One common question that people often ask when it comes to creating their first website is, how long will it take to build? This question can vary drastically depending on a number of factors. Once the programmer has been given a full brief and understands what they need to do they should then be able to give you a more accurate timeline.
If you decide to go with an individual rather than a company for your website then you need to bear in mind that they may not have the resources that larger organisations have. They will also have other projects that they need to continue working on, so they are unlikely to be able to dedicate all their time to your site. Working with a agency will cost more but does give you peace of mind that should one person be off ill for example, someone else should be able to pick it up for you.
Once you have a timeline in place, you need to understand that any changes you make to the specification may well have an impact on how long the site takes to build. If you start adding in extra functionality or changing sections that have already been agreed, then you may delay the site by a few weeks. This will also often incur additional costs.