As I stated in my first post, we are excited about the home building process. In this post, I will document our experience at the various stages of the home building process.
Our experience so far has been sometimes pleasant, sometimes worrisome. Things have taken a bit longer than we initially thought. We broke ground 6 months after we signed a contract with ANV and 5 months after we settled on the lot. A lot of progress has been made since we settled on our property in late June 2010, but some steps such as finalizing the grading plan and submitting the finalized architectural drawings took longer than anticipated. We are hopeful that we will gain momentum now that construction has started.
LAND Engineering PLC
LAND Engineering PLC is the company we hired to perform land engineering services such as creating the grading plan, site stakeout, brick points, etc. This company is on ANV’s recommended vendors list, that’s why we chose it.
The owner of the company, who is the person that we’ve dealt with so far, is a very pleasant guy to work with. Although we haven’t met him face to face, he is always accessible to us to ask questions and discuss matters related to his work. This was quite helpful to us since we are first time home builders and there are a lot of things that we didn’t understand. We appreciated the fact that he took his time to explain things to us.
Although we were satisfied with his accessibility, we are a bit disappointed by his slow turnaround time. We felt that generally he didn’t turnaround things as quickly as we would have liked. For example, it took over 2 months for the grading plan to submitted and approved. We understand some of this time is attributable to the county’s review process, but we felt that even when the county requested revisions, LAND Engineering’s response was a bit slow. Another example of LAND Engineering’s slow response time was during the step of doing the brick points which results in work slowing down for multiple days because LAND Engineering was not able to do the brick points quickly.
Country Excavating
Our experience with Country Excavating, which is the company that we hired for site preparation work, has been very pleasant so far. Not only have they done a great job with the site work but we have also continued to experience the outstanding customer service that we were exposed to during the pre-sales process. We are very happy with Country Excavating's services and greatly appreciate their professionalism.
ANV Group
Our experience with ANV has also been very pleasant so far. One of the factors that led us to choose ANV over the competition was the outstanding customer service it offers which ANV has continued to provide throughout the process. ANV staff at various levels has been very helpful and has been extremely patient with us. The owner of the company, Neil Puri, is a very pleasant guy to work with and has been accessible to us on multiple occasions. When we encountered matters that required his consultation and approval, he’s been very accommodating.
In the past few months, as we worked through the selection of additional features, ANV has gone out of its way to accommodate our requests. They allowed us to visit their design center multiple times and have patiently answered our multitude of questions. They allowed us to make multiple revisions to the 2nd floor floor plan which is much appreciated especially since we made some mistakes which they allowed us to correct.
Another matter that we were very impressed by is the fact that ANV honors its word even on matters that are not in the contract. Over the last few months, we’ve had multiple verbal discussions and email exchanges discussing additional features, optional items and discounts. During the pre-construction meeting, which is when everything is finalized, ANV kept its word on discounts and additional features that were discussed outside of the contract. We were very impressed by this.
Although we’ve been happy with our experience so far, it’s not to say everything has gone smoothly. As pointed out in earlier posts, some things such as the submission of the architectural drawings, have taken longer than we anticipated. This has caused us some worry since we have to make sure that the house is completed by mid June, 2011. June 2011 is when the term of our one year construction loan ends. We’ve expressed this concern to ANV, and we’ve been assured that our house will definitely be completed by June, 2011. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and we look forward to more pleasant experience with ANV in the next few months as the construction our new home progresses.
I will keep updating this post and documenting our experience as construction progresses…
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Timeline
I'm working on putting a chart together to show a better representation of the timeline. For right now, I will just use text with events sorted in descending order to document the timeline.
Initial Steps
- March 15th - May 22rd, 2010: We went through the builder selection process.
- May 23rd, 2010: Contract signed with ANV.
- June 21st, 2010: Settlement completed on lot.
- May 20th - November 1st: Worked on selecting and finalizing optional items.
Permit Process
- July 10th - October 6th: Architectural drawings prepared, revised (4 revisions), approved by independent engineer and submitted to county.
