Advice always seems to be in great supply, doesn't it? This free-wheeling commodity is at no cost to you and can be somewhat laced with heavy opinion, but is always available, especially where real estate is concerned. Some homebuyers in the throes of purchasing a newly constructed home may be ripe victims for unsolicited advice by well-meaning friends, relatives, or real estate agents with their own agendas. Buy from this builder; buy in that area; single stories are better investments; make sure you read about the builder's warranty and find out about its reputation. Serious stuff worthy of note, but let's face it; none of these individuals will be making your house payment for you . . .

If you're hunting for professional advice and want to feel like the informed consumer, however, there are some good books out there to add to your information library. The wisdom contained within them, if heeded, may not only save you time, money, and headaches, but also relieve your advice-givers of the responsiblity they may come to feel in connection to their warnings.

Admittedly, not many books are available in the plain English most of us would understand on the subject of home construction and what to watch out for. Many are for industry-immersed tradesmen. Several consumer books, I have found, however, can be immensely helpful, intensely informative, and sometimes quite entertaining to the would-be buyer wishing to select, monitor, and take credit for what will (hopefully) be a quality built home.

"Your New House: The Alert Consumer's Guide to Buying and Building a Quality Home" by Alan Fields and Denise Fields, is an up-to-date reference guide for those in the process of building their own home. From tipping the reader off on Internet savings opportunities for both mortgages and building products to providing a key list of questions for any consumer to ask of their builder, architect, or inspector, this book makes the reader feel more in control of the process. Its enlightening information and style makes it fun to read, and may also make the typical buyer thinking of building a custom home think twice before doing so, with no attempt to whitewash the complexity of the process.

"Build It Right!" by Myron E. Ferguson and edited by Linda West is a detailed, diagrammed guide to the building process, but not incomprehensible to the average homebuyer intending to build their American Dream. Ferguson admits that some of the most expensive choices in building products and options may not necessarily be the best. He is a function fanatic, bestowing his knowledge of both form and function on the reader, giving vital food for thought to every step of the process. He will advise as to how to avoid problems when building a custom home, and also let the production home buyer know what they may be getting in the "ready-made" variety of new home. There are dozens of illustrations and an emphasis on good planning techniques.

"A Practical Guide to Building Your New Home: Decisions to Live With" by Esther DiMarzio, uses a checklist approach to building a new home, gleaned from both personal experience on what to do and not do along the way. With help from 17 year construction veteran Gail Jacky, DiMarzio covers everything from selecting a building site to analyzing floor plans, finish options, conducting inspections and organizing the entire building project.

"The Well-Built House" by Jim Locke is yet another guide to the construction of a new home, but this time by a professional contractor. Valuing the traits and practices of a true craftsman, Locke takes the reader through the process of home building from concept to finished product. Both novices and seasoned veterans will enjoy Locke's real life, experienced approach to home building.

Because a home purchase is usually the largest investment most consumers will ever make, it may be wise to not trust your own level of knowledge when constructing a new home. Even though no one can wave a magic wand over you to make you a construction professional during the process, you can, as with any other discipline, become the informed consumer, making the prospect of building a home less stressful by getting the answers you need along the way.

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Published: August 25, 1999

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.