We’re thrilled to welcome you to our new video series, So You Want to Build a Home. This series is chock full of educational tips and advice from our in-house architects, designers, and contractors. Each week, we’ll walk you step by step through the homebuilding process: from hiring the perfect-for-you builder, to making design selections you’ll be excited about for years to come, to knowing what to expect once we break ground and your dream home begins to take shape.

An excellent resource for anyone interested in building or renovating their home, this series provides tried-and-true professional insights and knowledge to help you feel confident throughout your homebuilding journey. Watch Part 1 or read insights from the first episode below.

Start Your Homebuilding Journey By Selecting Your Route

The first thing you want to do when you begin the homebuilding process is determine which route you want to use: the Design/Build route or the Design/Bid/Build route. Here’s an overview of each as well as some aspects to consider as you make your decision:

The Design/Build Route

In the Design/Build route, everything is done under one roof. This means that your architect, interior designer, and contractor are all from one company. The main benefit here is that there is constant communication throughout the homebuilding process. Everyone on your team is on the same page because processes are company wide. This is what we do at Alma Homes, and as a Design/Build firm we’ve seen how this can make the homebuilding process much smoother.

The Design/Bid/Build Route

If you choose the Design/Bid/Build route, you’ll hire a separate architect, designer, and contractor. This route can definitely have some benefits to you, however, one main downfall is that since these members of your team are from different companies, they may not communicate as effectively and their processes may not be aligned. This can result in confusion as to who is supplying what or overseeing which steps. But this route can be a great fit as long as you have a good team that works well together!

We admit we’re a little biased, because Alma Homes is a Design/Build firm, but we truly love this approach because it’s so collaborative and efficient.

Drop your questions in the comments below, and check out Part 2 of our series here.

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