Tulsa Custom Home Builder
Sonrise Construction, Owner Mike Fournier, Tulsa's Full Service General Contractor, is a custom home builder. We do not build in the cartel neighborhoods; not that there is anything wrong with being a member of the cartel. Many of our builder friends are. We here at Sonrise Construction, though, prefer to be known solely as a "custom" home builder. We want our customers to be able to work with us in making up to 100% of the choices for how they want their home built; something that you can't get if building a cartel home.
We believe that there is definitely a market for spec homes, track homes, and the large mega-builder neighborhoods owned and run by the cartel. But that is not for us. If you own your own lot or piece of land, then you have just taken the first step towards having a custom home built.
Please don't think that a custom home is only for you if you want a million-dollar mansion; that is far from the truth. You can have a beautiful custom home built for you for our minimum entry point of $250,000, just like you can if you want your dream home to be $2.5 million. In the simplest terms, custom means that YOU, the customer, choose what goes into your home; and that you are not forced by the builder to choose from his pre-approved list of colors, bricks, and sizes of bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.
As a custom home builder, we here at Sonrise Construction have minimum standards that you must allow our subs to adhere to, as our name will forever be attached to your home. Since most customers move every 5-7 years, our home will be standing for many decades after you have left. Building a custom home gives you, the customer, the control that you need and that you won't get if you are building a spec home, a track home, or from a cartel's list of five favorite floor plans.
In order for Sonrise Construction to build your dream home, these are the first steps:
1. You Own the Lot or Piece of Land
The first step toward building a custom home is owning the lot or piece of land where you want your home to be built. There are a few cartel neighborhoods, such as Forest Ridge in BA, that allow for variances to have a custom home builder like us build on one of their lots; but the list is short. For every 10 cartel neighborhoods that do not allow anyone but a cartel builder, you will probably only find 1 of 10 that are willing to grant variances.
There are hundreds of Realtors in Tulsa, Oklahoma who will help you find the perfect lot or piece of land just for you. I can easily refer you to 36 Realtors that I know and have worked with. Finding the right property is an important first step because your lot will influence the size, layout, placement, and overall possibilities for your future custom home.
Once you own your own lot or piece of land, you have completed the first major step toward building a home that is designed specifically around your needs and preferences. Rather than starting with a predetermined neighborhood plan, you can begin the process with your own property and your own vision.
2. Have a Design Drafted
Once you own the lot or piece of land, the next step is to have a design drafted if you do not already own one. We can build your custom home from a set of blueprints that you purchase online; or you can work with one of our local Architects to design your dream home floor plan.
The design phase is daunting, and it is where some customers throw in the towel. Many find it easier just to buy an existing home or to buy a new home from a cartel builder that has narrowed your choice of floor plans down to his five favorite floor plans. If this is you, no worries, please pursue that approach.
But if you seriously want to build a dream home, it can take you many months to search and find not only the perfect lot or piece of land, and then even longer than that to find the perfect set of blueprints from either an online source or from one of our local Architects.
What is even more frustrating is the cost to modify an online plan that you might find. They might sell you the whole plan for $3,000, but then want an additional $5,000 if you want changes done to it.
That is why we recommend hiring one of our local Architects to work with you in designing your perfect dream home. You will know right up front how much it will cost, how long it will take once it is sent to CAD, and that your changes are complimentary once you make it to that stage.
It is not uncommon for the planning and design stage to take several months, especially if you are just starting with an idea. Designing a custom home takes time because there are many decisions to make, and the goal is to create a home that works for you rather than simply choosing from a limited selection of pre-designed plans.
The design stage is also where you can begin turning your ideas into something concrete. You can think about the way you want your rooms arranged, the size of your bedrooms and bathrooms, the kitchen, the exterior appearance, and all of the other elements that make a house feel like your home. With a custom home, those choices are part of the process.
3. Get Your Construction Loan Financing
After you own the lot or piece of land, and after you own the blueprints, the next step is for you to get your own construction loan financing. There is no such thing as a custom home builder that "carries" the financing for you. If he is carrying the financing for you, then he is more than likely a member of the cartel, and is building you a spec home, and not a true custom home.
That means, if you bug out on him for any reason, then he is the one left holding the debt, and he must finish and sell the home in hopes of not losing money. The financing structure is therefore an important part of understanding the difference between building a true custom home and purchasing a home that a builder has already decided to construct.
We have well over a dozen Bankers that would love to earn your business. If your bank does not specialize in construction loan financing, let one of our Bankers assist you.
Our Bankers will request a copy of your blueprints, and will order an appraisal from the blueprints. They will then base your construction loan financing upon the value the appraiser assigns to your blueprints
Having the lot, blueprints, and financing in place allows the project to move forward toward the construction phase. These steps are important because they establish the foundation for the project before construction begins. Once the necessary financing is arranged, Sonrise Construction can move closer to preparing everything required to begin building your home.
4. Preparing to Break Ground
If you've gotten through the first three steps with us, there are still other steps for Sonrise Construction to complete, but we're getting real close. We will then gather permits, gather quotes, line up subs, schedule the scope of work calendar of events, and then ultimately — BREAKING GROUND! Wu Hu!
Your dream will now unfold in living color.
Breaking ground is the moment when the planning, design, financing, and preparation finally become construction. All of the decisions you have made throughout the process begin to take shape on your own lot or piece of land.
As a custom home builder, Sonrise Construction works with customers who want to have a greater level of control over how their home is built. From the beginning, the goal is to give the customer the ability to make the choices that matter to them, rather than being restricted to a builder's predetermined selection of floor plans, colors, bricks, room sizes, and other features.
A custom home does not have to mean a million-dollar mansion. Whether your budget is at our minimum entry point of $250,000 or your dream home is $2.5 million, the fundamental idea remains the same: you are choosing what goes into your home. The home is being built around your choices, your property, and your vision.
Sonrise Construction believes there is a place for spec homes, track homes, and large mega-builder neighborhoods. However, our preference is to focus on being known as a custom home builder. We want our customers to have the opportunity to participate in the process and make the choices that will ultimately define their home.
If you own your own lot or piece of land and are considering building a custom home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the process begins with those first important steps. Find your property, develop your blueprints, secure your construction loan financing, and then work with Sonrise Construction as the project moves toward permits, quotes, subcontractors, scheduling, and finally construction.
The process can take time. Finding the right lot can take time. Designing the right home can take months. Financing and preparation also require planning. But if you are serious about building a dream home that reflects your own choices, those steps are part of what makes a custom home different.
At Sonrise Construction, our name will forever be attached to the home we build. That is why we have minimum standards that our subcontractors must adhere to. While you may eventually move to another home, the home we build will continue to stand for many decades. We take that responsibility seriously.
Building a custom home gives you, the customer, the control that you need. You are not limited to a short list of pre-approved choices. Instead, you have the opportunity to work through the process and make decisions about how you want your home built.
So, if you own your own lot or piece of land and have been thinking about building your dream home, you have already taken the first step. The next steps are finding or creating the right blueprints, arranging your construction loan financing, and preparing for construction.
And then, after the permits are gathered, quotes are collected, subcontractors are lined up, and the scope of work calendar is scheduled, it is time for the moment everyone has been waiting for:
BREAKING GROUND!
Your dream home is ready to unfold in living color.