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Homeowner Leadership
Training
Homebuilding has changed significantly over the last hundred
years, especially since the 1950s, when the housing industry
boomed following World War II. In many respects, construction
has evolved from a trade or craft to a systematized process, and
building a home, in a classic, hands-on sense, isn't always the
standard practice these days.
Modern homebuilding is much more sophisticated. Today, builders
manage construction materials and methods, coordinate trade
partners and suppliers, and deal with a variety of building
codes and other regulations. The sophistication of these
processes naturally distance homeowners from the actual building
process, and can cause uncertainty as to their role.
In fact, a homeowner's role during construction is more
important than ever, if vastly different than it was a century
ago. The homeowner is still, ultimately, a leader in the
process. By gaining a solid understanding of the building
process homeowners can provide an example of professionalism to
the rest of the team.
Consider the following "leadership training" tips that help
define a homeowners role on a project:
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Education is key.
Even though you won't be building the house or acting as the
general contractor or builder, get educated about the home
building process and gain an understanding and respect for
the pace, phases, and materials that go into a home's
construction. (That is one of our purposes in offering this
newsletter.) This knowledge helps you communicate with your
builder, and will give you confidence as your home moves
through progressive stages of completion.
-
Meet deadlines.
Builders set deadlines for certain decisions so that
materials and labor will arrive on the job site at a certain
point during construction, enabling steady progress and
on-time completion. As the homeowner, take responsibility to
negotiate reasonable deadlines for decisions you'll have to
make, such as the selection of cabinets or flooring, and
stick to them. In addition to helping maintain the
construction schedule (which ultimately impacts your move-in
plans), it sets a good example for your builder and his
suppliers and trade contractors to follow suit and return
the gesture.
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Respect the change order process.
Make sure that your contract includes a formal and dedicated
process for managing change orders, which generally are
decisions made (or changed) after an agreed upon deadline.
Change orders generally cost money and often impact the
schedule. It may take time to remove one product, wait for
the delivery of its replacement, and to install it. As
professional builders, we do our best to accommodate
customer changes. For their part, homeowners must respect
the impact a change order has on costs and the construction
schedule and take responsibility for requesting and
accepting the trade-offs of a change.
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Communicate.
Communication is critical, so avoid keeping a concern,
issue, or idea to yourself. Come into the process with an
open mind and don't be shy about asking questions. If
possible, keep a list and present your questions during a
scheduled meeting or on-site conversation with your builder,
but don't be afraid to make an occasional phone call if you
need an answer more quickly.
As a professional builder, we are proud of our business
operations and systems. We feel that building a home should be a
partnership with each of our clients. We understand and respect
the relationship we have with our home owners. Our savvy
customers meet us part of the way, by educating themselves,
sticking to deadlines, and asking questions (remember that there
is no "stupid" question).
Warm Regards,
Zac Koenig, AMB
 Koenig
Homebuilders
2655 Dillard Rd
Highlands, NC 28741
(828) 526-4953 phone
(828) 526-8433 fax
E-mail:
info@koenighomebuilders.com
Website:
www.koenighomebuilders.com
c.
2008 All rights reserved.
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