If you are in the market for a new home, you should make sure to shop for your builder as carefully as you shop for you home. Whether you are buying a condo, townhouse, a home in a subdivision or a custom-built home, you want to know that you are purchasing a quality home from a reputable builder.

So how do you choose the right builder for you? Consider these important tips.

Make a list of possible builders

Once you have established the type of house that you want, you can then move on to create a list of potential builders.

• Contact your local home builders’ association to make up a list of builders who construct homes in your area.
• Take a look in papers or online for a list of builders and current projects going on in your area. Looking through ads and reading articles about new projects can help you learn which builders are active, what types of homes they are experts in, and the prices you could expect to pay.
• The next step is to cut down your list to builders who work within your desired price range.
• Another resource to tap into is contact local real estate agents and see if they have any home builders whose work they love.

Do your homework

If you are looking for a building or remodeling professional, make sure that you have a list of questions that you want to ask when you are ready to conduct interviews.

• Interview potential home builders to get answers to the questions specific to your project.
• After that, visit those builder’s recent projects. A good way to get access to these homes is to simply drive by over the weekend and let the home owners know that you are thinking about hiring the builder that worked on their home. If you can ask them questions about how the build went, even better. The more people you talk with, the more information you will get and a more accurate impression of a builder you will ultimately end up with.
• Some of the best questions to ask include: Are you happy with your home? If you had any issues during the build, were the problems fixed promptly and effectively? Would you buy another home from this builder, or hire them for a renovation or remodel?
• Typically, if a homeowner is happy with a rebuild or remodel, they will be happy to say so. If the job went poorly, chances are good they’ll be willing to complain about it as well.

Shop for quality and value

Look at new homes and projects whenever you are able to. Open houses and home shows are a great opportunity to look at homes and learn about popular builders in your area.

When you are looking at homes, make sure to focus on quality of the construction features such as the cabinetry, flooring, trimwork and paint. Get as many specifics as possible and take copious notes so that you can reference them when you are nearing your final decision.