When you’re trying to make the choice between building a custom home or buying an existing home on the market, it can be a complex decision. Here are 11 reasons why building a custom home is worth it:

1. Location

One of the best parts of building your home is that you can choose everything, starting with the location. If you’re buying an existing property, you may find a home with features that you love, except it’s not in a good school district, or it’s too far of a commute to your office. With a custom home build, you can build on any lot that you want.

2. Modern Design

Custom homes have the most modern, cutting edge design elements and floor plans. You don’t have to create living areas out of spaces where they don’t quite fit, like you might in a resale property. For example, if you dream of having the most up to date, sleek home office space, no problem. Your builder can create a floor plan with that in mind and make sure it fits into the rest of your home and fits your budget. For more ideas on creating an amazing home office space, check out our guide here.

3. Builder’s Warranty

Most custom home builders provide a 1 year warranty, and after that the homeowner is responsible for maintenance and upkeep. An additional structural warranty is also available to cover things like the roof, foundation, and other major structural elements of your home.

4. New Features and Appliances

You don’t have to worry about the previous owner’s wear and tear on furniture and appliances, because everything is brand new when you choose to build a custom home. You also won’t have to worry about replacing things or making repairs for a much longer period of time.

5. Energy Efficient Systems

Your custom home can be built with energy efficient HVAC systems, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, and efficiently cool, heat, and maintain humidity control. Your home will not only be comfortable, but your energy bills will be much lower than if you had other systems.

6. Energy Efficient Appliances

There are many energy efficient appliances that will help you conserve energy and lower your energy bill even further. These appliances are also quieter than regular appliances and make your entire home look more modern.

We have even more tips on building an energy efficient home in our blog, check it out here.

 7. Custom to You and Your Lifestyle

One of the best things about a custom home is that every single part of it is completely you. It can be built to directly fit your style and lifestyle preferences. If you’ve ever dreamed about it – your custom home builder can make it a reality. Another thing to keep in mind is the more customized you make your new home to fit your lifestyle now, the less expensive changes you’ll have to make later. If you think there’s even a chance you may want children or pets in the future, go ahead and plan them into your custom build. It’s much easier and less expensive to build a home with those types of things in mind than to go back and add features later. 

8. Low Maintenance

When you buy a resale property, you may find yourself needing to replace things right after you’ve bought the property. With a custom home, you won’t even need to think about this for a long time. Even if something breaks or needs maintenance, as long as it occurs within the first year after purchase, it should be covered by your homebuilder’s warranty. Another related benefit of a custom home is that you get peace of mind. You don’t have to wonder if your new home has any major structural problems or hidden issues. When you’re the first home owner you know the full history and don’t have to have any guesswork or surprises involved.

9. Built to Modern Home Building Standards

Every area has specific building codes to ensure public health and environmental concerns are upheld. Your new home will be built to strictly follow these code standards so you never have to worry about any violations or concerns.

10. Control Over the Floor Plan

Your home builder can help you create a floor plan that fits your needs exactly, and while they can help make recommendations based on their expertise, you have full control over the basic floor plan of your dream home. One reason home buyers choose to buy a resale property instead of building their own home is for a lower cost. However, many times, this results in them settling or compromising on key features that they wanted in the home, which leaves them with buyer’s remorse. A home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make, not to mention you’ll be spending the majority of your time living there. You definitely don’t want to make too many compromises and choose a home that you don’t 100% love and see a future for yourself in.

Check out our floor plan catalog to get you some ideas to start with.

11. Level of Privacy

Another choice you have is how much privacy you want your new home to have. You can put up privacy fences, tall trees, or other features that provide the privacy and separation that you’re searching for. On the other hand, if you don’t want to be as secluded, you have that choice as well.

If you’re thinking about building your own custom home, make sure to read our guide to home building to make sure you have all the information and details before you start the process.

You live inside, you live outside. Designing a custom home isn’t all about the inside space, the outside matters too! Here are a few tips to consider when designing your outdoor living space.

Consider Your Goals

It’s important to consider what the goals for the space are before you start making any decisions. Do you just want to enjoy the outdoors? Will you be entertaining guests? Is privacy the goal? Whatever your goals, prep your space in a way that will achieve your vision. If privacy
is the goal, then leave space in the budget for trees to screen the property or a privacy. If having an active space is a goal, plan a bigger budget for a sports court or pool.

Plan for the Future

If you don’t want to start working on the backyard space right away but would rather make improvements further down the road, it’s essential you plan now. Make sure that the space is prepped for the amenities you all add. For example, the power for the pool or gas for the firepit. Items like these are more cost effective to prep for when your home is under construction as opposed to figuring how to run support after construction.

Outdoor Kitchen and Bar

If you’re into grilling and entertaining, an outdoor kitchen is a must. When you have guests over you don’t want to have to keep running back and forth between the backyard and the kitchen, you’ll miss out on all of the fun!

Fire Pit

Adding a fire pit can be another form of entertainment. Whether you’re just enjoying a relaxing night with your friends or roasting marshmallows with the kids, it can be something that you all congregate around to enjoy time together.

Add Great Lighting

Lighting can totally change the atmosphere of a space. It can help set the mood and create a relaxing environment, plus it’s easy to change. You can add string lights, lamps, lanterns, or even an outdoor chandelier.

Covered Patios

You’ll want to enjoy your outdoor living space all year long, so adding a roof will provide shade in the summer months and a shelter from the rain. Plus, you won’t have to worry about your patio furniture getting ruined. Or if you’re considering adding a TV, it will also provide
protection for that as well.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Home Building to learn more tips on custom home building!

Spec homes are move-in ready homes that allow home buyers to see exactly what their new home looks like, rather than envisioning a home that has not been built yet. Here are 5 key benefits of buying a spec home:

Affordable Price

One of the key benefits of buying a spec home are the potential savings. The affordability comes from efficiency in the building process, not low quality. Home builders take time to carefully create their floor plans and design plans, which creates an efficient building process. There is also less customization in spec homes than custom builds, which offers excellent value for money.

Move-in Ready

Building a custom home is a very exciting process, however, it can be time consuming due to all of the choices available to the customer. Sometimes the process of building a custom home from start to finish can take over a year. If you’re looking for a home to move into sooner rather than later, a spec home is the right choice for you. If you find the spec home of your dreams, you could do a walkthrough, purchase the home, and move in a few weeks later. That quick timeline is unheard of in custom builds.

No Guesswork

When you buy a spec home, you get to see exactly what you are purchasing before you actually sign the dotted line. You have the opportunity to check every part of the house and ensure that you are happy with it. With a custom home, you may only see the blueprint or concept at the time of purchase, and you don’t get to see the exact end result.

You Don’t Have to Start From Scratch

With custom builds, you may need to coordinate with a design firm or architect to nail the home of your dreams and get it just right. However, with a spec home, it’s all done for you. Professional designers have already done the legwork to create a perfect combination of beautiful architecture and design.

Simpler Financing

The majority of spec homes are sold with settlement upon completion, which helps avoid complex lending structures and progress payments. The process of buying a spec home in general is much more streamlined and quicker than buying a custom home. 

A special bonus of buying a spec home is that spec builders are typically small business owners, so when you buy a spec home, you’re supporting a small business and getting involved in your new community.

If you’re interested in learning more about spec homes, download our Spec Home Guide here!