How to Navigate 2021 Building Delays in Texas

After staring at the inside of their house for a year, it seems that everyone decided to move at the same time. This includes everyone in the San Antonio area. Like the rest of the US, Texas is experiencing building delays in 2021. With the US housing supply at record lows, more and more people are building. This is creating crunches in supply lines still backed up from pandemic shutdowns.

The already overwhelming process of building a home just got a little more complex. That’s why we compiled this list of how to navigate the building challenges of 2021 from your favorite Texas home builder.

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT EARLY

With sky high demand for new houses, the rotating list of out of stock or delayed items is ever changing. An experienced team of homebuilders can mitigate this if their customers make early decisions. Decide your design style, important features, and which can be substituted. This helps your builder complete your Hill Country dream home even with Texas-sized building delays in 2021.

FIND AN EXPERIENCED BUILDER

Now is not the time to take a chance on your sister’s boyfriend’s cousin working out of his mom’s garage. An experienced builder will have a deep understanding of home timelines and lumbar and other shortages. Jason Gale, a founder of Texas Signature Custom Homes has over 15 years in home building. Gale shares that “right now we are having 16 week lead times on brick, windows, and garage doors, so some things we are having to order when we sign a contract.” Needing 4 months notice for basic home materials is not a normal industry standard. I’d rather not roll the dice with your sister’s boyfriend’s cousin, no matter how great his mom says he is.

MAKE LISTS FOR MEETINGS

Before meeting with your architect, designer or builder, be sure to know what you want and what changes you’d like. This is particularly important to do with your architect. Due to the influx of new homes being built, many architects have longer turnaround times, even for minor changes. Delays with your architectural plans have the potential to hold up the rest of the building process.

That is why it is so crucial to organize your thoughts ahead of time and make clear lists of adjustments. This allows your architect to make all the adjustments at once. We suggest looking at your plans and finding kinks you’d like to work out ahead of time. This can help you catch little things, like realizing you need a plug by that countertop for your mixer or a wider doorway in the laundry room. An experienced building team helps you catch these adjustments, but it is still important to consider personal needs.

DON’T ASSUME EVERYTHING WILL BE IN STOCK

Unless you are shopping for fixtures and furniture on Amazon, don’t assume there’s 2 day shipping. Particularly for light fixtures, many choice pieces may be out of stock. Ordering early in the process will help counteract longer lead times for must-haves. We don’t want you to have to miss out on the rattan light pendant or modern farmhouse sink any more than you do! Surprisingly, home furniture is facing similar lead times, particularly when ordering items such as custom couches. Working with an interior designer can help you visualize your space so you can order pieces far enough in advance to have them in time for move in day!

BE WILLING TO PIVOT

When focusing on individual details, you may become convinced that your Hill Country dream home will be ruined if you don’t have the exact outlet you wanted or the specific window covering. While the details matter, they pale in comparison to the overall feel and style of your home. As you lovingly pour over every detail of your home, it can be helpful to take a step back and ask yourself if this aspect is crucial to the style you want or if a substitute would work. This can help you stay focused on the things that really matter and not get stuck in the delays and decision making. I promise your friends will never judge your choice of outlet, and if they do, you don’t need that kind of friend anyway.

While the everchanging delays may feel intimidating, finding a skilled local home builder and making your design decisions confidently and quickly can make your home building process feel seamless.

Schedule a free consultation here for more information on how we navigate building delays!

-The Team at Texas Signature Custom Homes