Searching for a new home? Buying a home is a major decision, and choosing the right builder can help you get more value from your new home investment.
When comparing home builders in Southern Indiana, look at experience, construction standards, floor-plan options, the builder’s warranty, and their approach to transparent communication throughout the construction process. All of these factors matter just as much as the home’s starting price.
The good news is that you do not need to be a construction expert to choose the right home builder for your dream home. Asking the right questions can tell you a lot about how a builder operates and what you can expect from the process.
Here are some important questions to ask when choosing a new home builder in Southern Indiana.
1: How Much Experience Do You Have Building Homes?
Start with the builder’s experience. How long has the company been building? Does it regularly build in Southern Indiana? Does the builder have an established team of employees, suppliers, contractors, and construction professionals?
Local experience matters because homebuilding involves much more than putting up walls and a roof. A local builder is familiar with local, state, and regional construction regulations. T They know which lots are available in new home communities in the area. They understand regional markets and the coordination required to keep a new home moving toward completion.
For example, Premier Homes has built homes in Southern Indiana and the Louisville, Kentucky area for more than 40 years. Our president, Jeff Corbett, started the company as a carpenter around a straightforward mission: provide superior homes at an exceptional value while continually improving construction methods, design, engineering, and efficiency.
2: Where Do You Build in Southern Indiana?
Premier Homes builds new homes in communities throughout Southern Indiana, including Jeffersonville, New Albany, Georgetown, Charlestown, and Sellersburg. Some of our most popular communities include Ellingsworth Commons, Hilton Farms, Kamer Crossing, Knob Hill, Rock Springs, and Waters of Millan/Plains of Millan.
You may want to evaluate new home communities in Southern Indiana before getting too attached to a floor plan. What is your ideal commute? Which school district serves the community? Do you prefer to be away from city traffic or closer to in-town shopping, dining, and recreation?
Each location offers different advantages. For example, Ellingsworth Commons and Hilton Farms provide convenient access to I-265 and the Lewis & Clark Bridge area, while Knob Hill in Georgetown is near I-64. Waters of Millan/Plains of Millan in Sellersburg is minutes from I-65, and Rock Springs is convenient to the River Ridge area.
3: What Floor Plans and Home Styles Do You Offer?
This question matters because you need to make sure the builder designs and builds homes that fit your lifestyle. Consider the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need, square footage, storage, kitchen layout, laundry location, garage space, and whether you prefer one-story or multi-level living.
Premier Homes offers a broad selection of floor plans and home styles, from efficient two-bedroom designs to larger four-bedroom homes, with layouts available in a variety of Southern Indiana communities.
Our floor plans include open-concept living areas, kitchen islands, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, walk-in pantries and closets, covered porches or patios, spacious primary suites, and attached or detached garages, depending on the plan.
4: Do You Offer Spec Homes, Ground-Up Builds, or Both in Southern Indiana?
Premier Homes offers both spec homes and ground-up builds in Southern Indiana.
Our ground-up builds are based on the floor plan the buyer chooses, along with the buyer’s lot selection after our Builder Consultation. A spec home is built using a lot and floor plan selected by Premier Homes. Depending on the stage of construction, some partially completed spec homes let buyers select finishes that have not yet been ordered.
Our Premier Team can help you review these options and choose what best fits your goals, priorities, and new home budget. If you want greater involvement early in the home construction process, we can explore a ground-up build. If you are hoping to move sooner, one of our recently completed homes or an in-progress spec home may work better for your timeline.
We understand that not every buyer wants the same new-home experience in Southern Indiana. So we offer more options for delivering superior homes at an exceptional value.
5: Is There a Deposit for a Spec Home?
If you decide a spec home is right for you and your family’s needs, confirm if a deposit is needed.
For example, if you purchase a Premier Homes spec home, a $2,500 non-refundable deposit is required if you make no changes to the home, including finish selections.
If you wish to select finishes that have not been ordered or wish to make changes to the home, a $5,000 non-refundable deposit is required.
