Build on Your Land

Selecting the right lot is a very important part of the home-building process and choosing the right site ensures a successful project and an ideal environment for your family. Often a custom home buyer will purchase a lot before they determine their budget or design. Both play an important part in determining the ideal lot and positioning of the home on that site.

Additionally, the location of your lot is important when considering the needs of your family and how you like to live. Considerations include the community, amenities, schools, commute, covenants, utilities, taxes, etc.  When selecting RKM Homes as your builder, we work closely with you to consider all these factors when selecting your lot and designing your new home.

Building a Custom Home on Your Own Land

RKM Homes has successfully built scores of houses in platted neighborhoods and developments, making us a leader in Denver custom home construction. And we’ve helped many satisfied homeowners to select lots and floor plans to build their homes.

But maybe you want to buy your own lot, or you already own some land—perhaps you inherited it—and look forward to building the home of your dreams on that special plot of ground. Terrific! RKM Homes is pleased to work with you. But if you’re shopping for a lot for a custom home in Denver or the surrounding area, it’s important to find the right land to build on.

Things to Consider When Looking for a Lot for Your New Home

There are many factors that influence the feasibility of constructing a home on a particular piece of land in or around Denver. Custom homes are by definition unique, and every lot is different. There are lots of practical and logistical issues that can heighten the level of difficulty and add to the cost and timeline. For example:

• Site preparation. Does the lot lend itself to building the kind of house and floorplan you envision? For example, a home design with a walk-out basement will be harder to build on than a completely flat lot. Is the land densely wooded? Then add the time and expense required to clear space to build.
• Cost of construction. If your building site is remote, or you want to build into a steep hillside, your home project may be more complex and challenging for your builder and take longer.
• Driveway length/cost. If you have a beautiful piece of property, but getting to the building site from the road is a challenge, you may see an extra expense for grading and surfacing.
• Building materials. If your home site is especially remote, in the middle of a Colorado winter you’ll be glad your house is built of long-lasting, low-maintenance and energy-efficient materials. These materials will cost more initially, but you should enjoy cost savings over the long term.
• Building codes/restrictions. You’d be surprised at the zoning and building code exceptions that exist in certain jurisdictions. How big a house can you build on how big a lot? How tall can it be? How close to the road and the lot line can it be? These are questions you’ll want to get answered before you consider buying a specific lot.
• Cost of utility hookup. You’ll need energy to light and heat your home and, of course, connections to a sanitary sewer or septic system. For a lot on the edge of a suburban area, this is a simpler and less expensive question than if you’re building in the boonies. A rule of thumb: Extra distance means extra cost, and extra time.

RKM Homes: Your Partner for Custom Home Construction in Denver

If you’re looking to build on your own piece of land, please be assured that RKM Homes has seen it all, having built Denver custom homes on all kinds of property. We know how to work with or work around the unique features of your lot. As we consult with you, we’ll speak frankly about what is feasible and what is not. Most importantly, we’ll work with you to create a truly special home that fits your tastes and your family’s needs—one you can be proud of.

New & Custom Home Builders in Denver, Colorado

One of the first things new homeowners that want to build in Colorado should think about is the floor plan that best suits their lifestyle. You may think of this simply as a set of plans we use to guide the project, but it will also dictate how your family moves throughout the space.

Your floor plan will indicate where people will gather and where you’ll have room for quiet time and relaxation. The following aspects should be considered to help design the flow of your home:

• Number of formal and informal spaces
• How do you prefer to entertain guests
• The balance of shared spaces and private areas
• Whether areas for work or study are required
• What kind of storage space is needed
• Entry points for pets
• Number of people sharing a bathroom

It’s also important to envision how you’ll use your outdoor space. Will it be a private place for your family only or a place for cocktail parties, backyard barbeques, and entertaining guests? These factors will influence the floor plan you choose as the foundation for your new home.

Colorado Custom Home Builder Knows the Importance of the Details

As experienced custom home builder in Denver, we know that the details matter to our clients. Every family has a unique style that can be reflected in elements of their home. Whether you prefer a traditional or modern style, we can customize it to take the shape of your dream home.

Your home is your haven, and it should perfectly match your lifestyle, preferences, and family needs.

How Your Home’s Design Reflects Your Style

Once you’ve decided on a floor plan, it’s time to select your amenities. You may think the minute details are easier to start with. But you’ll find yourself getting lost in the overflowing amounts of options! Instead, as an experienced new home builder in Denver, we recommend that you use a step-by-step strategy to plan your home’s unique features and we have a process that will guide you through your selections.

Defining Your Curb Appeal

Regardless of the style of home you choose, you want it to have visually appealing exterior features. Consider the following to help identify the curb appeal of your home.

• Does your entryway have a large porch with a swing or simply an ample space to welcome your guests?
• Will your home blend in with the neighborhood or stand apart from the crowd?
• Do you prefer brick, stone, siding, stucco or another durable material?