- June 22nd - August 31: Grading plan prepared, submitted and approved by county.
- October 7th - Oct 18th.: Demolition permit application submitted by builder and approved by county.
- October 7th - Oct 29th: Building permit application submitted by builder and approved by county..
Building Process
- November 2nd: Pre-construction meeting conducted between us (home owners) and ANV.
- November 7th: Fire department training exercise conducted (we donated the structure to the local fire department for their training use). Please note that this was a voluntary step and not required for building a house.
- November 9th: Meeting conducted between with the county inspector, the site engineers (company that we hired to perform site preparation) and home owners.
- November 10th - November 15th: Demolition of the old house and hauling away of debris completed. No work was performed on November 11th in observance of Veteran's Day holiday.
- November 17th - November 18th: Stakeout of site completed.
- November 19th & November 22nd: Excavation completed.
- November 23rd: Foundation footing completed. The builder was ready to resume putting up the foundation walls the next day, but due to the delay in getting the land engineer to do the brick points, work was delayed until after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (no work performed from November 24th - November 28th).
I will keep updating this post as construction progresses...
Vendor Selection Process
ANV is a builder that focuses on the actual house building process. It does not perform land engineering and site preparation services. It has close relationships with companies that provide these services and it has placed some of these companies on its recommended vendors list. Home owners are free to use these vendors or select other companies that they feel comfortable with.
Land Engineering
ANV has one vendor on its list of recommended vendors for land engineering services. Services included in land engineering are preparation of the grading plan, land surveys, site stakeout, etc.
Although we were free to use other vendors if we so desired, we decided to use LAND Engineering PLC, which is the company that's on ANV's list. Normally, we shop around and review the competition before we hire a company to perform work for us. We didn't go through a review process in this case, since time was of the essence and we wanted work on the grading plan to start as soon as possible.
Site Preparation
ANV has two vendors on its list of recommended vendors for site preparation work. Site preparation includes the demolition of the existing house, excavation of foundation, putting in place a bio-retention filtration system, etc. We decided to also consider two other reputable vendors in the area since we had time to perform a review while we were waiting for the grading plan to be approved by the county.
We contacted all four vendors and asked for estimates. Our objective was to select the company that:
• Is reputable and does good work
• Offers a good price
• Has good customer service
• Has a good relationship with ANV since the work requires a lot of coordination with the builder.
Since we are new to the house building process, we had to do some research on the Internet so that we could understand some of the terms used in the estimates we received. Since the vendors used different terms in their estimates, and they also didn't include the same items, we had to make sure that we just don't compare the total figures but that we do a thorough line item by line item comparison to ensure that we do an apples to apples comparison and our analysis was objective. We then documented the differences, prepared our questions and scheduled meetings with the vendors to go over their estimates.
The meetings were very helpful to us. Not only did they help us understand the whole process better, but they also gave us the opportunity to have a face to face interaction with the vendors which is a more valuable form of communication than electronic communication.
Two of the vendors we contacted were very responsive so we met with them first. One of the two is on ANV's recommended list, the other one is not. As noted earlier, the meetings were very helpful. After the meetings, we asked them to make some revisions and continued the negotiation process for the next couple of weeks. We also contacted the vendors' references and asked some questions to better understand the kind of experience other home owners had with them.
One of these two vendors (the one that's not on ANV's recommended list) gave us the best price. We got really close to giving him the business based on the best price he gave us and based on the fact that he has a reputable company that has been in the business for a long time. But in the end, we decided to go with the vendor that didn't necessarily offer us the cheapest price but provided us outstanding customer service, has great reputation based on its services to former clients, and the the one we felt most comfortable with. That company is Country Excavating. The fact that they are on ANV's recommended vendors list also weighed in on our decision since good vendor relationships with the builder allows for smooth coordination at various stages of the project.
Land Engineering
ANV has one vendor on its list of recommended vendors for land engineering services. Services included in land engineering are preparation of the grading plan, land surveys, site stakeout, etc.
