Organized people will have less problems in a custom home building process, therefore this step is rather important, since the process is full of paperwork and procedures. It is crucial to plan your tasks ahead, and this section will help you handle the job more easily.
The first thing you need is a central place to store all the original paperwork you’re about to accumulate, as each transaction creates its own set of paperwork and you don’t want to drown in all that paper. You not only need to store all this paperwork, but you’ll also need to easily retrieve it throughout the home building process.
The main categories needed in the filing step of the home building process are as follows:
- Architecture and design
- Contractor communication
- Contracts
- Financing
- Invoices
- Land purchase
- Materials information
- Paid receipts
- Permits and approvals
- Subcontractor communication
- Warranties
In order to avoid pile-ups and confusion, it is recommended to use a permanent and portable system, such as the following efficient, step-by-step method for having pertinent information at your fingertips whether you’re at home, in your office, or at your construction site:
1. Create a loose-leaf binder with dividers for the categories in the previous list.
2. Decide after looking at each document whether you may need it at the site. If so, make a copy.
3. File one copy in your file system at home.
4. Place the other copy in your binder in the corresponding category to the home file system.
5. Review your binder each day, adding the necessary documents from your file system.
Computers are essential in organizing your custom home building process, and e-mail can be used to store and share invoices, designs, pictures, and memos. If you don’t currently use e-mail, take the time now to figure it out. Doing so can make your custom home building process run more smoothly.
Proactive communication is probably the single most important factor for a successful custom home. Always carry a mobile phone with you so you can be easily reached, and be prepared to respond to messages promptly. There are also some other gadgets that can greatly improve efficiency, if you know how to use them. A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a small handheld computer that can store all your phone numbers as well as your calendar. PDAs cost from $100 to $500 and can transfer information back and forth from your computer, which helps if you’re communicating by e-mail or managing your calendar electronically. Smartphones combine the functions of PDAs with a fully functional mobile telephone. They’re pricier and bulkier than regular mobile phones, but they allow you to combine the functions of two units. Check with your local cellular phone provider for details.
Another important task is managing your finances and you need to keep track of every dollar spent as you go, in order to avoid running out of money in the middle of the home building process. It is recommended to set up a separate bank account early on for everything construction-related, to remove confusion and allow for easier record keeping. Keep a file for each vendor and tack down invoices and receipts in chronological order.
If you know how to use a computer, managing your finances becomes a whole lot easier. You could manage your finances with a simple bookkeeping ledger book, but you can keep track of money in and money out in all the different categories of the build smoothly and efficiently with the help of an accounting software program during the home building process.