer and architect can work together on room size and design. The two go hand-in-hand. A good interior designer should be able to help you with:

• flooring
• wall textures
• faux finishes & paint colors
• hardware & cabinetry
• door and window selection
• window coverings
• plumbing fixtures
• lighting locations & fixtures
• furniture

Once you approve the architectural plans and the budget pricing, we will then be ready to finalize the contract price. The contract will include the specifications, time to complete the home, and the contracted price.

There are several items that need to occur before construction can begin:

• Ensure that financing for the project has been secured
• Septic engineering and permitting (if applicable)
• Acquire necessary building permits
• Have design approved by the Architectural Control Committee (if applicable)
• Site meeting with construction manager
• Level 1 Selections - These are the minimum selections that must be made prior to construction.

Upon receipt of your Building Consent we will start ordering your building materials required to begin construction. We generally commence work on site within 2 weeks of receiving consent however this can be delayed by weather conditions or variations in permitting times.

Before your new home construction begins, we will provide you with a building timeframe schedule to give you an estimated guideline because we like to keep you informed every step of the way. We are available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the course of the home construction. We work hard to ensure that your dream home journey is pleasant and as stress free as possible. You will receive regular updates on the progress of your home via telephone, emails and photos of the stages of you new home. To give you a general idea of what to expect, each new home has 5 main construction stages as described below.

	Foundation - After all requirements and permits have been acquired, it's time to begin construction. First, workers strip all of the topsoil from the home site by pushing it to the rear of the lot, saving it for when the final grading is done. The foundation crew then stakes out the house using all corners that they will dig. Once the foundation is dug and level, workers set forms for the footers around the perimeter of the home, including the garage, and begin to pour concrete to create these footers. Poured concrete is used to build the foundation. When the foundation is complete, the framing stage begins.
	Framing - During the framing, the first step completed is the installation of the floor system. Then, the framing walls are built on top of it, beginning with all exterior or load-bearing walls. Insulated sheathing, OSB or plywood is applied to the exterior walls of the home. (The material depends on the particular design and/or model of the home.) The framing crew sets the roof trusses in place and sheathes the roof with OSB. Next, the interior walls of the home are constructed. All doorways are built, and window openings are completed at this time. All windows and doors for the house are then put in, including any patio doors, the front door, any doors through the garage and so forth. The house is now completely enclosed. The roofers put felt paper and shingles over the roof sheathing. This completes the framing part of construction.
	Exterior - Work begins on the exterior finishing. Exterior finishing can involve numerous products including brick, stone, vinyl siding and concrete siding. Workers install aluminum gutters and downspouts. The gutters collect the water coming off of the roof and deliver it to the downspouts. If there is a combination of siding and brick or stone, the brick or stonework is completed first. The siding is then installed directly against the brick or stonework to ensure a tight fit that keeps water from seeping behind the home's facade. At this point, the exterior finishing is complete and the installation of utilities begins.
	Utilities - The first utility installed in the home is the rough plumbing. The plumbers will set the showers, tubs, and run all of the piping from the basement, where the main water line typically enters and runs throughout the house. Once the plumbing is done and the water is turned on, the electricians come into the home to install wiring. The panel box is installed in either the basement or garage--whichever is easier. The wires run throughout the house. The electricians install the outlets for phones, TV's, etc. All locations for lights are determined, which will be installed in the future, along with the switches. Both interior and exterior electrical needs are now addressed. When the electricians have completed their job, all locations for vents and ductwork for the heating and air conditioning system are cut out. The ductwork is not actually installed at this point because work being done in the upstairs of the home may damage the ductwork.
	Finishing Touches - Workers install drywall on all finished walls throughout the house, and on any walls in the garage that are common to the house. The drywall is then sanded to a smooth finish. All nail and screw holes are puttied and sanded so there is a smooth finish on the drywall. The first coat of paint is sprayed onto all of the walls and two coats are sprayed onto the ceiling. After all of the walls are sprayed, the trim for the home arrives and is painted with their first coat of paint. Ceramic tile and hardwood flooring are installed. In the specific areas where ceramic tile is to be installed, concrete board is placed underneath the tile. Likewise, sub flooring is installed underneath all hardwood floors. Then, all cabinets are installed in the kitchen, powder room, and bathrooms. Once the cabinets are installed, the interior finishes are complete.

Prior to completion of your home, we will perform a final walkthrough with you to ensure that the level of craftsmanship meets your expectations. Additionally, all of our homes come with a warranty. We take great pride in our homes and want you and your family to be as proud of your new home as we are.