Although we were free to use other vendors if we so desired, we decided to use LAND Engineering PLC, which is the company that's on ANV's list. Normally, we shop around and review the competition before we hire a company to perform work for us. We didn't go through a review process in this case, since time was of the essence and we wanted work on the grading plan to start as soon as possible.
Site Preparation
ANV has two vendors on its list of recommended vendors for site preparation work. Site preparation includes the demolition of the existing house, excavation of foundation, putting in place a bio-retention filtration system, etc. We decided to also consider two other reputable vendors in the area since we had time to perform a review while we were waiting for the grading plan to be approved by the county.
We contacted all four vendors and asked for estimates. Our objective was to select the company that:
• Is reputable and does good work
• Offers a good price
• Has good customer service
• Has a good relationship with ANV since the work requires a lot of coordination with the builder.
Since we are new to the house building process, we had to do some research on the Internet so that we could understand some of the terms used in the estimates we received. Since the vendors used different terms in their estimates, and they also didn't include the same items, we had to make sure that we just don't compare the total figures but that we do a thorough line item by line item comparison to ensure that we do an apples to apples comparison and our analysis was objective. We then documented the differences, prepared our questions and scheduled meetings with the vendors to go over their estimates.
The meetings were very helpful to us. Not only did they help us understand the whole process better, but they also gave us the opportunity to have a face to face interaction with the vendors which is a more valuable form of communication than electronic communication.
Two of the vendors we contacted were very responsive so we met with them first. One of the two is on ANV's recommended list, the other one is not. As noted earlier, the meetings were very helpful. After the meetings, we asked them to make some revisions and continued the negotiation process for the next couple of weeks. We also contacted the vendors' references and asked some questions to better understand the kind of experience other home owners had with them.
One of these two vendors (the one that's not on ANV's recommended list) gave us the best price. We got really close to giving him the business based on the best price he gave us and based on the fact that he has a reputable company that has been in the business for a long time. But in the end, we decided to go with the vendor that didn't necessarily offer us the cheapest price but provided us outstanding customer service, has great reputation based on its services to former clients, and the the one we felt most comfortable with. That company is Country Excavating. The fact that they are on ANV's recommended vendors list also weighed in on our decision since good vendor relationships with the builder allows for smooth coordination at various stages of the project.
Permit Process
As documented in a previous post, we acquired a lot with an existing house on it. In order to build on this lot, we had to demolish the house, excavate it and get the site ready for building. For a "build on your lot" project, Fairfax county requires a grading plan, a demolition permit and a building permit.
Grading Plan
Fairfax county requires a grading plan to be submitted for new construction ( http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/publications/grading_plans.htm ). The county requires a fee to be paid to process a grading plan.
We hired a land engineer to prepare and submit the grading plan. The engineer started work on the plan on June 22, 2010. The first draft of the plan was completed in 3 weeks. After the engineer submitted the plan for our review we requested some changes such as moving the house forward a few feet so that we can have more room in the back yard. The engineer worked on the revisions and submitted the plan to the county on July 31st. The county required more changes to be made to the plan. After a few iterations with the county, the grading plan was finally approved on August 31st.
Our experience with the grading plan process was that it took much longer than we anticipated. This is partly due to the one revision that we requested, partly due to the revisions that the county requested and also due to the fact that the land engineer was not able to turn things around very quickly.
Permits
I will start off this section by going over the Fairfax county permit process. Fairfax county requires that utilities are disconnected before it issues demolition and building permits. In the month of September 2010, I was busy calling the Electric, Gas and Water utility companies to ensure that they disconnect the appropriate utilities, remove their equipment from the site and issue disconnect letters to us. I will say that this required some patience since it required multiple phone calls and follow ups. Once I received the disconnection letters, I forwarded the package to the builder.
There are various fees required by the county to process the various permits. To give you a rough idea of what these fees look like, listed below are the fees that we had to pay. Please note that these fees do vary from project to project.
