Building in Jacksonville
Jacksonville lies about twelve miles northeast of Little Rock, and Little Rock Air Force Base sits within its city limits. Many people building here are planning around a job, a posting or a retirement date, so two questions come up early: how long the build will take, and how well the house will suit whoever lives in it next.
Building when you might move
If there's a chance you'll be reassigned or relocate, build a house that will be easy to sell or rent. Popular layouts, a garage that fits full-size trucks, sensible bedroom counts and durable, neutral finishes tend to hold their appeal. Spend on things a future owner will also value, such as a good roof, efficient heating and cooling and solid windows, before highly personal details.
Talk with your lender about construction financing before you choose a builder. Loan types handle construction draws differently, and some builders work more smoothly with certain lenders than others.
What really drives a build schedule
A new home's timeline depends on more than construction days. Design and pricing, financing, permits, your selections, inspections and weather all take time, and a delay in one step pushes everything after it.
Ask each builder for a written schedule with milestones, not just a finish date, and ask what they need from you and by when. Ask how many homes they're building at once and who supervises yours day to day. If you have a hard move-in date, say so up front and ask how they'd plan around it.
Check the lot before you buy it
Before you buy land, find out how it drains and whether any part of it is in a mapped flood zone on FEMA's flood maps. Confirm where water, sewer and power connect, and look for easements that could limit where the house or a future garage can go.
A builder can often spot problems on a lot in one visit, so consider asking one to walk it with you before you close. Check current requirements with the city before you sign a building contract.
Builders serving Jacksonville
A Jacksonville custom home builder and remodeler is listed here, along with Little Rock, Maumelle, Benton and Vilonia builders that name Jacksonville or central Arkansas, a plan-based builder that builds on your land, and post-frame and metal building companies for garages and shops. Ask each builder for recent homes you can see, and check license status with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Jacksonville (Pulaski County), FEMA Flood Map Service Center, Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board