10 Questions to Ask Your Home Builder

Whether you’re building a new construction home for the first time or you’ve been through the process before, knowing what to expect can make all the difference in your experience. And while many homebuilders offer beautiful homes and floor plans, the process of building with them can be very different.

At Eastbrook Homes, we believe asking the right questions and understanding your options are key to feeling confident in one of life’s biggest investments. Before signing a contract, here are 10 important questions to ask your home builder to help you compare your options and know what to expect along the way.

1. How will I receive updates and communicate with my team during construction?

Building a home involves a lot of moving parts, so regular communication ensures everything stays on track and aligns with your expectations. Before signing your contract, ask your builder how they plan to keep you informed throughout the construction process and what kind of communication you can expect along the way. Establishing clear touchpoints from the beginning helps you stay up to date on progress, understand what comes next, and feel confident as your new home takes shape.

Your Eastbrook team is available to message throughout your building journey using the Eastbrook Homes app. Rather than juggling emails, phone calls, and documents, you’ll have one convenient place to stay connected and informed as your new home takes shape. With our app, you can:

• Message directly with your Eastbrook team
• Receive construction progress updates
• Stay on top of important action items and appointments
• Access important documents and information
• Follow along with construction milestones

… and more!

And the app doesn’t stop being useful once you move in! You’ll continue to have access to important homeowner information and communication with your Eastbrook team. Learn more about the Eastbrook Homes app and download it here. 

2. Will I need a construction loan, and are there additional financing costs?

A mortgage construction loan is a short-term financing option used to fund the building of a new home. While a traditional mortgage provides a lump sum for an existing home, a construction loan is disbursed in draws as the project progresses. Having to take out a separate construction loan can increase your upfront expenses, with down payment requirements potentially reaching 20–25% of the total project cost. You may also face additional closing costs, which can be approximately $1,200 higher than a traditional mortgage, along with construction-loan interest payments that could total 8,000–10,000 throughout the building process.

When you build with Eastbrook, we carry the cost of construction for you! This means you won’t need a separate construction loan or have to make construction loan interest payments while your home is being built. And unlike some builders, we don’t charge you an additional fee for carrying those construction costs.

Getting started is simple. You’ll begin with a mortgage pre-approval and an earnest money deposit. Once you’ve finalized your design selections in our Home Creation Studio, you’ll provide a 10% deposit, and Eastbrook takes care of the construction expenses throughout your build. As your home nears completion, our Closing Manager will work closely with you and your lender to coordinate your final mortgage (also known as an end loan) and help make the closing process as smooth as possible.

Before choosing a builder, be sure to ask whether you’ll need a construction loan, how much you’ll be required to put down upfront, and whether you’ll be responsible for additional interest payments, closing costs, or construction financing fees.

Learn more about how we simplify the building process by carrying the cost of construction on our blog. 

3. How will I know what my home will cost before signing a contract?

Building a new home is an exciting investment, but it’s important to understand what’s included in the price. Some builders price homesites, structural options, and upgrades separately, so be sure to ask what’s included, how additional options are priced, and when your final price will be determined.

Your Eastbrook Sales Agent will help you create a Home Pricing Guide (HPG), providing an initial estimate based on your home plan, homesite, and selected options. As you explore different choices, your Sales Agent can update your estimate to help you stay on budget.

When you sign your initial contract, your base home and homesite prices are locked in. Once you’ve finalized your design selections, your final home price is locked in too, protecting you from rising construction costs. You’ll also complete your deposit at the Home Creation Studio, bringing your total deposit to 10% of your home’s price.

Have more questions? Explore our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about pricing and the building process.

4. If I am personalizing my home, where will I make my design selections, and who will help me?

Designing a home comes with plenty of exciting choices! Depending on your builder, you may need to visit multiple showrooms and suppliers to select flooring, cabinetry, countertops, and more. Ask where you’ll make your selections and what design guidance is available to help bring everything together.

At Eastbrook, our newly renovated 4,000-square-foot Home Creation Studio brings a wide variety of materials, finishes, and features together in one convenient location, making it easier to envision your future home.

We also offer different ways to build! Our Collections Service features professionally curated selections for a faster, more streamlined experience, while Enhanced and Premier Services offer greater personalization with guidance from our design professionals. No matter which path you choose, every Eastbrook home is built to the same quality standards.

Learn more from Ann Wierengo, Senior Director of the Home Creation Studio and Customer Experience, as she explains the design process in this short video.

5. Can the price of my home increase during construction?

Depending on your builder’s pricing structure, the final cost of your home could change during construction. Some builders use cost-plus contracts, where increases in material or labor costs can affect the final price you pay. Before signing, ask when your price is locked in and whether rising construction costs could be passed along to you.

With Eastbrook Homes, once you sign your initial contract, the base price of your home and your homesite are locked in. After you’ve completed your design selections, finalized your pricing, and provided your final deposit, we lock in that price as well. This means that even if material costs increase while your home is being built, Eastbrook won’t pass those increases along to you. It’s one of the many ways our Eastbrook Guarantee helps give you peace of mind throughout the building process.

Read more about what our Eastbrook Guarantee offers in our blog. 

6. What does my home warranty cover, and who handles warranty service?

Even with the best builders, things sometimes go wrong unexpectedly. Understanding what’s covered in your home warranty, for how long, if there are maintenance requirements to make a claim and other details helps you plan ahead for those just-in-case future expenses. It’s most important to read the exclusions section of your warranty ahead of time, so you know what’s expected of you.

