There are a few areas in life where secrets just don’t work. Marriage, your job, marriage again, and real estate.

Let’s leave the marriage section to the experts and talk about the wonderful world of buying and building homes. We’ve worked with tons of people, unfortunately, over the years who have been burned by nasty secrets in the buying, selling, renting, or borrowing process.

Why I remember like it was yesterday when I discovered the utility bill in my college apartment would skyrocket come November because the windows were so poorly sealed. So that’s why the rent was so cheap! Well, it sure wasn’t worth it.

When you’re buying a home, secrets will always rear their ugly heads at some point, – hopefully it’s early enough to help inform your decision-making process.

And when you’re building a house? There are lots of options for home builders, but no matter where you’re putting down roots, no home owner should suffer because they didn’t dig deep enough to uncover secrets regarding location or builder reputation.

So let’s start there.

1. Builder Reputation

As I was researching for this post and looking specifically into builder prices, it was clear by my own reaction showed how much reputation plays a part in the process.

From their website to their guarantees to past projects, everything that your eyes and ears take in counts when it comes to building a reputation. Literally!

In fact, I lost track for a few minutes (I think it was only a few minutes, this kind of thing happens a lot) and looked into the costs involved with building your own house.
However, the reputation of that particular builder, what with his zero experience and knowledge, is questionable to say the least.

2. Neighbourhood

A lack of reputation is better than a bad reputation, so while you may be unqualified to put a shovel in the ground, you can certainly do some digging when it comes to your new potential neighbourhood.

Again, for some reason I’m brought back to images of my college days and college living. Sure, most places look great when you drive by for the first time, but unless you’re intimately aware of the area, its amenities, and who lives there, then there’s no way to know for certain what life in the area will be like.

This means you might have to spend some serious time scoping out your prospective surroundings. Go for coffee a few times. Drive by on your way home from work. Go for a walk.

After all, if you’re building a home, you want to be certain, right?

3. The Future

Darn right you want to be certain. But there’s only so much you can ascertain about an area at the present.
What about the future?

If you’re building in a new development, how long will construction in the area last? Is more development on deck? What about schools, hospitals, or other key amenities if you’re one of the first builders onsite?

It pays if you can see into the future. If you’ve got a solid idea of what your home and its surroundings will look like in a couple years, you’ll have a much better feel for potential resale value, not to mention what you might need or want down the road.

Don’t dive into a home building situation with which you’re not completely comfortable. Ask questions, do your homework, and you’ll be a lot happier in the future in a home that’s all your own.