Finding the right builder for your next home

Building a home doesn’t have to be stressful, even from afar!

One of our previous articles discussed the topic of early conversations when planning to build a new home from afar. Selecting the location for your future home is one of the first steps, but often our potential client comes to us already owning a family property. For many years, the Shuswap region has been a well-loved area to spend summer vacations and many families have 30- to 40-year-old cabins that they now want to replace. For some, this will be their new year-round retirement home. Others might be looking to build your dream home for their summer retreat that will accommodate adult children and their families, achieving both shared and private living spaces.

Their first step will be to find a reputable Builder in the area. Searching online will bring up various possibilities but then what? In talking with Coady Hindbo, one of the owners of Hindbo Construction, he reveals that most of their clients come to them through ‘word of mouth’. Just as you would ask your family and friends who they recommend for a good doctor, the number-one daycare, or the best restaurant in Salmon Arm for a delicious steak dinner, they also ask about who is the most reputable builder! Hindbo Construction has been building homes in the area for over 30 years, and they have built up an excellent reputation. Their success has been built on the quality of their homebuilding, but it’s more than that. They live here, have raised their families here and are very proud of the premier custom home builders in the Salmon Arm community. Over the years, as a business, they have supported various sports and recreation endeavours.

Coady goes on to say that while they’re pleased to have the opportunity to meet with these referred potential clients, they know that there needs to be a strong connection between the client and the builder to ensure success. The Hindbo Team understands the process necessary to achieve this and testimonials from our satisfied clients have positioned us as the top choice among 'construction companies near me'. Phone calls and emails are often the starting point, but they encourage an in-person meeting so that both parties can discuss the vision for the home project. Under current ‘COVID’ protocols, this in-person meeting may be a ‘Zoom or Facetime’ call and the Hindbo Team is very comfortable with doing this kind of meeting format. There are always lots of questions and concerns, but this is how the client gains insight into the building process and the challenges associated with what their ‘dream home’ may entail. This conversation also provides ‘straight-forward’ talk from the Hindbo Team based on their extensive experience of building homes in this area. Building trust between the client and the builder is paramount. This is especially important when the client lives outside of the area and will only be on-site occasionally. They know that ongoing communication is necessary to keep the design and construction process moving smoothly. Establishing a comfortable mode of information flow is a first key step for the Hindbo Team.

Early conversations always include discussing the budget. Although, there’s often a dance between what a client thinks they want and what they want to spend, these early discussions are so important to a successful project. Setting expectations from the beginning allows the client to really understand what’s important to them in their future home. This helps the home designer to build your dream home effectively and makes the process quite seamless. Once the initial design is done, a realistic budget is set. This usually brings forward more dialogue as ‘wishes’ turn to ‘must-haves’. Again, this is a normal part of the process and provides a good solid foundation for the client and builder. Once the budget is confirmed, the contract can be drawn up and signed.

Knowing the parameters of what the client wants built, gives the Hindbo Team the information they need to set up the construction schedule. Again, it’s important to know that constructing a new home includes dealing with regulatory agencies, which have their own schedules. Coady and his construction company in BC pride themselves in successfully handling the complexities of the approval process of regulations and permits. They have an excellent working relationship with these authorities and are respected for their well-prepared package of permit documents.

In conclusion, the three main takeaways from my conversation with Coady are:

• ‘Word of mouth’ referrals are important, and Hindbo Construction can back up what people say about them. No wonder we are one of the leading construction companies in Salmon Arm
• They believe in giving their clients realistic timelines and budgets – they’ve built their reputation on that.
• Hindbo Construction has a full team of experienced, dedicated people who love what they do, and do it confidently!