When Is the Best Season to Build Your Des Moines Area Home? It All Depends on These Factors.
If you ask someone when the best time is to start building a home, many people will tell you it’s around the spring. Now that summer is approaching, you may wonder if you’re too late.
We’ve got good news: There’s no “bad” season to start building a home, so don’t be concerned that you’ve missed out! A high-quality home builder is able to accommodate any time of year that you want to build — yes, even the winter.
However, there are many factors that go into what time of year is best to start building a home for you. At KRM Custom Homes, we help clients walk through these important decisions every day. Here’s a closer look at what to consider when you’re deciding what the best time of year is to start building a custom home.
Understanding Weather Effects: When Is the Best Season to Build?
Midwestern weather is notoriously unpredictable during the winter, when below-zero temperatures and blizzards make outdoor work challenging. However, winter can still be a great time to begin construction on your new custom home.
While extreme weather may cause temporary delays, our crews have the equipment and the expertise to work year-round. In winter, our teams can pour concrete foundations as long as the temperature is at least 10 degrees and rising. This winter, the Des Moines metro experienced only five days where the high temperature didn’t reach double digits.
Our crews let foundations cure a few days longer in the winter than in warmer weather to be sure they reach the same level of quality. When we begin framing the home above the foundation, our team will enclose the basement and heat it before we pour the floor. This ensures that conditions are favorable.
These additional steps may result in added construction costs. However, there are added costs associated with building in other seasons as well, such as watering lawns during the summer heat. It’s generally a tradeoff, no matter what season you build. At KRM, we plan for these costs up-front, so you don’t need to worry about getting a surprise bill in the middle of the building process.
Planning Your Home Build Around Construction Material Pricing
It’s no secret that the construction market experiences fluctuations in material prices due to a number of external factors. It’s normal to wonder how you can time your home build to get the best deal on lumber, cement, shingles, and other materials.
Working with an experienced home builder will help you reduce this market uncertainty. At KRM Custom Homes, our team is able to explain the market in terms you understand to help you make the best decision. We use a transparent pricing model that locks in your costs upfront, giving you protection from unexpected market changes as the building process moves forward. Our team is also ready to provide pricing alternatives to help lower the cost or swap materials depending on market trends.
Your Personal Life: When Is the Best Time to Build for You?
At the bottom line, the real decision lies in what timing works best for you and your family.
Home building timelines can vary based on the size and complexity of the home. As a general rule of thumb, we encourage people to reach out to our team about seven to 12 months before the date you would like to move into your new home. This will give us time to work through our building process, from initial planning to the final walk-through, to meet your desired move-in date.
If you are looking to sell your existing home around the time you move into your new one, timing the real estate market could be a factor in your decision. Many experts will say that spring and early summer are optimal times to list a home on the market. If you want to list your home for sale in March, April, or May, you may want to start the custom home building process in late spring or summer.
However, these are generalities, and you should make your decision based on personal considerations and discussions with your real estate agent about the timing of the market in your specific area.
If you have children and will be moving school districts, you may want to time your move in the summer between school years. This means you may want to begin discussions in late summer or early fall the year before.
There are many other personal considerations to take into account, such as your financial situation, how much time you have at different parts of the year, and major life events you want to work around. It’s never too early to reach out about the home-building process, even if you don’t anticipate moving in for a few years.
How to Decide When to Start Building Your Custom Home
When is the best time to start building a home? The answer really depends on your individual situation. However, if you’re wondering when the best time is to start discussing your plans with your home building company, the best time is now.
At KRM Custom Homes, we’re here to help you walk through these decisions and provide our input from the home builder perspective. If you want help deciding when the right time may be for you, we’re ready to talk it through with you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today!
