We recently had a FaceBook Live FAQ session with questions we hear all of the time …. see them below and reach out if you have any questions of your own!

How much does it cost?
• Pricing can vary depending on location and plan. Answering the question “price per square foot” isn’t a great way to discover what is the right price for you. Two families can build the same plan with completely different features inside, and it would come out to a different “price per square foot.” As examples, look through our floor plan page  and see how differently the same plan can turn out. This is all figured into the final cost.

What are the included features?
• We have a lot of included features that make up the base price of our homes, from Mohawk or Shaw carpeting, to a beautifully stained birch cabinet with crown moulding and hardware, to a ceramic tile entry, laminate countertops in the kitchen and elevated sheet vinyl. We also use LP Smart side and brick on the exterior with 30-year dimensional shingles. This is a great starting point that allows you to go from there and choose which items you would like to upgrade and the items you would like to keep included.

How much customization can be done to your floor plans?
• We can customize any of our floor plans depending on the homesite size and the budget! We will also work with an engineer to ensure that what you want is possible – if not, we will come up with a solution that works!

What if I have a look that I like, but I can’t envision it? Can you give suggestions and lay it out for me?
• That’s what we’re here for! We have a designer on staff that can help find exactly what you’re looking for. We highly suggest you look through Pinterest, Houzz, etc, prior to coming in and either pin or clip things that appeal to you. That will help our designer to pick up on those items that you seem to be drawn to and she can guide you in that direction during your selections appointment.

How much do people normally spend on upgrades? Can you give me pricing on what some of the upgrades would be?
• The biggest areas we see upgrades are the kitchen, master bathroom, and the great room. The average amount customers spend in upgrades is anywhere from $50,000*-$70,000*. Our job is to build the home YOU want that keeps you within your budget.

How much control do I have over the final look? Meaning – do I get to pick out everything?
• Mainly, yes! Depending on where you build … that may have an impact on what you choose. For instance, if you neighborhood requires all brick around the first level, you cannot have siding.

How do we choose the finishes on our home?
• You will have a meeting with our design specialist to pick out all of your interior choices (special features) – from flooring to cabinets to countertops to wall color. The special features are all priced differently. You select all of your special features and finalize all plan changes prior to starting construction. This is how we can give you what your home will cost up front!

Basement/unfinished basement vs. Bonus Room?
• Basements on our floor plan collections range anywhere from $55,000* to around $70,000* unfinished. We won’t really know the true cost of a finished basement until we know what you want in your basement – kitchenette, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. Many people choose the bonus room with a bathroom for around $35,000-$40,000.

How much is a walk-out basement?
• Approximately $30,000* added to the basement price.

Are we allowed to bring our own materials and do our own work?
• This is a great question, and it depends. Do you know a company that will bid their work on the home to save you money and are consistent with their areas of work? We would be more than happy to have them bid their portion. Do you want to save money by installing your own hardwood floors? We would recommend choosing the included flooring we offer and then installing your floors of choice after we are done with the home. Some lenders will only allow certain items to be escrowed after the build, in order for it to pass final inspection.

How long does it take to build a home?
• 6-9 months from when we BREAK GROUND.

What sets Joyner Homes apart from other builders?
• If you are comparing apples to apples, our design process, hands down, sets us apart. It is a one stop shop for everything you want inside and outside your home. This is completed before we break ground on your home! Another thing that sets us apart from other builders is we get to know YOU in order to find the right floor plan and make your house a home. Check the sheet below that lists everything that we include in our homes.

When will I know the full price of my home?
• When you sign off on your selections. This happens right after you sign your contract to build, but before we break ground.

How much money do I need to put down?
• This is a broad question. With us on a construction loan – $10,000. If you are doing a purchase agreement – $4000 plus 50% of your upgrades when you finalize in selections. Not all lenders are the same. Some lenders offer as little as 5% down on the total amount of the home on a construction loan. Some lenders also use your land equity as a down payment.

Where do you build?
• We have six neighborhoods where we are the exclusive builder : The Ridges Over Brandywine, The Boulders, Eagle Ridge, Williams Run, Grandview Village and The Lakes. We are one of 4 approved builders for Stone Ridge. We also can build on your own lot! So basically, anywhere that you can “bring your own builder,” we can build. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!

Can you help me find land?
• If one of the 6 neighborhoods we build in aren’t going to work for you, then you do need your own land. We can help you as you search, or we can get you in touch with a trusted realtor to help with the search.

What do I need to know when searching for land?
• You need to know what appeals to you, but we highly suggest not buying the land without doing your due diligence. We can absolutely help you with that! Land goes quickly around here, so we would suggest you put an offer in on land you love but make sure it is contingent on building feasibility. Not all land is suitable for building, at least not if you have any sort of budget 🙂 It’s good to have an expert walk you through what you’re looking for. You don’t want to be stuck with land that you purchased if it’s going to cost a lot of money to get it to the build-able stage.
• You also want to know if there is an HOA. It would be a good idea to get a copy of the covenants (which are mostly found with a quick google search.) You’re looking for the architectural requirements and then anything else that is super important to you. If a neighborhood is requiring a minimum of 3000 square feet for a one story and your budget can’t support that, you’ll want to know that PRIOR to purchasing the homesite. If you prefer keeping your RV and boat on your homesite, that would be a good thing to look for.

I am looking at a wooded lot. Is this going to affect costs of building?
• Wooded lots will add to the budget. They are so beautiful, most would argue that it’s worth it! Tree removal can be assessed when we do our “Site Cost Estimator.”

