January 2019 could be the start of making your dreams of a new Asheville NC home a reality. But building a new home doesn’t happen all at once. Rather, to achieve 
their resolution, homeowners should follow a series of steps that march toward the ultimate goal: a new home!
Find Your Land
If you don’t already own a lot or land, you’ll want to identify where you’ll be building before moving on to the next step. Your home site may be raw land that has not been developed, or part of a subdivision or development. Your site selection will drive— to some extent—the type of home you’ll be building. For example, if you wish to have a walkout basement design, your building site should have a slope. Siting the home footprint, orientation and sightlines will have an impact on how well your home fits the terrain and how appealing the final structure will be. With Meredith’s years of experience in brokering land acquisition, she’ll be able to take you through the specifics of purchasing land. Her understanding of septic requirements, restrictive covenants and local zoning can ensure that you’ll be able to construct the size and type of home you desire.
Get Prequalified
Talk to your bank or lending institution to determine what your financing budget will be. You’ll need to collect together your financial details, including recent tax returns, debt information, and income sources to provide as complete a financial picture as possible. While there may be a fee associated with obtaining a prequalification, it’s money well invested to apply with as many as three institutions for your construction financing. This strategy gives you a back-up bank to avoid any delays because of financing. Once you’ve got a budget, it’s time to start on the next step for your new home resolution!
Explore Home Styles
With the wide array of building construction options, you may want to take a look at home styles outside the traditional construction to achieve your goals. The building pros at Big Twig Homes have experience with constructing Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, Arborwall Solid Cedar Homes, structural insulated panel (SIP) homes, and conventional framed homes. We can walk you through the benefits of each type. We’ll cover differences in comfort, efficiency, design and time frames for each. We understand each of our customers has unique tastes and budgets, so we’re committed to helping you find the perfect new Black Mountain NC home!
Find a Builder
Sometimes the builder selection is a consequence of the type of construction. Big Twig Homes has extensive construction experience across many home types, so we won’t be promoting one type over another. It’s important to remember that the builder you select will be working with you every day on an important investment over an extended time. Some customers describe the builder homeowner relationship as a bit like a marriage! Thus, it’s very important to feel comfortable with your builder, check recent references and understand your building contract terms.
Be wary of a builder who is unresponsive, late to appointments, has out-of-date references, or requires excessive payments that are out of line with your construction financing payouts — this could spell trouble. No matter what type of home you choose to build in Highlands NC, Big Twig Homes will work closely and respectfully with you and your builder through every step of construction to complete your new home resolution.
Commit to Energy Efficiency
Savvy homeowners will want to ensure their home is as efficient and comfortable as possible. That’s why 2019 is an especially important year when it comes to 
investing in solar panels. While the tax incentives remain, the solar percentage amounts begin a yearly step down from the current 30% credit beginning in 2020. There are also state, local and utility incentives to specifying energy-efficient heating & cooling systems, enhanced insulation and ventilation, and LED lighting. Most homeowners find that slightly higher upfront costs for energy efficiency are mitigated quickly over time. The return on investment for well-coordinated systems in your home will save ensure savings well into the future.
Taking these new home resolution steps toward achieving your new home in the New Year begins with a call to Big Twig Homes for a free estimate and consultation.
