What Happens During the Homebuilding Process?
Something is exciting about watching your new home take shape from the ground up. But if you’ve never purchased a new construction home before, you may wonder what happens between choosing your homesite and receiving the keys.
At San Joaquin Valley Homes, the homebuilding process includes several important milestones, from selecting your floor plan and visiting the Design Center to watching construction progress and completing your final homeowner orientation. While timelines can vary, knowing what to expect can make the experience easier and more enjoyable.
Finding the Right Home
The journey begins at the sales office, where a San Joaquin Valley Homes sales agent can help you explore available homesites and floor plans within their community – or point you in the direction of a community that may fit your needs better. You’ll consider factors such as home size, number of bedrooms, one- or two-story living, and location within the neighborhood.
Once you’ve chosen your homesite and floor plan, you’ll review available structural options. These decisions are made early so they can be incorporated into the construction process. Your sales agent will also help explain upcoming milestones and answer questions along the way.
Making It Your Own at the Design Center
Next comes one of the most enjoyable parts of building a new home: selecting the finishes that reflect your personal style.
At the San Joaquin Valley Homes Design Center, buyers can choose from a wide variety of cabinetry, countertops, flooring, appliances, window coverings, and other options. Choices range from tile, laminate, wood flooring, and carpet to granite countertops and wood-look tile.
The experience provides flexibility to personalize your home without the complexity of a fully custom build. Design Center professionals are available to help you navigate the selections and create a look that works well together. In most cases, you, buyers, are able to include the cost of your Design Center upgrades in your mortgage.
Construction Gets Underway
Once construction begins, the first stages may not look much like a house yet, but a lot is happening.
The homesite is prepared, underground plumbing is installed, and the foundation is formed and poured. Framing follows, and this is when your new home really starts taking shape. Walls go up, roof trusses are installed, and, for two-story homes, the second level is built.
Throughout construction, inspections take place at key stages to help ensure the home meets applicable requirements and standards.
What’s Happening Behind the Walls?
After framing, crews begin installing many of the systems that will eventually be hidden from view, including plumbing, electrical, HVAC components, and fire sprinklers.
If you purchase your home early enough in the construction process, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a scheduled frame walk. This gives you a chance to see your home before insulation and drywall are installed and get a closer look at its progress at this important stage.
Once inspections are completed, insulation and drywall are installed. Rooms become more defined, and the home starts to look much closer to the floor plan you selected.
Watching Your Selections Come to Life
As construction progresses, the changes become increasingly noticeable. Interior and exterior painting takes place, doors and cabinetry are installed, and flooring, countertops, and backsplashes begin to appear.
This is also when many of the choices you made at the Design Center become part of the home. Seeing your cabinets, countertops, and flooring after installation can be one of the most rewarding parts of the building experience.
During these stages, exterior work such as driveways, sidewalks, fencing, and landscaping may also be completed. Access to the home may be limited for safety and to allow crews to complete their work efficiently.
Adding the Finishing Details
As your home approaches completion, crews turn their attention to the finishing touches. Plumbing fixtures, lighting, outlets, HVAC vents, door hardware, and baseboards are installed. Carpet, mirrors, and shower enclosures are added, along with final paint touch-ups.
The home then goes through a detailed review and testing process so remaining items can be addressed before final inspections.
Your Final Walk-Through
Before closing, you’ll participate in a homeowner orientation. This is your opportunity to walk through your completed home, learn about its features, and receive information about caring for and operating various components.
The team will review the home with you and identify any items that may still need attention. Once final preparations and cleaning are complete, it’s time for closing — and receiving the keys to your new home.
From Homesite to Home
Building a new home involves many steps, but for buyers, the process is marked by exciting milestones: choosing a homesite, selecting finishes, seeing the walls go up, and finally walking through the front door of a completed home.
San Joaquin Valley Homes helps guide buyers through each stage, from the first visit to the sales office through the final homeowner orientation. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to watch your choices and plans gradually become a place you can call home.
Ready to Design Your New Home? Explore our available homes and floor plans or visit one of our model homes.
