Our Process - Pickering Builders

FIND YOUR PROPERTY

An important decision

We offer ready to buy properties with turn-key homes or build for our clients on the lot of their choice. Choosing your lot is important first step, because it impacts the design and cost of the home. At Pickering Builders, we help you through this process but inspecting your potential lots for utility and topographical features that will impact the design, cost, and complexity of the project. We look at the proximity to power, access to gas/utilities, building site access and driveway placement, soil type and excavation issues, water source and well/pump costs, septic type, layout, and approval, lot setbacks and more to help you make the best decision for your family.

Finding that perfect piece of property can be tough, but can also be an enjoyable start to owning your new home!

CHOOSE OR MODIFY A PLAN

We have over 30 proprietary plans to choose from.

We offer a proprietary series of plans designed to suit a variety of living space and family needs. We take great pride and enjoyment in producing intelligent, thoughtful plans with reduce wasted space, efficient structures and fantastic livability. From rustic cabins to single-level family homes to multi-generational designs to income properties, we have options liable to fit any buyer.

We are happy to amend an existing plan or create a new design for clients. If we do not have an existing plan that meets your needs, we can design a custom plan based your lifestyle, family and space needs, and artistic vision (the design is free for contract clients, otherwise a $5,000 fee).

SELECT YOUR FINISHES

Enjoy designing your home as you select finishes at one convenient location.

Building a home can be an enjoyable, low-stress experience and we've found that one of the keys to achieving that seamless process is having all selections made prior to starting the home. Before we break ground our clients enjoy selecting all their finishes from a single showroom location that allows you the convenience and freedom to design your dream. You can compare colors and make decisions for all your materials in location, and if you need us we're there to answer questions, share opinions, and assist you in the process. Come see us and check out the unique quality of the materials we carefully selected to include in every home.

Having all decisions made prior to starting allows us to order all materials in advance, effectively communicate with our subs and suppliers, eliminate errors, reduce our building timeline, and issue fixed price contracts so you know exactly what to expect, plus you can sit back and relax as your home is constructed, with all decisions already made.

SECURE & PROVIDE FINANCING

Prior to starting we ensure you have financing or funds for completion.

Your home is likely one of the largest investments you'll make in your life and we want to ensure it's a sound one. Prior to breaking ground on any project, we verify our clients have funds sufficient to cover the cost of the project, whether the money is to be borrowed from a local construction or mortgage lender or cash you possess.

We've worked with most local banks and many mortgage companies, and can make the process as painless as possible with our simple contract structure and easy selection and contract process. For the majority of buyers utilizing a lender we provide all the documents they need to order the appraisal and underwrite your loan, including the plans, finish schedule, contract, and detailed budget breakdown.

For the security of our cash buyers, we have them place the total project funds into an escrow account with Insured Titles to be sure it cannot be spent elsewhere or lost in a down market during the building process. Insured Titles distributes the funds according to our bi-weekly draws throughout construction, keeping record of each payment.

FINALIZE THE CONTRACT & FINISH SCHEDULE

Once all selections are made, we cover each finish and question.

We have developed a straight forward sales and building process to ensure you know exactly what you are getting in your new home and exactly what you'll pay for it. After you have completed all your finish selections, your choices are specified in a Finish Schedule that details every material and finish in every area of your new home. Having such a specific document helps you know what you're getting and it becomes our guide for construction and ordering, but getting it right is critical! We discuss each finish category with you and have you sign each section to be sure there are no errors.

Similarly, we have gone to great effort to create an easy-to-understand, plain-language, fixed-price contract. Like the Finish Schedule, we walk through each section of the agreement, discussing any questions and have you initial and sign each area to be certain all obligations are understood and agreed to. Having a fair, fixed-price agreement and no possibility for cost over-runs is a great start to a smooth building process.

ON-SITE BUILDING INSPECTIONS

We accompany you through your home every other week as its built.

In addition to obtaining all required state and municipal building inspections, we accompany you through your new home as its being built every other week so you can experience the building process and enjoy the thrill of watching your house come together.<br><br>

We've found that scheduled, accompanied walk-throughs create a single-point of communication between the client and contractor, and helps reduce miscommunication or frustrations. As you see you're home, we can answer questions and discuss the process and what comes next. Due to liability for both parties, we do not allow clients on the jobsite without our schedule accompaniment.

BI-WEEKLY DRAW PAYMENT SCHEDULE

With a fixed price contract, the funds are drawn progressively every two weeks.

Bi-weekly draws allow us to maintain a payment schedule with our subcontractors and suppliers but with a fixed-price contract and all finishes already selected the process is stress-free: you won't pay a penny more or less for you home and get exactly what you selected.

Every two weeks we provide an invoice (or draw) to you or your lender for the work substantially completed to date. All invoices come from Pickering Builders, Inc. eliminating many questions and confusion. We collect all the lien waivers from our subs and suppliers, practically and contractually indemnifying our clients. The process is consistent and simple, with a smooth transfer of funds that helps make the project enjoyable.

CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED. MOVE IN!

Welcome to your new home!

When construction of your home is completed, we perform a final walk-through to ensure nothing is missed, then sign a Completion Certificate. After the final payment is made and Completion Certificate is signed, we give you the keys to your new home!