FAQ's and Resources
Documents & Guides to Help You Understand the Custom Home Building Process
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LAND PURCHASING CHECKLIST
The land purchasing checklist is a guide to help you understand important considerations when looking at a new lot to build on the Greater Richmond area in Virginia.
In this guide you'll find an overview of each major milestone in the process of purchasing land, designing, and then constructing a new custom home on your own lot.STEPS TO BUILDING A NEW HOME
BEST RICHMOND MOVING COMPANIES
This website ranks the most popular Richmond area movers so you can narrow down the search of finding the best one for you.
FAQ: HOW DOES PRICING WORK?
This guide will explain the pricing process and set expectations on how this works as we gather information and make design decisions through a systematic series of phases.
CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS
This article is a helpful reminder of all the places, businesses, and people to change your address with so you don't miss a beat while transferring to your new home.
Read this guide to discover the benefits to BYOL, whether obvious or not, these points may encourage you to hold out for that perfect piece of property.BENEFITS TO BUILDING ON YOUR OWN LOT
MAKING YOUR SELECTIONS
This is a complete guide, exemplifying typical included features in our homes base prices, as well as popular upgrades and some options you will be presented in your showroom appointments.
The home maintenance calendar is a printable worksheet reminding you of key actions to take to manage your new home throughout the year.HOME MAINTENANCE CALENDAR
BREAKING DOWN THE COSTS
Our Costs of Construction webpage is a great article to read if your interested in learning what all goes in to the costs of preparing land, building a house, and making design choices. Helpful Videos About Custom Home Building
Ask away!
Expand the question to see a quick answer, if you’d like more information or your question is not listed, contact us!
Building a custom home in Virginia can be a complex process, but we’re here to help you enjoy the journey.
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Our preferred lenders are on stand by waiting to hear from you! They are eager to walk you through the process of obtaining a loan for a new construction home!
Clay Carroll | Main Street Home Mortgage
Joe Dunn | George Mason Mortgage
The benefit of working with our preferred lenders is removing the risk of closing delays and miscommunication. We work with these groups regularly and have a trusted relationship together.
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If you’re looking for land in Virginia to build a custom home, contact our Sales Manager, Peter Petras.
804-206-9280
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Starting with preconstruction, we need to have surveys taken of the land, house plans drawn, selections made, utilities set up, and a permit from the county before we can start building. Preconstruction work takes 3-4 months upfront, and depends on the speed of decision making and other outside forces. There are many parties involved in getting your home build-ready. Once the home is approved by the county to build and your financing is closed, you can expect to be moving in around 5-6 months later. Larger homes may take longer, smaller homes take shorter. Rest assured you will be in close contact with our construction team that will set timeline expectations along the way.
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A Keel project manager will be personally assigned to build your home and be your main point of contact once construction begins. They will stay in close contact with you and your relators via phone and email and are available to answer any questions you may have. This project manager sees your home through construction beginning to end.
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Yes, 1 year workmanship and 5 year structural.
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It’s all about you! When we design your home we focus on 3 main categories:
1 - Floor Plan
2 - Exteriors
3- Interior Finishes
You will work with Keel’s design team and estimator to perfect the floor plan to suit the function and flow you need in your home. You are welcome to select a plan from our website and modify it, or bring us your own!
Next, we’ll work with the draftsman to marry your floor plan with a beautiful exterior that passes neighborhood requirements (if any).
Finally, we combine visiting showrooms, shops, and online resources to select flooring, cabinets, lighting, among many other items to reflect more of your personal style. We set allowances at the beginning of the estimating process so we know what budget we’re working with. Once all finishes are selected you will receive a final set of specifications to autograph that approves us to order what you’ve selected.
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Changes can be accommodated depending on what phase of construction we are in and the nature of the change. It’s important to know all materials and fixtures are ordered immediately after our team start meeting. Anything structural may even require a re-draw of the plans. We want to take time during pre-construction to turn over every rock, ask as many questions, to avoid changes while we’re building. There potentially may be a delay in the schedule, extra costs, or rework depending on the scope of work. Whatever it may be, we’ll stay transparent and communicate what it takes to complete your vision.
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Keel is covering the utility bills during construction. Once you close on the home, utilities will need to be transferred to your name and account. There are different ways of doing this depending on the locality. Utilities include gas, electricity, and water & sewer.
Below are links to the counties utility department websites:
WHY BUILD IN VIRGINIA?
Affordable Real Estate: Virginia's real estate market offers relatively affordable housing compared to other states in the region, such as New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C.
High-Quality Education: Virginia is home to several prestigious universities and colleges, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, VCU, and William & Mary, making it an excellent place to live if you value education.
Growing Job Market: Virginia has a diverse economy that is home to several large corporations, government agencies, and military bases, creating a wide range of employment opportunities for residents.
Low Taxes: Virginia has relatively low taxes, including no tax on Social Security benefits and a relatively low income tax rate compared to other states.
Outdoor Recreation: Virginia is home to several natural parks, forests, and beaches, making it an excellent place to live if you enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and water sports.
Rich History and Culture: Virginia is home to several historic sites, museums, and cultural events, making it an excellent place to live if you value history and culture.
Overall, Virginia offers a great quality of life and a wide range of amenities that make it an excellent place to build a home and raise a family.
