The stages, in order
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Contract and deposit | You sign the purchase contract and pay a first deposit. If the home sits in a metro district, the district's details and a property tax estimate come with the contract. A radon notice is part of every Colorado contract. |
| 2. Financing | Your lender moves from pre-approval to full approval on the actual home. Keep your finances steady until closing. |
| 3. Design appointment | You choose your finishes with our design team, and on some plans structural options. There is a deadline, set by the build schedule. |
| 4. Construction | Foundation, framing, then the rough-in of pipes and wiring, with municipal inspections along the way. Front Range weather can move dates, so treat the completion date as an estimate until it firms up. |
| 5. Before closing | You receive a soils report explaining the ground under your home and how the foundation was designed for it. Then you walk the finished home with us. |
| 6. Closing | Signatures, funds and keys. |
Timing varies with the community, the home type and the stage of construction when you sign. So do the number of selection meetings and the deposit schedule. Ask us for the specifics on the home you are considering. [to confirm: typical timeline by stage, and deposit structure by product]
What you do at each stage
- Get pre-approved before you sign. Any financing incentive or first-time buyer program should already be on the table with your lender. What to ask a lender.
- Read the contract and the district disclosure in full. Ask about anything you do not recognize. Colorado allows you to have an attorney review a contract, and many buyers do. [to confirm: Cardel Colorado's practice on attorney review and review timelines]
- Get documents to your lender quickly, then keep your financial picture steady. New debt or a job change is what most often unsettles an approval.
- Book your design appointment early, and come with a budget for options in mind. Ask what is included and what costs extra. [to confirm: design appointment format and selection deadlines]
- Ask about cutoff points for changing your mind on each option. Changes get harder as construction moves on.
- Keep your lender updated as the build progresses, especially on timing. Ask them how a shift in the closing date affects your rate lock.
- Arrange home insurance before closing. Your lender will need proof of coverage. In the foothills, start the quote early.
- Read the soils report and ask us what it means for how you care for the foundation and the grading around the home.
- Attend the walkthrough before closing. Go slowly, open and close everything, and write down anything that needs attention. [to confirm: walkthrough format, whether a pre-drywall visit is offered, and whether a written list and repair timeline is provided]
- Close, and get your keys.
After you move in
Moving in is not quite the last step. Three things are worth doing in your first weeks.
- Keep your orientation notes and your warranty document together. The warranty explains what is covered, for how long, and how to request service. [to confirm: how Colorado homeowners submit a warranty service request]
- Learn your home's systems and the ground it sits on. Where the water shutoff is, how the furnace filter changes, and how to keep water draining away from the foundation. The soils report tells you why that last one matters here.
- Test for radon. It is common along the Front Range and simple to test for. Ask us what radon-resistant features the home includes. [to confirm: radon-resistant construction features by community]
Quick move-in homes follow a shorter path
If the home you choose is already built, or nearly built, the sequence compresses. The finishes are chosen, so there is no design appointment. You move from contract to walkthrough and closing in weeks rather than months. The district disclosure and the soils report still arrive.
The trade-off is choice. You take the home as finished. For many first-time buyers, moving sooner is worth more than choosing the counters. See current quick move-in homes.
Questions first-time buyers ask
How long does the whole thing take?
It depends on the stage of construction when you sign, on the community's build schedule, and on the season. Building from a plan is measured in months, and a quick move-in home in weeks. Ask your Cardel team for a current estimate on the home you are considering. [to confirm: typical range by product]
When do I see the metro district details?
With your contract, if the home sits in a district. Colorado requires them at that point, not at closing. Read them against the district's levy, which the county assessor can confirm, and ask us to walk you through them.
Can I make changes after the design appointment?
Changes get harder and more expensive the further construction goes. Some become impossible once a stage is complete. Ask specifically what the cutoff points are for the plan and options you are considering.
What happens if my closing date moves?
Ask your lender early what happens to your rate lock if completion shifts. Longer locks and their costs are a financing question, and it is far easier to plan for than to react to.
Walk the process with us
Visit a community and ask the sales team to take you through the stages for a specific home.
Internal review notes — what must be confirmed before this page publishes
- [to confirm] Deposit structure and schedule by community and product. No Cardel deposit amount or percentage is stated on this page.
- [to confirm] Cardel Colorado's practice on attorney review of the contract.
- [to confirm] Design appointment format, what is included by product, and selection deadlines.
- [to confirm] Walkthrough format, whether a pre-drywall visit is offered, and whether a written list and repair timeline is provided.
- [to confirm] How Colorado homeowners submit a warranty service request, and the warranty terms.
- [to confirm] Radon-resistant construction features by community.
- [to confirm] Typical timeline in weeks or months by stage and by product. No duration is stated as fact.
- The metro district disclosure, radon notice and soils report are described as things the buyer receives, with no statute citations, timing in days or penalty amounts, per the Aug 31, 2026 feedback. Legal to confirm the wording.