These external features are equally as crucial to the design of your home as the minor internal elements.

Creating Comfort Inside

As new homeowners building in Colorado, RKM Homes thinks of each project as a blank canvas for homeowners. No two projects are alike. There are many exciting and creative choices for designing your custom-built home, from hardwood, LVT to  carpeting and choosing between recessed or traditional lighting fixtures.

We recommend starting with the “big picture” and considering the following questions to get your custom interior design started.

• Do you prefer traditional, modern, or another style of furniture?
• What activities will be done in each room?
• How will technology be infused into your home, if at all?
• Are there features you can add that will encourage your family to spend time together?

Having so many possibilities can feel overwhelming for some families. But our professional team from RKM Homes will help make creating your dream home easy and enjoyable.

Financing

RKM Homes is a pre-approved builder of record for numerous financial institutions and mortgage brokers in the Denver metro area. If we are not already approved with your institution or broker, you can have confidence knowing that we will handle all the paperwork to gain approval. Additionally, we qualify for VA loans in support of our veterans.

Don’t have financing yet? No problem, RKM Homes has partnered with several financial institutions to provide you with construction loan products that your can convert to a mortgage at the end of the project. Our partners offer competitive rates and have experience with our organization and our process which ensures your peace of mind.

Denver Custom Home Financing

Finding the perfect home can be a difficult task, especially if you have a list of specifications needed to ensure that you and your family feel completely comfortable and at peace. Though there are a wide variety of housing options available in Denver, many of those in the housing market decide to construct an entirely new house to perfectly meet their needs.

Constructing a home from the ground up will mostly likely require you to take out a construction loan.

What is a construction loan?

Construction loans are short-term loans that finance all of the major expenses of building a house. Common expenses of this type include:

• Building permits
• Foundation and engineering
• Subcontractor labor or expenses such as plumbing, heating, AC, electrical and more
• Home/roof framing
• Roofing and siding
• Interior finish
• and others

RKM Homes is pre-approved by a multitude of mortgage brokers and financial institutions in the greater Denver, Douglas, Elbert and Arapahoe County areas. If you’re seeking approval with a broker or institution that isn’t one of our pre-approved partners, RKM Homes will take care of any paperwork involved to ensure that approval is gained on your loan so you can begin your custom home construction in Denver as soon as possible.

Custom Home Construction in Denver: Construction Loans vs Traditional Loans 

When planning the financing of a new home, most future homeowners will seek a construction loan. Construction loans are short-term, you pay interest only payments during the construction period. Construction loans are also designed to pay off construction-specific costs in a timely manner, so your construction schedule won’t be interrupted due to lack of funding.

Depending on the available capital, homeowners can pay off whatever they can following the completion of the home and transfer whatever else is owed into a traditional mortgage plan. These options are typically divided into two construction loan choices, however, today most homeowners are opting for a construction to permanent loan product so they have only one closing. RKM Homes is experienced with helping clients to make sense of the options available to you based upon your individual needs. 

Again, to reiterate, if you have definitive construction plans and timelines already put in place for your custom home in the Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas or Elbert County area, you’ll want to seek a construction-to-permanent loan. In this type of loan, your builders will be paid by the bank as the work is being carried out with that cost eventually being converted to a mortgage once construction is complete. This option will lock interest rates and prevent you from having to find a second lender to pay off your construction loan mortgage.

If you have a good amount of capital on hand and want to pay off your home’s construction entirely once the building is finished, you could choose a construction-only loan or a short term loan that is amortized over 5/7/10 years. If you need to take out a mortgage in order to cover what you spent, you have a choice to make to opt for the construction to perm loan or a separate mortgage loan at the end of the project.

Your knowledge of your lending options is a must when building a custom home in Denver as they provide different financing options based on available capital as well as various mortgage needs and preferences.

Denver Custom Home Financing: The Key to Your Dream Home

When it comes to Denver custom home construction, RKM Homes is your go-to for a contractor service that takes a hands-on approach every step of the way, making sure that your new home will be to your exact specifications and desires. With the right construction loan from a trusted lender, you’ll be able to build your dream home from the ground up in record time with a wide variety of payment options.

Warranty

RKM Homes warranties the construction of your home. Additionally, most manufacturers offer warranties that can transfer to you upon completion of your project.

Structural warranties are also available providing additional peace of mind. RKM Homes will take responsibility to ensure your home meets all of the requirements and we will submit all paperwork to qualify for your home for a structural warranty.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency means more than your home’s mechanicals and appliances. At RKM Homes, we ensure that the construction of your home meets or exceeds the latest building codes. Additionally, as we design your home, we will discuss material options to minimize your heat and air conditioning loss, and maximize the effectiveness of your mechanicals generally exceeding all construction building requirements.

During our discussions, we will explore different levels of energy-efficient mechanicals and appliances so you understand the pros and cons of each as you make your selections. We will provide you with a detailed spec sheet outlining your selections to ensure they meet your expectations.