- Is there a charge for your estimate?
No. We appreciate your inquiry and would be pleased to discuss your propsed construction project with you. We do require project drawings and specifications in order to provide a detailed written estimate.
- Should I get estimates from more than one contractor?
Yes. We advise you to seek estimates from other contractors. We welcome your consideration and would be happy to participate in a competitively bid project.
- Will I need to submit a down payment or deposit before you start?
Normally this is not necessary provided the financing is in place or funding is confirmed.
- What should I do if I’m confused or frustrated about my construction project?
Always ask questions! Contact us with your concerns, issues, or with any questions that you may have. We feel it very important to effectively communicate and want you to be informed.
- What type of a warranty do you have for your work?
We offer a one year warranty on our workmanship. We will provide you with a close out document package containing all warranties, guarantees, and other significant documentation.
- What makes you different as a builder?
Simply, we take the risk out of architectural design and custom building. Your custom home will be finished on time and on budget because of the award-winning team that will make your project its top priority. You can rest assured that the investment value of your home will appreciate year after year.
- Do you design/build true custom homes?
Yes. We have built hundreds of homes and no two are alike. From Adobe style to Country French, from Ultra Contemporary to Arts and Craft, each has been custom designed by a team of the finest experts in their field and according to the uniqueness of each client's vision.
- What is a custom home?
It is the home of your dreams – without compromise. You design and build the home you want, not what someone else wants.
- What professionals do you employ? (An experienced team will always save me money, time, aggravation, and will provide invaluable expertise.)
Our team includes real estate professionals, architects, estimators, and service technicians, as well as home building professionals. Additionally, we have selected lists of the most experienced landscape architects, interior designers, and engineers. An experienced building and construction superintendent will oversee your job from the moment the construction process begins. Our carpentry department employs the best craftsmen in the business. And our estimators track the details and costs. We also have legal and financial experts who will work with you. At Cordes Homes, Inc., we have the total team in place, allowing us to effectively and efficiently orchestrate the building process from the very beginning to the grand finale. These experts cost you no more, provide you with the highest level of service, make the experience much easier and more fun, and most importantly, they ensure excellent results.
- How does the selection process work?
You can be just as involved as you want to be. You can select everything, from door hinges to the fireplace stone, from switch plates to the grade of cedar shake or color of slate roofing. We offer homebuyers the world of choices as to design/cost alternatives as well as ranges of grades and materials. Or, you can choose to save yourself time and rely with complete confidence on our established, high-quality product standards (trademark specifications). You can also make selections on your computer, any day, any time, any place.
- How does the builder make sure that this detailed, important, and sometimes overwhelming process is easier for you?
Not only do we track each home in progress, but we will give you your own password-protected web site. The site will show you architectural plans, photos of your home as it is being built (your superintendent will take new digital photos periodically), give you a live, up-to-the-minute timeline, and remind you of what essential selections need to be made.
- How do we have the time to build a custom home when we both have full-time careers?
If you have busy, hectic lives, you cannot build with a company that requires you to personally take control of your project. We wrap our arms around your homebuilding experience, offering as much help as you wish. In fact, our company has designed and built custom homes for people who were away in other parts of the world during the entire process!
- What is your on-time record?
We have a 95% on-time record. We consistently bring our jobs in on time. This directly translates into money savings – TIME IS MONEY –, less aggravation, and a more satisfying experience for you.
- How does the weather affect the building process?
We build 12 months a year. With today's technology, building can begin at any time of year. Even during January and February, there are several windows of opportunity when foundations can be poured without any difficulty. Concrete walkways and driveways and masonry work cannot be done during extreme cold, but these can easily be deferred without any effect on the overall schedule.
- How much supervision will my house have during construction?
Your main point of contact is an experienced construction superintendent, who will visit the site each day. One or more of our master carpenters will be at your specific home site during most of the construction period.
- How important is landscaping to the project?
Our firm believes that landscape design is as critical as the architectural style of the home. Your landscape architect is a part of the design team. He/she will provide insight into the positioning of a home on a specific site, while helping to create a view from every window. A successful custom home isn't just the building alone, it's the entire property.
- Does it make sense financially to build a custom home?