Demolition Permit
The builder (ANV) applied for the demolition permit on our behalf on 10/7/2010. After the application was submitted, I was able to check on status by logging into the Fairfax County Online Inspection system (a.k.a. FIDO)(http://fido.fairfaxcounty.gov/DP1/Metroplex/FairfaxCounty/permit) and searching for my case either by address or by permit number.
After the application was submitted I stayed in touch with the builder to ask questions when I saw a comment or a status on Fairfax county's website that I didn't understand. The ANV staff responsible for permits was very responsive and patiently explained the process to me. A few days after the application was submitted, I noticed that the permit was stuck in the "Zoning Plan Review" step. To make sure that the process moves quickly, I called Fairfax county permit division, hasseled my way to the "Zoning Plan Review" department and asked for status. This was on a Friday afternoon. The woman responsible for reviewing zoning plans for new homes asked me for my address, looked in her inbox to make sure my case is there, confirmed it's there and told me that she will get to my case by "...early next week...". I checked for status on FIDO early Monday morning and saw that the zoning plan was approved! The demolition permit was issued on 10/18/2010. The point I'm trying to make here is that it pays off to diligently follow up. Had I not called and asked for status, my case probably would not have been handled as quickly as it did.
Building Permit
The builder (ANV) submitted the architectural drawings and the previously approved grading plan to apply for a building permit. The application was submitted on 10/7/2010. Again, I was able to check on status of the permit by loging into the FIDO and searching by address. To make sure that the process moves quickly, I checked status everyday and communicated with Fairfax county and/or the builder if it seems like the process was stalling. I'm happy to say that the building plan review was completed on 10/22/2010 and the building permit was issued on 10/29/2010.
Grading Plan
Fairfax county requires a grading plan to be submitted for new construction ( http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/publications/grading_plans.htm ). The county requires a fee to be paid to process a grading plan.
We hired a land engineer to prepare and submit the grading plan. The engineer started work on the plan on June 22, 2010. The first draft of the plan was completed in 3 weeks. After the engineer submitted the plan for our review we requested some changes such as moving the house forward a few feet so that we can have more room in the back yard. The engineer worked on the revisions and submitted the plan to the county on July 31st. The county required more changes to be made to the plan. After a few iterations with the county, the grading plan was finally approved on August 31st.
Our experience with the grading plan process was that it took much longer than we anticipated. This is partly due to the one revision that we requested, partly due to the revisions that the county requested and also due to the fact that the land engineer was not able to turn things around very quickly.
Permits
I will start off this section by going over the Fairfax county permit process. Fairfax county requires that utilities are disconnected before it issues demolition and building permits. In the month of September 2010, I was busy calling the Electric, Gas and Water utility companies to ensure that they disconnect the appropriate utilities, remove their equipment from the site and issue disconnect letters to us. I will say that this required some patience since it required multiple phone calls and follow ups. Once I received the disconnection letters, I forwarded the package to the builder.
There are various fees required by the county to process the various permits. To give you a rough idea of what these fees look like, listed below are the fees that we had to pay. Please note that these fees do vary from project to project.
- Grading plan processing fee: $1590.00
- Pro rata fee: $104.00
- Insert fee: $170.00
- Conservation Agreement Deposit: $3,100.00 (Note that this is just a deposit and it will be returned to once the house is completed and we fulfill the county's filtration requirements.)
Demolition Permit
The builder (ANV) applied for the demolition permit on our behalf on 10/7/2010. After the application was submitted, I was able to check on status by logging into the Fairfax County Online Inspection system (a.k.a. FIDO)(http://fido.fairfaxcounty.gov/DP1/Metroplex/FairfaxCounty/permit) and searching for my case either by address or by permit number.
