Steps for the homebuyer to complete the building process
We build on your lot, often with no money down, or you can choose a lot and our mortgage financing affiliate will help with financing of the land and the home.
1. Choosing Your Home
The first step to owning your new home is to choose a home design from our more than 20 floor plans. Then choose the level of completion you would like your home built to. We offer three levels of interior completion to save you money.
- Shell Stage: Our most affordable home includes basic interior completion. The inside of a shell is unfinished, with open stud walls ready for you to begin work. This option is only available to cash buyers.
- Finish Stage: This stage includes interior doors, trim, cabinets, countertops, electrical, plumbing and heat. You are responsible for adding such features as floor coverings, paint, or any of our additional upgrades.
- 100% Stage: Our Finished level home plus flooring and interior paint.
2. Pre-Construction
Once you’ve chosen your new home, we need to sign a contract before construction on your home begins. You should review this carefully and be sure it includes all the features and options you’ve chosen in your new home. We will review courthouse records regarding the title to your property. We’ll apply for the building permits we need to begin construction.
Then, we hold a pre-construction meeting to review and verify the contract and building plans. We confirm the location and position of the home on the property. This is the last chance to make any changes to the floor plan, because changes cannot be made by subcontractors.
3. Watching Construction
When you visit your home site, please be careful. Any construction site can be a dangerous place, especially for unsupervised children.
Along the way, you may have several questions about the homebuilding process. Please address any questions or concerns you may have to your construction manager, not subcontractors. Subcontractors are not in a position to answer your questions. If you have trouble obtaining what you need from your construction manager, you may also contact the Jim Walter Homes branch in your area.
Jim Walter Homes is responsible for all permits and inspections for work to be performed by Jim Walter Homes under the contract. Where required, we post a building site sign to post permits and give information to subcontractors. Please keep this sign upright and in position. If you do finish work on your home, you may need to get permits and inspections necessary for that work.
When a Jim Walter Homes employee inspects your home, we are checking that it is built to meet or exceed all appropriate codes and standards, and to make sure it includes all the options and features you have selected. If we spot something that needs to be changed, we add it to a list of corrections to be made by a subcontractor.
4. Construction Completion
Once your house is substantially complete, you'll be required to attend a tender meeting with a representative of Jim Walter Homes. At the tender meeting you'll complete a walk through of the home for the purpose of inspecting the home and noting any items that need to be addressed. At the conclusion of the tender meeting, Jim Walter Homes turns possession of the home over to you.