Most definitely. In more than 28 years of business, no one has ever lost money selling a Cordes home. It's a well-known fact that when Realtors place a listing for a Cordes home, they insist the Cordes brand name is included in the description. This is a pure testament to the home's quality and design. National building industry studies have consistently shown that buyers of custom homes make more money when it's time to sell. Just as important, these same studies have shown that the custom homebuyer gets a better product!
- Can we afford to build a custom home?
Certainly. As most of our clients realize, this is an investment for a lifetime. Our affiliated financial experts at various lending institutions are up-to-date on the marketplace and can provide invaluable insights into packages available worldwide and what is most appropriate for you
- How does the builder guide us toward the best values?
Our estimating department constantly checks prices and quality. Their job is to get you the best possible specific value, line item by line item, without sacrificing the quality of the job.
- Does it cost more when requesting specific architectural detailing?
It is logical that the more complex and difficult the detailing and finishing, the more costly a project will be. There are also some styles that take more time to build than others. However, our firm has developed cost-effective techniques to save both labor and material while still creating faithful architectural detailing.
- Will we spend more by the time our home is completed?
Any increases are the direct result of change orders or upgraded selections requested by the homeowner. We make it our business to see that few change orders are necessary, owing to the exacting detail that goes into the initial planning stage.
- When should we put our current home on the market?
The timing is your decision. We find that people often build a custom home when they have six months or more to sell their current home comfortably.
- How can we be sure the builder is financially secure?
Talk to your own financial institution about obtaining information and credit history from the prospective builder's bank. Check with the builder's past clients. Talk to a reputable title company. Ask individuals in the real estate community.
- How long does it take to put the financing together?
Over the years, we have compiled a list of lending institutions that share our values in terms of offering excellent customer service coupled with the best products for the client's specific situation. These include vacant land loans, construction loans, bridge loans, and end-loan mortgages with fixed to variable interest rates. Even LIBOR loans are often available. These lenders will often provide a verbal qualification within 72 hours or less.
- Will you build our plan on our site using our architect?
Yes. In working with your architect, we often offer suggestions for plan adjustments, including siting of the house, grading and drainage of the property, etc., as part of your proposal. This helps better manage construction time and the overall cost of the project.
- What if we already have a site to build on?
Wonderful! In order to provide you with the information needed to feel confident about moving forward, our architects will coordinate any relevant due diligence issues pertaining to the site. Examples include soil testing, environmental testing, topographical surveys, zoning regulations, and architectural review board guidelines, to name a few.
- What kind of warranty should we expect on our custom home?
This can vary widely from builder to builder. Our firm provides a one-year warranty. We also have a comprehensive thirty-day service program. Our Closing Manual given to each home buyer contains not only our warranty, but a detailed description of our service program, and a copy of final specifications, together with all appliance warranties. Our Customer Service Department also conducts a thorough review of the home before the one-year warranty concludes in order to identify any items that need attention. We have also done free, unsolicited 5 and 10-year inspections. We have a home maintenance department that many clients hire, long after the first year, so they know the same quality professionals that built their home will maintain it.
- How essential is it to check a builder's references?
It is of the utmost importance to thoroughly check a builder's references. Dig deep and find clients the builder doesn't list. Check to see if the builder has ever been sued by a client, or gone bankrupt. Ask referral clients for the names of others who have hired the builder, and check with the village for their experiences with the builder. Additional sources can also be obtained through real estate offices, banks, and other community businesses. There may be someone who is unhappy, but the majority must be positive or you could be setting yourself up for a difficult situation.
- What else can be done to investigate a builder's background?
Be sure that the builder you select has the experience, reputation, staff and financial soundness by talking to bankers, real estate professionals, municipal building departments, and title companies as well as the builder's past and present clients. Walk through houses that are now in construction. Carefully check into the work that they have done over the past five years and longer, making sure that the "inner quality" is still there.
- How can we be certain that we are getting the"inner quality" that's so necessary and that we're paying for?
In a word, reputation! We also welcome you to hire an inspector or have a very knowledgeable friend inspect just before the drywall is applied.
- We're not prepared to build a custom home, but we are interested in sensitively restoring and remodeling our present home. Whom should we contact?
Cordes Homes undertakes high-quality restoration and/or remodeling projects in existing homes. Our architects and master craftsmen are among the best available and have particular knowledge of time-honored building techniques.
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