Does where I put my house on the land affect the cost of where the site costs end up involved in an on your own lot build?
• Yes, it most definitely does. Our pricing that we have is including a typical 1/3 of an acre, flat city home site. If you decide that you want your home to sit 400 feet off the road, there will be extra driveway costs involved. Not only that, but the potential for utility costs, etc.
• We mentioned the Site Cost Estimator above. We can get you a copy if necessary. It outlines different costs that go into building on any homesite. It outlines items such as : well, septic, extra driveway costs, extra foundation costs, utility costs, culverts, etc. This is an estimate we use to get you as close as possible to what we think the site costs on your homesite might be. There are still some unknowns until we actually start digging, so it’s always good to have a bit set aside for those situations.

What type of septic system am I going to need?
• This will be based on the size of home you choose and the type of soil/drainage on your homesite. This will all be estimated in the Site Cost Estimator. We do our best to give your our best guess on the cost of these items. There are times when a few other expenses might arise (like drainage), so like we just mentioned, we always suggest having a little bit of an emergency/contingency fund on hand for those items.

Can I tour the home whenever I want? If not, why, and how can I see that the home is progressing?
• This is a tricky one. Assuming you are funding the build (which would be a construction loan/draw payment situation,) you own the home and you are free to visit it, obviously. We HIGHLY suggest that you keep your visits to scheduled visits with your project manager. There are several reasons why :
• They know what stage your house is in. You don’t want to show up and walk on tile that has just been installed.
• They can also explain to you why we do or don’t do certain things. The example we always use is that we don’t repair a broken window until the very last minute. It makes sense to us,
but may not make sense to you. You may think we are missing a completely obvious issue and start to lose trust in us. Same goes with cabinetry — the people that install the cabinetry
are not the people that come back and make them perfect in the end. The doors and drawers may be completely catawampus until the day before your orientation. If you see that,
again, you may think we aren’t doing a good job and lose more trust.
• Having your home visits with your project manager would allow him/her to explain all of these things and put your mind at ease.
• Have you heard the saying “No one wants to see how the sausage is made ….” 🙂
• There are pre-scheduled walk throughs – your electrical walk through and your orientation.
• Once the home is framed, you will walk through the home with your project manager and see where outlets, lights, and switches will be. At this time, you can add more of each if you
think it’s necessary. The only outlet that needs to be decided prior to starting is a floor outlet when you have a slab foundation.
•Your orientation happens at the end of the build (approximately 1 week before closing/possession.) This is where you get to walk through the home with a fine-tooth comb and bring
any items to the attention of the project manager. You also get to learn how to use your home! They will show you where you can find the water shut offs, electrical boxes, etc.

Can I make changes during building?
• You can! But there is a small change order fee, plus the cost of the change. Just know, though, depending on when you make changes and to what, you are likely to cause delays in
construction. Another thing to consider is 100% of the cost of the change order is due at the time of the change order.

What are my financing options? Are there lenders your prefer and why? What kind of loan do I use? Do you do VA loans?
• There are so many different financing options! A Home Equity Line of Credit or a Bridge Loan will allow you to finance your new build while staying in your current home, normally. We do have preferred lenders that know our build process and draw schedules. That’s super important because it makes the financing portion of the build so much smoother. We can also do a VA loan, however, they do not do construction loans, so talk with a lender to see what option is best for you before applying for any specific type of loan. We would be happy to give a few lenders’ contact information!

Do I need to pay for a separate home inspection once my home is complete?
• This is not necessary. We have inspections throughout the entire build. The project managers are inspecting the home along with someone from the city/county. We also have you covered with our warranty process!

What is included on the warranty?
• First up, the 60-day list. We need to be honest with you – we don’t live in your homes. We just build them! You may end up noticing an obscure spot on the wall, trim, etc, that needs attention. We know these things will happen, so we ask that in the first 60 days after moving in, you start compiling a list (we actually give you a form!) At the end of 60 days, we will come back and fix those items that are outlined. Of course, we also have an emergency process set in place, we don’t want you to wait 60 days on a leak.
• Second, we have the 1-year drywall touch up. We want your home to go through all 4 season, after that we come back and fix any nail pops, settling cracks, etc. We will also come back and touch up the paint on those areas – approximately 6 inches around the affected area.
• Finally … the warranty — it is a 2-4-10 warranty. 2 years covers faulty workmanship or defective materials; 4 years for the roof; 10 years for the structure.

Do I need insurance during building and who can I get it from?
• If you have a construction loan, you do need a “builder’s risk” insurance. You can get this at most insurance agencies, so best bet would be to contact your insurance company first and see if you can just add it on.

How do the construction draws work and when do they occur?
• When you have a construction loan, your loan is dispersed out throughout the build. We have an outlined “schedule” for this in our purchase agreements. In short, we will complete a portion of your home, then send a draw notice to you and your bank. The bank will normally send out an inspector/appraiser to ensure the work has been complete, then they will pay us for the completed work. There are normally 5 draws during the build.

As a customer, what should I do to make this process go smoother?
• Over communicate. Our staff tries to be thorough about explaining the process and answering questions. Sometimes our questions may seem different. We promise we won’t ask silly questions and will not push you. It is our job to help educate you and guide you. Know that when comparing builders, it is difficult to get all of the same information from each builder. There are so many variables, but if you’re asking about pricing from very similar builders, you will get about the same price. From there, you just need to see which builder suits you best!
• Expect for things to happen in your home build. Your project manager is there and is catching everything that isn’t correct. Our end result is a perfect home, but know that getting to that point doesn’t mean it is perfect every step of the way.

* these numbers are subject to change

QUESTIONS? Call us at 317.468.2330!!