FAQ

Our building process for your custom home is simple and straightforward, involving a great deal of guidance and support from Lafontaine Enterprises. The building process is a series of manageable decisions and steps. Steps typically include;

• Creating a budge
• Creating a timeframe to complete your home.
• Finalizing a contract
• Selecting interior and exterior materials with us (not as overwhelming as you might think!!)
• Securing permits from the city or the county
• Completing the building process – site prep, excavating, foundation, framing, exterior finishes, plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, interior finishes, painting.
• Closing on the New Home

No. A custom or semi-custom home should not be any more expensive than buying a new home already completed. The selections you make for the various items in the home will determine the ultimate cost. We will develop and adhere to a budget for your home, and effectively manage that budget.

Homes built by Lafontaine Enterprises are typically completed in about 5 months.

No. Semi-custom and custom homes can be built at any price range.

This is a critical question that each buyer needs to assess. Lafontaine Enterprises believes that a good custom home builder has the following key traits:

Responsive, quality customer service. A good builder communicates regularly and completely, and is thorough in their explanations to customers about the building process

Quality sub-contractors and a strong relationship with those sub-contractors. A new home is only as good as the partners who perform the work. Therefore it is imperative that a builder have long-term, established and solid working relationships with each contractor. Lafontaine Enterprises benefits from long-standing relationships with quality local sub-contractors.

Flexibility. In the home design and construction process, a quality builder will work with you to meet your needs and expectations within the budget established between the builder and yourself.

Insight. Good builders will bring their expertise to the custom building process and work with the client to consider options as the building planning and construction process progresses.

Strong financial management.  Good builders will also establish and adhere to a budget, so that a building project meets the client’s budget needs. A good builder will also present options with cost implications to clients so that they can make informed decisions during the process.

The first place to start is with us. You can look through our existing plans, which we can tailor to your needs and desires.  If those are not quite “you”, but we  have an idea of what you like, we can help you search on the internet for a home that suits your needs.  Once we have an idea of style and content we can either purchase that home plan, or continue on and work with an architect to create exactly what you want, in your budget.

Construction Loans are available from a variety of local lenders and mortgage institutions. We will help find the financing solution that best meets your needs.

The selection process is often perceived  as the “scary” part of building. It does not have to be this way. We strive to make the selection process straight forward and easy. We make sure that you are not overwhelmed, so we will tailor the selection process to your needs.  Some people can sit down and pick everything out in a couple of hours.  Some people would be so overwhelmed that they just simple would not be able to make a decision.

“Selections” of various items by you are what makes your home a “custom” home. You have control and influence over the items that are selected for your home.

Lafontaine Enterprises recognizes that clients want to make the selections, but not from hundreds of different items. We start by giving you a set of samples to choose from when making your selections. This provides you with options and the ability to make the selection, but does not overwhelm you with unlimited choices. If you do not find what you want in our selections, we will talk about what you are looking for and expand your options.  This could be as simple as going to a home improvement store.  Looking at selections that are not in your budget can be very stressful.  We will help you find what you are looking for, while keeping your budget in the forefront.  

A Custom home is a home that is drawn for you by an architect from start to finish, with no present plan in place. The plan is truly created for you by the architect.  A semi-custom home is one in which you tailor or tweak an existing home plan providing for a smaller level of actual customization.

It’s your choice, we can build on one of our existing home sites or we can build on a lot that you have. If you are interested in a Custom Home but do not have a home site, we can assist in the search for a lot as part of our custom home services.