Choosing a Builder with Jim Irvine

Michael Holigan: " Jim, there's questions that I always get asked, and the most prominent one, whether it's on the internet letters written in, in person at seminars, or even on TV interviews, is how do you select a builder, how do you go about that process? You're president of the National Assoc. of Home Builders, and you're a prominent builder yourself of Portland, Oregon, how does someone starting from scratch, select a builder?"

Jim Irvine: " I'd recommend that you call your local home builders association that's in most every community around the country, you get a list of names of builders. But, then just like anything else, you have to find out about that builder, you ought to interview the builder, but interview his references, and understand who this builder is.

M.H.: " So what you're saying is, you really have to sit down and build a relationship with your builder?

J.I.: " And that is very important, it's a relationship, you want to make sure it's not a house, but a home. So, how does it meet your needs? And a builder will be able to help you make those decisions, he'll be able to work through those questions that you have, guide you through that decision making process.

M.H.: " That's another question I always get asked , after you establish that relationship, is it okay with most builders for the home owner to come out on the job site everyday, I don't mind at my job site, but I know builders are different, you know builders from coast to coast, what do builders think about customers walking in on their job site and looking in on the home while it's under construction.

J.I.: " My experience has been that they actually like you there, as long as you don't micro-manage the job, remember, they are professionals, and they've got to meet the path and keep everything on time to get the job done. And a construction job site is dangerous, there's a lot of loose material, nails hanging around, people can get hurt, and builders are very concerned about that. So, work that out with your builder. There's another reason for having a strong relationship with that builder, a house is very complex, and it's a lot of pieces, thousands, tens of thousands of nails , and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of boards that go into a home. Lots of windows, lots of tile, and it's assembling this product. There may be some problems that occur, your relationship with that builder is going to be very important in terms of service. You want good service out of your home and you're entitled to have good service from the builder that built that home, having that dialogue, having that relationship, allows the builder to meet your expectations and you understand what the builder can and cannot do for you.

Episode 001 1995 - 96 Season

| Plumber | Stove Tip Bracket | Choosing a Builder | Kitchen Sink Remedy | Post-tension Foundation | Lifespace Home | Selecting a Lender |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #001.