The Importance of Choosing your Custom Home Builder
Custom home building can be very overwhelming. So many decisions. More than you could even imagine. And if agreeing with your partner or family surrounding all these decisions isn’t hard enough, you must also balance this with the implications of cost and budget. It’s very easy for things to spiral out of control- trust us, we as a design builder, hear all the same horror stories you do! Stories of families being faced with change order after change order, with no options but to simply pay up. Stories of the final invoice being a surprise of tens of thousands of dollars in extras. Unfortunately, these stories are common place in this industry. And it’s situations like this that have us working our butts off to prove wrong! These are all situations that stem from lack of communication, lack of problem-solving, and lack of options. The initial build quote may have looked competitive, but in the end, it was too good to be true. You know that saying, “You get what you pay for”? Well, it’s true. So we would like to take a few minutes to explain the importance of choosing your builder, and why a design builder might just save you a bunch of money in the end, especially in the case of a custom home!
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A full-service designer and builder under one roof is what defines a design build scenario. This means that the team participating in the design and planning of your home, work within the company of the builder. An experienced design builder has seen every facet of the design and building process up close and personal, which gives them the background knowledge needed to answer any question or solve any design problem throughout the process. Do away with finger-pointing at the designer as to why the costs are way out of whack. Or forget about laying blame on the builder as to why the design that was imagined didn’t turn out exactly like what was discussed. With a design builder, accountability is maintained throughout the process!
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A design builder is all on one team. The designers under the umbrella of a builder work closely with the trades that are constructing the product. This gives them a head start, as they are collaborating with trusted suppliers who know the pricing implications of what materials are being selected, and can focus their attention on specifications that will meet the budget. They can work with the owner to design, and the value engineer when required, to provide options to meet the budget as well. The builder is looped into the process much sooner so they can flag concern about the constructability of certain design decisions, or the cost implications at a very early stage! The key players in the design and construction work together to keep the project on track at every phase with checks and balances in place.
Further to this, the designer has input into who is involved to build the product. The construction is more likely to be coordinated when using highly skilled trades. Hand selecting trades people, those who can execute the design as it was intended, is key to the success of any construction project! We vet these trades to ensure they have a high standard of professionalism and expertise in their field. Establishing long-term, trusted relationships to guarantee consistency and quality in workmanship is important, as is ensuring core values are shared and there is loyalty to the principals of the builder and designer.
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At Urbis we are more than just a full-service design builder, we are an Architect and Builder. Those checks and balances we mentioned earlier? Well here, those are basically on steroids! Our in-house Architect is engaged throughout the entire design and construction phases, to streamline the building process and ensure a high level of design and detail. We are much more than our competitors who simply offer design drafting services- in designing with us you are getting more than just a house, but instead, a work of architecture. One that is realized by an award-winning Architect with over 35 years of experience in custom residential design! Our design team knows the city bylaw and processes inside and out. Our extensive infill expertise and knowledge make the home building process seamless for both homeowners and the established communities where we build. The involvement of the Architect from initial concept through design and construction allows for the ability to problem solve throughout the process, which is a major benefit. This establishes quality control, and the end result is savings in time and money!
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We are also proud to announce that we were 1 of 15 companies who took part in the City of Edmonton and the Infill Development Edmonton Associations’ Expedited Infill Permit Certification Pilot Program this past month, and we are now certified to offer expedited processing times at the City on Class A permits in the Mature Neighbourhoods of Edmonton. Talk about streamlined. That’s half the wait time of other builders for Development Permits. And let’s be honest, time is money!
Who are the faces behind the design and construction team of Urbis you ask?
Rick Arndt is our visionary and company founder. He is a registered architect with over 35 years of experience and has designed hundreds of homes in his career. Rick is involved in the design of every project and has an incredible passion for residential design, development and community building.
Katie Warwa is our Lead of Design and holds a Master of Architecture graduate degree. Katie has been working in the architecture industry for over 10 years. She oversees the architecture and interior design from the planning phase through execution. Katie aims to realize an aesthetic that clients can call their own.
Cameron Mathewson is our Lead of Construction Operations. Cameron has decades of experience in the construction industry and oversees all aspects of our builds from initial scheduling through construction, to follow up with warranty services. Cameron is committed to quality control by building relationships with our preferred trades to provide the highest level of service and product to our customers. He has an ideology of safety and pride that is implemented as a standard. He treats your home as if it were his own at every stage of construction and holds our trades accountable to do the same.
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In summary, don’t underestimate the choice of your custom home builder. At Urbis, we pride ourselves in offering a level of service that builds trust with homeowners, through a process that is proven, and evolves with each build as we aim to be better than our last project. We have a committed team that is dedicated to providing options, communicating where things are at, and being transparent through the design and build process. It’s your vision we are building, and a happy customer is our end goal! Thinking about designing and building a custom home? Engage us to learn more about what our process is all about and meet the faces behind our team. We can’t wait to get started!