Getting Started

If you are considering having a home built by Homes West, simply contact Derek Leslie for a personal consultation or to tour one of our newly constructed homes. We offer free no-obligation bids if you already have a plan, or we can help you find or design the house plan of your dreams. We can build on your lot or we can help you find and purchase a lot anywhere in Southeast Idaho.

Buying a new home is a major investment. As with any major financial decision, we encourage you to do your homework before deciding to invest. We offer the following suggestions to anyone before they decide on a building contractor.

• Request a list of homeowner references
• Ask the homeowner these questions
  • How do you feel about the quality of your new home?
  • Was the project completed in a timely manner?
  • Did the builder use a legally binding contract and were changes properly documented and accounted for?
  • Was the job completed as the contract specified?
  • Were the allowances compatible with the price of the home you were building?
  • Was the builder organized and professional?
  • Would you recommend your builder to friends and family?

We believe the key to any relationship is trust built upon principles of honesty and integrity. To help facilitate this objective, we require all contracts, addendums, change orders, etc. to be in writing and agreed upon by both the buyer and the builder before commencement of the work. This process helps alleviate any misunderstandings between the customer and builder. There is a well-documented paper trail to follow through the entire home building process. High customer satisfaction is much easier to achieve when the customer knows exactly what they are getting and how much it is going to cost before the contract is signed.

An allowance allows a builder to give the customer a price for a home without selecting some of the final products which will be used in its construction. Common examples of items that would be subject to allowances are appliances, floor coverings, light fixtures, cabinets, etc.

How would you like to buy a Corvette only to find out that it has a lawn mower engine in it? One way some builders are able to offer a seemingly low-priced home is to skimp on allowances. Some new home buyers enter into a contract thinking they are getting the “deal of the century,” only to find out that the allowance their builder gave them wasn’t nearly enough to do the job. At Homes West, we make sure that our allowances are compatible with the price of home we are building. Unexpected cost overruns are not conducive to our goal of having a satisfied customer after the home is completed.

Idaho law requires General Contractors to disclose all subcontractors who do work exceeding the amount of five hundred dollars on each home. You should receive this list at the closing of any newly constructed home. Each of these subcontractors and suppliers has lien rights on that home. Many people do not realize the potential liability they incur when they have a home built. If the builder mismanages the funds intended for construction of your home, you could be liable for the debt.

A lien is placed on a home by a subcontractor or supplier who does not get paid for their services. Lien rights follow the home to which any labor was given or material supplied. If a lien is placed on a home after closing, the buyer could be held legally liable for the debt if the builder is unable to pay it. How would you like to pay for certain parts of your home twice? Homes West was founded in 1992. Since that time we have completed a rather long list of homes. Not a single home has ever had a lien placed on it. The key to this is simple. We use some of the most reputable suppliers and subcontractors in the area, and maintain good relationships with them. They pay their bills and we pay ours.