After the application was submitted I stayed in touch with the builder to ask questions when I saw a comment or a status on Fairfax county's website that I didn't understand. The ANV staff responsible for permits was very responsive and patiently explained the process to me. A few days after the application was submitted, I noticed that the permit was stuck in the "Zoning Plan Review" step. To make sure that the process moves quickly, I called Fairfax county permit division, hasseled my way to the "Zoning Plan Review" department and asked for status. This was on a Friday afternoon. The woman responsible for reviewing zoning plans for new homes asked me for my address, looked in her inbox to make sure my case is there, confirmed it's there and told me that she will get to my case by "...early next week...". I checked for status on FIDO early Monday morning and saw that the zoning plan was approved! The demolition permit was issued on 10/18/2010. The point I'm trying to make here is that it pays off to diligently follow up. Had I not called and asked for status, my case probably would not have been handled as quickly as it did.
Building Permit
The builder (ANV) submitted the architectural drawings and the previously approved grading plan to apply for a building permit. The application was submitted on 10/7/2010. Again, I was able to check on status of the permit by loging into the FIDO and searching by address. To make sure that the process moves quickly, I checked status everyday and communicated with Fairfax county and/or the builder if it seems like the process was stalling. I'm happy to say that the building plan review was completed on 10/22/2010 and the building permit was issued on 10/29/2010.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Finding a lot
We will update this post to tell you how we went about finding and choosing the right lot for our new house. Stay tuned...
Financing...
Getting the financing in order before setting out to build a house is a very important step. In the next few weeks, I will present a detail account of how we went about getting our financing package together. Stay tuned...
Builder Selection Process
As you well know, selecting a builder is an integral part of the house building process. We took the selection process very seriously and took our time to ensure that we choose the builder that we felt was the best fit for our needs. Our objective was to select a builder that:
- Builds a great house
- Has a good reputation
- Offers a fair price
- Provides outstanding customer service
With these objectives in mind, we set out to choose a builder. From the very beginning, we decided to build a semi-custom* house instead of a custom* house since we felt that building a custom house will be time consuming and will require a lot of effort. We looked at 5 semi-custom home builders**: Sekas Homes, New Dimensions, Stanely Martin Custom Homes, the ANV Group and Classic Homes of VA.
During the builder review period, we visited builders' web sites, visited model homes and/or open houses and had extensive discussions with the builders to make sure we understand what they had to offer. When we walked through model homes, we asked detailed questions to understand which items were standard features and which ones were upgraded features. In order to easily keep track of what we saw and to make sure we have everything organized, we used spreadsheets to document the detail of each house visit and each discussion. We negotiated with the builders to make sure we get the best price for the upgraded features we were interested in.
After two and half months of a rigorous review process, we selected the ANV group to build our house. We chose ANV for the following reasons:
- ANV builds great houses in the price range we were looking for. Sekas Homes also builds very nice houses but their price is much more expensive than ANV's. ANV's price was not the cheapest but we felt that they provided the best value.
- ANV has a large selection of floor plans that we could select from. With the number of floor plans that ANV has in its portfolio and it's Mix and Match option for the exterior elevation, we felt that we could easily build the house that we like.
- ANV's customer service during the builder selection process was unmatched, it was far superior to its competitors. ANV allowed us to walk through their homes multiple times. In addition to visiting homes during open houses, we were able to setup private appointments to walk through homes. The vice president of sales spent many hours walking us through the homes and explaining every little detail about every part of the house. He patiently answered all our questions and provided us outstanding customer service. We also got the chance to meet the owner of ANV very early in the process and it was clear to us that outstanding customer service is a culture of the company which starts at the very top of the organization.
* A custom house is a house where the home owner works with an architect to design the floor plan from scratch and selects all building materials to be used during construction. A semi-custom house is a house where the home owner works with a builder that has a portfolio of floor plans and selects one of the floor plans and modifies it slightly to fit his/her needs.
** Some of the builders were recommended to us by our real estate agent (Sekas Homes, Stanley Martin), some we found by driving around in McLean VA and seeing their company sign on the sites they were building (ANV group) and some were recommended by co-workers (Classic Homes of VA and New Dimensions).
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