Tag Archives: where do I start?


Ask A Builder: Where Do I Start?

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Starting can sometimes be the most difficult step in home building. It really is hard to know where to start. We recommend starting with a Discovery Session.

Some builders skip this crucial step, and head straight to the draftsman for their blueprints. This can be a huge mistake! Architects and designer are not usually drafting blueprints with your budget and lifestyle in mind. Unfortunately, many people have already paid for the prints and are sitting down with their builder before they discover the design they choose exceeds their budget. The Discovery Session clarifies what you can afford, what upgrades will save you money overtime, and what design will work best with your lifestyle .

In a Discovery Session, you sit down with an expert to create a realistic plan with you and your family in mind!

By the end of a Discovery Session, you will know the size of  home your budget allows for based on price per square foot. In addition, you and your builder will discuss potential upgrades that suit your personal taste and lifestyle, as well as ones that will retain value in your home.

Efficiency is one area that is key to  focus on during a Discovery Session. If efficiency is factored in, it will ensure your home retains its value overtime. Designing a home to live in until your newborn graduates university is very different from building a starter home you intend on selling once you get a big career break. For example, will an energy efficient heating system save you enough money on your electrical bill over 5 years to invest the thousands in now? Will that same heating system increase the resale value enough to install anyways or would a more traditional system appeal more to people in the region? These types of questions will be discussed in the first step to building a home: A Discovery Session.

To book a Discovery Session and start planning your new home, call Natalie today at 506-232-1276 or by email natalie@themartellexperience.com.

Discovery Sessions are one key reason that Martell Home Builders have never gone overtime or over budget!