Debord Custom Homes, Inc.

The choice of a Builder for your home is both an objective and a subjective decision, based on criteria that you have determined is important to you. Important issues to consider are the quality of the work, final cost, start and finish dates, the integrity of the Builder, and most importantly, avoidance of "a nightmare experience."

The National Association of Homebuilders suggest you shop around for a Builder by contacting the local home builders association (The Tidewater Builders Association of which we are a member), talk to real estate agents for referrals, and ask friends if they know of someone who had a good experience with their Builder. Most of our custom home clients come to us by referral, from friends or family whose homes we have built, or loyal customers who confidently know and trust in The DeBord Difference.

Building a home is a very complicated and detailed process, as important as the other considerations, so is the nature of the working relationship between the Builder and the Homeowners. In this area we feel we excel. I personally oversee every one of our customers homes; I am in constant contact with my Homeowners, from the beginning of the design process, through the one-year warranty process, and even beyond.

Because of our strong commitment to customer satisfaction, there has never been an adversarial type of situation with any of my Homeowners. My relationship with our Owners is best captured in something that one of them said to me as we neared the completion of their home on the Lafayette River in Norfolk:

A piece of tile was accidentally broken in the shower during the installation of a shower door just before closing. His wife expressed some concern over it and his comment to her, which he reported to me, was, "David has been on our side from the beginning and he still is. He will take care of it, so don't worry about it." And I did. The best advertisement we have is a satisfied homeowner.

Because of the strong custom home orientation of our company we usually build custom homes in the $400,000 and above range. Obviously a Homeowner's budget gives us the latitude for size, elegance, style, and creativity. The DeBord Difference is that we believe that regardless of the price or size of a home, each homeowner deserves to get the very best quality home we can deliver. To the persons building their first home, the value and worth of it to them is the same as persons building a luxury home. We feel both deserve the same attention to detail and quality.

Another dimension of The DeBord Difference are things in your home that are not seen, but add to its comfort and value. We routinely install structured wiring and technological features in all homes to make them ready for any technical needs that should arise in the years to come. We can customize a home for whatever technology the Homeowners desire.

For example, we place 2 x 6 studs in the exterior wall construction on all our homes instead of the typical 2 x 4 stud construction. The larger frame allows us to use R-19 vs. R-13 insulation in the walls. While this is a nominal cost increase in initial building material costs, it results in a more energy efficient home and long-term utility cost savings to our Homeowners. Also, it yields a more interesting architectural trim detail around the interior of the windows.

Another standard feature we install in all our homes is a hot water circulating system that allows hot water at every faucet on demand.

Additionally , we work with our Homeowners in recommending high quality building products so that our homes are low maintenance and maintain a look of lasting quality.

We feature experience in building on waterfront property. Coastal homes need to withstand the elements and require additional design and material considerations. Backwater homes also have wetland considerations and requirements. We are pleased to report that our homes on the Bay held up beautifully to Hurricane Isabel in September, 2003. We take special pride and care to build waterfront homes that reflect the beauty of Tidewater's historical architecture while standing firm to occasional treacherous weather.

There are several ways to provide funding for building a new home, depending on a variety of personal issues. DeBord Custom Homes, Inc. can provide the funding for a new home if it is built on a lot that we own. You close on the home once it is complete. If you do own the construction lot, then you must finance independently.

One of the most popular ways to fund new construction is a "one closing" construction loan where you can get a loan that pays for the land and construction. Then it converts to a permanent loan once construction is completed, without any additional closing costs. The advantage of this loan is its flexible nature, a one time closing cost, and the face that you can probably deduct the interest charges on your taxes while your home is being built.

We can put you into contact with several lenders to secure the best financing to fit your needs. Usually, with any kind of financing, you will have to put some money into the project at some point. This is usually in the form of a cash deposit to the builder to cover the five to twenty percent investment the bank will require you to invest into the project. We will work with your lender and within the guidelines that bank establishes for the Builder.

DeBord Custom Homes is a Design/Build company offering full design services for our Homeowners. We have the capabilities to create your new home from concept through finished drawings.

Professional building design associations such as the American Institute of Building Design, the National Council of Building Designer Certification or the American Institute of Architecture certify all of the local building designers we work with.

Our designers have literally designed hundreds of homes in the Tidewater area, including many award winners. The value of using the design/build approach is that we can usually create your new home plans more quickly and at a reduced cost. Rather than over the usual costs of outside designers or architects.

We also have relationships with several nationally known designers and architects that specialize in newly emerging "traditional Neighborhood Developments." For example, East Beach in the Ocean View area of Norfolk, where we are happily to be chosen as a member of the exclusive East Beach Builders Guild.

These professionals bring tremendous experience to any home design effort and are familiar with our area's coastal neighborhoods. An advantage in this approach is that these firms have many existing plans well suited to the Tidewater area that are available for purchase and/or customization.

If you prefer, we are also happy to build from your existing plans or work with your designer/architect as you create your custom home plans.

We design all our houses to reflect the dreams and wishes of our customers. Even after the design work is complete, if needed we modify things as we are building your home to satisfy your wishes. We emphasize that as a Builder and Homeowners, we are a team with our subcontractors so that the end product is exactly what the Homeowners want.

We are very committed to customer satisfaction at every stage of the building process and work very hard to answer every question or concern a homeowner may have during the building process. While there is no "perfect house" or "perfect builder," at DCH we strive to work with you to build the best house we can.

Because of all the parts and pieces that go into a house and the number of individuals that will actually be involved in the building process, home construction is a complicated process. Either myself or one of my superintendents has daily responsibility for each house. We believe that the more "eyes" looking at a house the better.

Therefore, we encourage our Homeowners to "inspect" the house often, and be an extra set of eyes for us. They may see something that we have missed, bring it to our attention and let us correct any oversights. They may also want to change it in terms of the actual structure, things that most people cannot "forsee" on a set of plans.

By intention, our Subcontractors share the same values and ethics; they are pleased to interact with our Homeowners, answering questions and responding to needs and concerns. We see the building process as a partnership between the Builder's team and the Homeowners. So we welcome Homeowner participation.

Our final Homeowner walk-through is usually a progressive process carried out over the last few weeks of construction with the Homeowners identifying any discrepancies. The goal of every builder should be to have a "punch-list free" house. The success of this goal is usually a function of move-in deadlines and how much time the builder has to get the work done.

Our "final walk-through" is usually done just before closing and historically has been a short list of minor things. Another DeBord Difference we have is our own goal to get this list completed as quickly as possible. My best advertising method is from satisfied Homeowners; efficient customer service produces them.

All Virginia builders are required by state law to provide a one-year warranty on your home. I usually suggest that once the initial punch list is completed, the Homeowners keep a list of any other things they discover and give me a thirty-day list if needed. The exception would be any critical need, like an electrical problem, which would be addressed immediately. I am not legalistic about the one-year date should something significant arise after the one year warranty date.

Additionally, through my membership in the Tidewater Builders Association I participate in their ten-year HW-10 Warranty Program, which can be provided at closing. This allows me to provide all my homeowners with an additional ten-year home warranty policy.

Frequently Asked Questions