At Eastbrook Homes, our commitment to our homeowners doesn’t end at closing. Every Eastbrook home includes a one-year limited warranty, along with additional structural coverage outlined in our Homeowners Guide. But what really sets our warranty experience apart is that we manage our warranty service in-house. When you have a question or concern, you’ll work directly with Eastbrook employees rather than a third-party warranty company.

Our homes come with a 1-year limited warranty service. During this time, we have 3 set appointments. At 30 days, we come back to do a paint touch-up for any dings that may have happened during the move-in process, and we review the warranty together. After that, we have a scheduled 90-day meeting to discuss any concerns or issues you may have noticed in the first 3 months and work together to address them. Finally, we come back at the first year mark to take care of any screw pops or drywall cracks as well as review any concerns or issues that you may have experienced in that time. 

At Eastbrook, we believe in our product and want to ensure you have the best experience in our homes. We make it a point to check in and ensure your satisfaction, but you can also check in outside of these meetings if the need arises. After decades of building homes, we know that questions and unexpected situations can come up throughout homeownership. Whether you’re within your warranty period or have a question years down the road, our team takes pride in helping homeowners understand their options and find the right next steps.

We love to be transparent! Explore the details of our full warranty, detailed in our Homeowners Guide.

7. Can I tour completed homes and hear from previous homeowners?

There’s nothing quite like walking through a completed home to experience a builder’s craftsmanship firsthand. Touring model homes and reading homeowner testimonials can help you get a feel for the quality of construction, design options, and overall building experience. It’s also a great opportunity to hear from homeowners about what it’s like to work with the builder, both during construction and after moving in. 

Our customers are always encouraged to tour our model homes or read through our homeowner testimonials. To book a tour, simply browse our Move-In Homes or Model Homes online and submit a request to tour one or more that pique your interest. Select model homes are even available to tour on your own time, without making an appointment. Our self-guided tours are convenient and easy, done right from your computer or smartphone. 

Explore our model homes and homeowner testimonials to learn more about what makes customers fall in love with Eastbrook Homes. 

8. What energy-efficient features are included, and how do you test your homes’ performance?

Energy efficiency is an important consideration when building a new home. While many builders offer energy-efficient windows, insulation, and appliances, the materials used are only part of the equation. How those materials are installed and how the home performs as a whole can make a big difference in comfort and energy usage. Ask your builder what energy-efficient features are included as standard and how they verify their homes are performing as intended. Do they conduct performance testing, such as a blower door test, or simply rely on the prescribed materials and construction methods used? Understanding the difference can help you compare builders and feel confident in the quality of your new home.

At Eastbrook Homes, we believe every home should be built with energy efficiency in mind. That’s why our E3 energy-efficiency standards are included in every home we build, no matter which process or floor plan you choose. From insulation and windows to the way we seal and construct our homes, we focus on creating a comfortable, energy-efficient living environment. But we don’t just rely on the materials we use, we also test how our homes perform. Through blower door testing, we measure how much air leaks through a home’s exterior, helping us verify that the home is performing as intended. It’s one more way we work to give you more home for your money. 

Click through our interactive E3 guide to discover how we’re raising the bar on home energy efficiency.

9. How do I secure a lot?

When it comes to securing a home lot, there are some builders who encourage you to pick the lot first, before you have decided on what home plan you’ll use. You might think, “That makes sense because you need a homesite to build on before you start building the home.” However, we suggest thinking about this from a more proactive perspective. Before reserving a homesite, ask whether your preferred floor plan and structural options have been reviewed for that lot. It’s also worth asking whether a lot reservation secures your home pricing or if those costs will be determined later.

At Eastbrook, we take a more comprehensive approach to helping you choose your home and homesite together. Maybe you’ve already fallen in love with one of our floor plans and are looking for the right place to build it. Or perhaps you’ve found a community you love and want to explore which homes will work best there. Either way, our Sales Team will help you find the right combination, considering your preferred floor plan, structural options, and the characteristics of the homesite. Our typical process brings your home and homesite together under one contract, so you can move forward knowing that the home you’ve chosen is a good fit for the lot where you’ll build it.

Learn more about our process to understand how each step works and what to expect when building with Eastbrook. 

10. What does the building process look like, and how long will it take?

Building a new home is exciting, but understanding the timeline is an important part of planning for your move. Whether you’re selling your current home, relocating, or hoping to move before the next school year, knowing what to expect can help you prepare for the journey ahead. Before choosing a builder, ask about the major steps in their building process, when you’ll make design decisions, and what factors could affect your completion date. It’s also worth asking whether they offer different building options based on your timeline and how involved you’d like to be in the design process.

At Eastbrook Homes, we know that every buyer has different priorities. That’s why we offer four different paths to homeownership, each designed around different timelines and levels of personalization. Whether you prefer professionally curated selections through our Collections Service, want more personalization with Enhanced or Premier Service, or are looking for a Move-In Home that’s already under construction or complete, we’ll help you find the experience that works best for you. Your Eastbrook team will walk you through the process, explain what to expect along the way, and help you feel confident about the next steps.

Browse our Collections for design inspiration!

Feel Confident About Your Decision to Build

Choosing the right homebuilder is an important part of creating a great homebuilding experience. By asking the right questions, you’ll have a better understanding of what each builder offers, what to expect along the way, and which option is the best fit for you.

At Eastbrook Homes, we believe an informed homebuyer is a confident homebuyer. We’d love the opportunity to answer your questions, walk you through our process, and help you discover what’s possible with Eastbrook.