If selected upgrades total more than the $5,000 non-refundable deposit, a non-refundable deposit equal to the total amount of upgrades is required. Please note that the ability to make changes and selection of finishes is subject to the current completion level of the home.
6: What’s Included in the New Home Price?
This is one of the most important questions to ask home builders in Southern Indiana because the lowest advertised price does not necessarily tell you which home offers the best value. Ask the builder about materials, finishes, appliances, exterior features, and other amenities included in the home you are considering. Confirm which choices are standard and which are upgrades.
At Premier Homes, we have built our business around our commitment to quality construction and exceptional value. Many of our new homes in our Southern Indiana communities start below $300,000. These include Rock Springs in the $250s, Ellingsworth Commons, Hilton Farms, and Knob Hill in the $260s, Waters of Millan/Plains of Millan in the $280s, and Kamer Crossing in the $290s.
Pricing can change in the new home marketplace, so contact our Premier Team to confirm current availability and costs.
7: Can I Choose My Own Finishes and Upgrades?
At Premier Homes, the answer is yes!
This is the fun part of building a new home in Southern Indiana: Making the final choices that make the home truly yours. But it is important to confirm what types of choices you get to make for your new home, once you have selected a floor plan.
Ask your builder how the selection process works and when choices need to be made. Can you choose finishes? What upgrades are available? Will someone help you navigate the options?
After an accepted Purchase Agreement for an eligible Premier home, buyers schedule an appointment at our Premier Homes Design Center. Our talented Designer helps guide selections and upgrades while reviewing the home’s plans and specifications. We then provide a defined time frame for our buyers to finalize their selections.
It is important to understand when changes can and cannot be made during construction. Once your selections are finalized, later changes may require a written change order and additional costs. Asking about these policies upfront can make the selection process much smoother.
8: What Should I Expect During My Home’s Construction?
At Premier Homes, our buyers can schedule up to three construction tours at designated stages of the project through their real estate agent and a Premier Homes representative. We understand that communication is an important part of any new-home experience.
If you are still vetting new home builders in Southern Indiana, ask how they plan to communicate with you during construction. Ask who will keep you informed, whether you can tour the house during construction, how they handle estimated completion dates, and what happens if weather, materials, or contractor schedules cause delays.
Transparency is key. Each home construction involves many moving parts, and realistic expectations are better than promises a builder cannot control.
9: What Warranty and Post-Closing Support Do You Provide?
Your home builder questions should not stop at closing day. Ask what kind of new-home warranty comes with the property, what it covers, and whom to contact if you have concerns after moving into your new home in Southern Indiana.
Every new Premier Home comes with an RWC Home Warranty. Premier also provides opportunities for post-closing walkthroughs at approximately 30 days and again at approximately 11 months, if needed.
10: Can I Tour Your Homes Before Making a Decision?
Yes! Premier Homes regularly hosts open houses throughout several of our Southern Indiana communities, so our buyers can tour new homes and compare communities and floor plans.
The best way to see if a home builder backs up their promises is to see their work first-hand. Photos and floor-plan renderings are helpful, but walking through an actual new home gives you a much better feel for room sizes, layouts, finishes, storage, natural light, and construction details.
Use this opportunity to look closely, ask questions, and picture how each space could work for you and your family.
Ask the Right Questions and Find the Right Southern Indiana Home Builder for Your New Dream Home
As we noted earlier, choosing a new home builder requires more research than comparing prices.
A new home is one of life’s biggest investments, so your builder should guide you through the important decisions along the way before handing you the keys to the place you will call home.
Premier Homes focuses on transparent communication as part of our mission to deliver quality construction at an exceptional value. With a wide selection of floor plans and communities throughout Jeffersonville, Georgetown, Sellersburg, New Albany, and Charlestown, we offer more options for each home buyer. Whether you are buying a home for the first time, or are looking for a new place to call home, our Premier Team is committed to not only meeting, but exceeding your expectations.
Ready to start asking questions? Explore our floor plans and new home communities, visit a Premier Homes open house, or contact our team to learn more about building or buying a new home in Southern Indiana.