WHAT TO BRING - HOW TO GET STARTED

We would like to give you a brief description of how our process works. We use a unique approach to design and building. When you are ready to sit down and talk with David and Janet Compo, it is best that you prepare in order for us to help you get the most out of our time together. The following is a general list of what we would like you to bring with you:

1. If you have property already, bring any plat and legal description that you might have. Bring a topographical survey if possible and any perk test or restriction information about the property.  If you have any  setback requirements from the lot lines or Homeowner Association guidelines, bring them as well. This information will help us develop the parameters of how your home will sit on the property and will allow us to give you a more accurate budget for the project.

2. If you have not yet selected property for your new home, make a list of the key features that would interest you.  What community, is lake frontage important, wooded, walkout or acreage?  If a sub, corner or cul-de-sac?  How large of a lot do you want?  Is City water and Sewer important?  Etc.  After we reviewing your list, we can provide you with information on property we have in inventory that appears to fit your needs. As a Real Estate Broker,  we can also conduct a property search to find you the right piece of land for your project.  In addition to the currently listed properties we have a number of industry connections that may have a suitable property to meet your needs.

Note: there are several advantages to building on a piece of land that we have available, which we can share with you during our meeting if there is a fit.

DECIDING ON A PROPERTY IS FIRST.

3. Take some time and decide on your budget. This is not as difficult as it seems, it may just take a little investigation. Determine how much equity you have in your existing home and/or new property, any investments that you may want to liquidate to make the project possible and talk to a financial institution to find out your borrowing capability. Make certain that you are comfortable with whatever the payment may be with that institution. We do not carry the cost of construction to the end of the project. As a company we require either draws from you through out the build process or in the way of a construction draw loan through your lending institution.

Some of the banks most familiar with this are Republic Bank and Countywide Home Loans.  We can answer your questions on loan and financing options in greater detail when we meet. A key reason that your budget is so important is that we design your home or home/lot combination to your budget.  This is a major benefit to working with a Design Builder.  You determine what the final cost will be and we design to that number. This avoids a lot of wasted effort on everyone’s part.  We will give you honest numbers based on the feature list you are interested in and together we will decide if we are a fit for each other.

4. If you have a floor plan and a design that you have decided upon, you still need to decide on your budget.  The cost of a house can vary widely depending on the features desired and the specific components used.  The problem with going to an outside Designer or Architect is that unless these professionals are also Builders they won't know the real cost of construction TODAY.  You may be in for some unfortunate or uncomfortable surprises in regard to what a specific plan with certain features will really cost to build in today's market. Construction pricing changes seasonally, monthly and sometimes even weekly, depending on supply and demand for the different building products or trades. Only a Builder that is building on a regular basis can give you an idea of what your parameters may be. This is the reason that we design to the budget and the needs of our customers.  We feel that by providing a completely custom design, from scratch is the best way to give you the most for your money.  We don't design in one square foot of space that is not requested, discussed and helps meet a need stated by the customer and, is within the stated budget.

For us to effectively discuss your dream home or remodeling job, you will be well served if you can bring the following:

A)  Your scrapbook or file of ideas or designs that you have collected.  Any pictures, floor plans, outside elevations you like, etc.  Any architectural design elements that you might have seen in a magazine.  We will do our best to create for you a one of a kind home that incorporates everything that can possibly fit based on the parameters of the project.

B)  A list of your priorities for the home, broken down to 3 separate groupings:

(1)  Key Features - Things that must be included

(2)  Second Level Features - Things we would like to have

(3)  Third Level Features - If these can fit into the design and budget, we would like them as well.

These items may include anything, I.e.  exterior elevation and materials, porches, decks, interior ceiling heights, minimum room sizes, pantry, main floor master, type of cabinets and countertops, number of of fireplaces and locations, type of windows and trim, specialty lighting, interior columns, structured wiring for house sound, computer and security, central Vac, type of technology for energy efficiency, flooring, indoor pools and spas, heated floors, type of interior ceilings like coffered, vaulted, timber frame, tray, pan etc., three season rooms, screen porches – you get the idea. If it has any level of importance to you and there is a cost associated with it, then put it on the appropriate list.

C.  Pages from magazines or pictures of homes that you have driven by that you have fallen in love with.

D.  Any stock or book plans that you may be attracted to (even if it is just one room or a partial lay out that caught your fancy)

E.   A list of anything that you absolutely dislike in homes or find distasteful.

F.   Share with us the way that you and your family entertain.

G.   Your overall budget 

H.   Your Lot information or a list of the features you want in a lot

I.     Bring your checkbook.

If we jointly decide to move forward after our first meeting we require a non-refundable deposit towards the design.  This deposit is applied to the cost of the home or remodeling job as long as we build it. This is less than what an Architect would charge but is required to cover a portion of the design time required by Janet and David Compo in the event that the project stops with the design phase. Compo Design work is trademarked and may not be built by another contractor. It is for the exclusive use by you and James D. Compo, Inc., inclusive to that relationship only. This charge is based on the scope of the project and will range from $1,000.00 to $4,000.00, but will be applied towards your down payment for the project when it goes to contract. The hand drawn scale design will be in 1/8" = 1’-0" scale for the floor plans and front elevation if required. The actual working plans will be created in CAD and are made from these drawings.

As a Design Builder for the last 45 years, the Compo Design Team has established an unprecedented reputation for space efficiency. If there is a better way to design a floor plan for maximum usable space rest assured that Compo will find it. Unnecessary hallways or unused storage space are two elements that you won't find in a Compo home.  If we can give you more space to live in or allow you more storage we will incorporate it as a matter of course.  It is how we have been building homes for our customers for over 45 years. Our use of space and common sense for design that is second to none. While trying to include as much flare and WOW effect as you require within your needs, we will also make as many suggestions as necessary to keep you within your budget. Make no mistake, EVERYONE wants more that they can afford, whether it's a $50,000 remodeling job or a $2,000,000.00 home!  We feel it is our job to keep you on the right track and within the parameters that you set for the project.

We hope that this general outline helps prepare you for your first meeting and look forward to setting down with you.  We are sure that you'll have several questions for us during the appointment, which we will be happy to answer.  We understand that taking on any building project is a huge undertaking.  With over 1000 Custom Homes under our belt, we understand that honesty and communication are both paramount to a successful working relationship. How well do we do in this regard?  Let us share with you that many of our customers come back to us time and again.  Many have becoming close personal friends. Our customers goals are our goals. We believe that we both must succeed for either one of us to succeed. We must develop a comfort level with each other for us to perform for you as we have for hundreds of other customers. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss with you your dream home or your dream remodel job.

To set up an appointment, please contact David S. Compo, our Vice President to start the dialog and set an appointment to discuss your plans. You can e-mail him at comporei@earthlink.net or call him at:

248-477-2533 Office
248-640-1488 Cell

Thank you for considering the Compo Team.  You are one step closer to making your Dream Home a reality!

 May all your dreams come true!