The Blue Ridge Mountains is one of the most serene places to build a home. This location is famous for its natural environment, access to clean water and fresh air, and a small but tightly-knit community that comprises of 1210 people.
Choosing to set up a home in the breath-taken location is a rather easy decision to make once you get to experience its ambiance. However, building a home needs a more careful approach.
Building a custom bespoke home requires you to get the right builder and ask them the right questions concerning their professional experience and insight into the area.
Some of the top questions you should be asking the builder include their licensing and insurance, previous experience, complete insight into the community within the specific area you want to build, and the type of amenities you’ll have access to.
Let’s dive into building a house in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the questions that will ensure you’re using a great builder and building in the right place.
Why Should You Consider Building a Home in the Blue Ridge Mountains?
The Blue Ridge Mountains provide an alluring location for any high-end homeowner to set up their permanent residence. The area has a ton of benefits that would attract any homeowner seeking a fulfilling homeownership experience on top of picturesque peaks.
Here are the top ones.
Scenic Natural Beauty
They are filled with green woods, towering mountain peaks, and flowing waterfalls that beautify the place all season. Therefore, you’re set to wake up to breathtaking views daily, surrounded by nature, which takes on a new shade every season.
Relaxed Lifestyle
In this exclusive area, life is more laid back than the city lifestyle. Therefore, setting up a home in the mountains will keep you away from the fast-paced city life, allowing you to embrace a calm and relaxed lifestyle.
Moreover, you can engage better with your neighbors and enjoy a small-town atmosphere that consists of a tightly-knit community.
Plenty of Recreational Opportunities
As part of the laidback lifestyle, these mountains also offers easy access to various recreational opportunities such as hiking, walking, and discovering hidden natural gems such as waterfalls.
Therefore, this location suits a casual explorer and thrill seekers who want to spend their free time doing exciting stuff outside the house.
Rich Culture and Festivals
It’s a place filled with rich traditions, history, and culture. Therefore, there are active art scenes, beautiful villages, and live music that you can interact with and learn more about the community and the natives.
You can also add their year-round festivals to your recreational list, giving you plenty of activities to embark on in the area as a homeowner and new resident.
Multiple Investment Opportunities
Even if you don’t plan on living in the Blue Ridge Mountains permanently, building a house in this location is a smart financial move. This region is growing more popular with tourists who flock in all seasons, placing a significant demand on holiday rentals.
Therefore, you can set up a house that also serves as a source of passive income from the large amount of tourist traffic, allowing you to make money off your property when you’re not using it.
Questions You Should Ask a Builder When Building in the Blue Ridge Mountains
The prospect of building and owning a home in the Blue Ridge Mountains is already too enticing. However, for the best experience, you must team up with the right builder and ask them the right questions about building a home and owning one in the specific area you’ve chosen.
Here are the top questions you should ask.
Experience and Portfolio of Past Work
The first set of questions has to do with assessing the experience and reliability of the builder. Therefore, one of the first questions you should ask should be about their experience and portfolio.
The builder should not just have general experience but rather specific experience building houses closer to the design you need. Therefore, the expertise must be relevant to your project, with a decent number of years working in the area to affirm the stated experience.
Typically, a builder with five to ten years of experience is a good bet. The more years of experience, the more you can trust their work and results.
Experienced builders typically have a more reliable crew, meaning their work and schedule are dependable. Moreover, they have a larger work portfolio of similar projects within the Blue Ridge Mountains, making them an obvious choice for your project.
Are They Licensed and Insured?
Licensing and insurance are crucial requirements for selecting a builder in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Contractors and builders who lack proper licensing and insurance pose a huge risk to your project.
Working with a licensed and insured builder shields you financially in case something goes wrong and the project has to be halted.
A legitimate and trustworthy builder will not be hesitant to provide proof of their licensure and insurance. Often, they’ll have this information displayed on their portfolio or company website.
Communication Style
Builders have varying communication styles. However, experienced, reputable, and trustworthy ones are accommodative to a client’s communication preferences. Therefore, you should establish your communication expectations with the builder as early as possible and ensure you agree on details such as the frequency of communication and method.
This will ensure you have a smoother interaction throughout the building process, and you can coordinate changes efficiently.
The Community Around the Area
Apart from asking the builder questions concerning their expertise and communication, you should also leverage their experience to learn more about the community in the specific area and the lifestyle.
Highly experienced builders with a large portfolio of projects within the area will have insightful statements to make about the community.
For instance, they’ll be able to advise whether a gate or non-gated community works best for the area, given any privacy concerns. This might not have to do with the neighbors, but totally your preferences in terms of whether you want your neighbors to see who walks in or out of your property and the activities you have within the residence.
Some communities might have a few building guidelines in place that the builder will be aware of and advise you on them accordingly.
The Type of Amenities and Infrastructure Available
Amenities and infrastructure are often not spread evenly across a location. Therefore, despite building a home in the Blue Ridge Mountains area, your access to specific amenities or infrastructure might vary.
If you’re working with an experienced builder, they’ll advise if the infrastructure and amenities close to you, such as cabling, are complete. You’ll also get better insight into the water supply, septic or sewer access, and telephone service.
Rely on Experts
It’s exciting to finally build a house or your dream home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, before you commit your hard-earned money to the project, talk to the experts, and let’s help you set up your dream home in this beautiful location.
Author Bio
Parker Platt, AIA, is the esteemed President and Principal Architect at PLATT, overseeing the design direction of all projects. PLATT has been in business for over 40 years and is a full-service architecture, construction, and interior design firm based in Brevard, North Carolina and serving clients throughout the Southern Appalachian Highlands and beyond.
