Home Inspections, Walkthroughs and Homeowner’s Insurance

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Home Building

Building your own home is an often exciting, sometimes exhausting experience. It’s also a perfect chance to have a home that’s designed the way you want it to look. But whether you’re hiring a general contractor or doing most of the work yourself, it takes a lot of forethought and planning. The sites highlighted in this Web guide can help you find inspiration to create the home of your dreams and get much-needed help to ensure you don’t miss one of the many details that accompany this endeavor.

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Steps to Building a Home

Home building may seem like a complicated process—and it is—but we’ve found some ... read more »

The Cost of Building a Home

The cost of building a home depends on a multitude of factors, including what type of home you ... read more »

Choosing a Construction Site and House Style

One of the earliest steps in building a new home is deciding what type of home you want and where ... read more »

Building Codes, Building Permits and Variances

Part of building your new home is making sure you’ve got your bases covered in terms of ... read more »

Architects and Blueprints

If you’ve got ideas about designing your own home and need help translating them into ... read more »

Finding and Hiring a Contractor

Many people may help you build your home, but you’ll likely have one general contractor ... read more »

Do-It-Yourself Home Building

For someone with the necessary knowledge and technical skills, building your own home can be a ... read more »

Sustainable Home Building

Sustainable home building incorporates a lot more than the use of “green” building ... read more »

Home Inspections, Walkthroughs and Homeowner’s Insurance

When construction on your home is complete, a few more steps must take place before move-in day. Use the Web sites in this section to learn about final walkthroughs, homeowner’s insurance and more.

Dulcinea's Insight

When construction on your home is complete, many of the processes you started months (or years) ago will conclude. For example, an inspector may come and take a final look at your home to ensure you have complied with all stipulations set forth in your building permit. Your lender may also have some final requirements that you must ensure are fulfilled. See the “The Cost of Building a Home” and the “Building Codes, Building Permits and Variances” sections of this Web guide for more information about these steps in the process.

If you need to have your home inspected, search for an inspector at the American Society of Home Inspectors Web site.

You may be required to obtain a certificate of occupancy from the building authority where you live. Simply put, a certificate of occupancy verifies that a home is suitable to be inhabited and meets building codes.

If you’re ready to start decorating your home, check the findingDulcinea Home Decorating Web Guide for Web sites that can get your creative juices flowing as you personalize your space.

Moving into your new home can be the most satisfying step in the entire process but it, too, needs to be done properly. The findingDulcinea Moving Web Guide identifies the Web’s best resources for hiring movers, finding packing materials, notifying the necessary parties of your change of address and much more.

Dulcinea's Picks

For final inspections and walkthroughs …

The National Association of Home Builders explains what to check when performing a final walk-through on your new house once construction is finished. Though you might not fancy yourself a home inspector, this article can help you take a better final survey of your home once it’s complete.

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National Inspection Services gives a thorough review of things you should look for during a final walk-through of a new home. Although this information is geared toward home buyers, it can still be helpful as you look at your newly constructed home.

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For information about homeowner’s insurance …

Homeowner’s Insurance Guide introduces you to the basics and gives you helpful tips on how to choose the best provider. Read through this site to learn the importance of homeowner’s insurance.

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Insurance Information Institute demonstrates what you’ll find in a typical homeowner’s insurance policy. The main features are explained in layman’s terms, which is something you won’t find on the official documents. Make sure you understand your policy before you sign it, however. With this site’s help, you’ll be an expert.

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J.D. Power and Associates offers a comparison chart of major insurance companies. If you’re in the market for homeowner’s insurance, consulting this list can point you in the right direction.

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