One of the few questions you’ll be asking first when planning your new home is if you would prefer to work with a custom home builder or a higher volume home builder, likewise known as a production builder.
Both builder types are great options, and each can provide an excellent new home for you. The decision will likely rest on the number of choices you wish to have and how much design input you would like to receive during the construction process of your home.
The primary difference between a custom home builder and a production home builder is quite simple.
A production builder can build a community of homes according to a library of floor plans, each with a restricted range of options for personalization. On the other hand, a custom builder typically creates a unique home that provides a wider array of design options that are usually built on a single lot.
Here is a list of what you can expect from each type of builder.
Production Builders
The National Association of Home Builders or NAHB said that most production-based home builders offer packages that consist of home and land. They also provide a selection of house plans you can choose from. They also allow home buyers to choose their preferred design or style from a list of different product categories. Lastly, they build homes that are priced especially for luxury, move up, or first-time buyers.
Custom Builders
As the name suggests, the whole home building process is less scripted since there are no menus or predefined choices to pick from. A custom home can be built on the land you want to acquire or already own. You can provide a floor plan or ask professionals to create a unique one for you. You have the option to work with separate builder or architect. You can also work with a design-build company like Dawol Homes that manages the architectural design and the actual construction process. Custom home building lets homebuyers get involved in the process and have the chance to make many important decisions. You can choose from almost any product in your preferred category, which of course, should be within your budget, instead of selecting from a predefined set of choices.
Production Home Process
A production home builder will deliver the exact size of home for a lower price than a custom home builder. They can build affordable housing thanks to their volume purchasing power whenever they buy building materials and land as well as a higher volume, usually systematized method of construction.
Purchasing the right kind of land plays a huge role in the strategy used by a production home builder. Several larger builders construct houses in huge, master-planned communities. Their scale and access to several lots in such communities let them fine-tune their construction process for better and greater efficiency.
Higher volume builders can likewise pass on the cost savings by buying building materials in bulk. Just like with big airline companies can get fuel for lower prices by buying in bulk; production builders can also order materials for hundreds of houses at a time, commonly at lower prices.
One benefit of production home communities is that the developer likewise works closely with every builder to make sure an appealing mix of homes is produced. Apart from mixing floor plans or models from different builders, every floor plan usually provides different elevations to change the look of the front of every home. By altering the placement of the gables, and windows, as well as the shape and size of the front porch, a single-floor plan can be constructed in many different looks.
To further improve its design appeal, every elevation can be built with differing color and type of exterior. A model home can be constructed differently to provide individuality and pleasing diversity.
As a home buyer who is working with a production home builder, you will begin by choosing a lot for your house and your preferred floor plan form the library of plans presented to you by the builder. The next thing you need to do is to choose an elevation. Several production builders likewise offer the opportunity to clearly identify the use of a bonus room, according to your preferences, a bonus room can be constructed as an extra bedroom, a media room, or a study room.
Then you and the builder will work closely together, usually in a design center, so you can personalize your brand new home by choosing design options, colors, home styles, finishes, as well as other important products in your home like appliances, countertops, cabinets, carpet, and flooring.
Buyers who opt for a production builder usually cannot change the fundamental structure like the square footage or the layout of rooms. However, every model has a range of attractive options to pick from so you can personalize your home in several aspects.
The Custom Home Building Process
You can expect to make a bigger investment in building a custom home compared to a production model that has the same size as well as a floor plan. After all, a custom home builder does not enjoy the labor efficiencies and economies of scale that a production builder does.
A number of variables need to be considered when it comes to determining the actual price – and the most obvious one is the home’s size, the complexity of the design, building products, selected materials, and the land that you purchase.
Although several people link custom homes with expensive and large houses, a custom home actually ranges from a basic ranch-style home to a more intricate multi-story floor plan that is designed with your lifestyle in mind.
Once you go for a custom home builder, you can provide your preferred home plan or hire an architect who will design your home from scratch. Buyers of custom built homes can also decide on most of the details in your house and you can also work closely with your custom home builder to create a floor plan that will work around existing trees in your lot and where you wish to place your windows so you can take full advantage of the finest views.
When constructing a custom home, your choices are almost limitless. The primary limitations are your budget and building codes or zoning restrictions in your area. If you consider creating a home from scratch an exciting experience, then a custom home building construction could be perfect for you.
The important thing about working with a custom home builder is to set a realistic budget and follow it even if a beautiful but more expensive option tempts you. Even though most buyers realize that extra customization can increase the price of the home, surprise land-related costs can shock you, so be sure to do your homework.
At the other end of the scale, you can hold the deed to a flat suburban property with available inground utilities. This kind of finished lot is all set for a new home construction.
Meanwhile, you might be thinking about a rural, wooded, or steep hillside property. Although this kind of land is incredibly scenic, the upfront cost associated with the preparation a previously underdeveloped rural land for building is usually a significant cost that you have to add to the price you need to pay for the land itself. Site preparation including building a driveway, bringing in electric, water, and sewage lines, as well as the excavation of the foundation, can be expensive. Your architect and custom home builder in Myrtle Beach can provide you in estimating those costs.
In case you are building on land that is already developed, you, your builder, and your architect have to research zoning as well as deed restrictions carefully. To prevent surprises, you should hire an attorney who can clarify all the limitations and obtain estimates on the site work before you complete a land purchase.
Since the whole process of building a custom home is not truly customized, you need to spend a lot of time designing as well as constructing your dream home compared to having it made by a production builder.
Given that, knowing what you can expect at every stage, what decisions you need to make, and when can make your custom home process run smoothly and result in the house that you have always wanted.
Call Dawol Homes to know more about custom homes.
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Dawol Homes
9404 Hwy 17 Bypass,
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
(843) 294-2859
Dawol Homes Sales Office
3100 Dick Pond Rd # E
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
843-294-2859
We build homes in: Cypress River Plantation, Waterway Palms, Waterbridge, Murrells Inlet, Collins Creek, Bellwood Landing, Carolina Forest, Plantation Lakes, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, Surfside Beach, Pawleys Island, Litchfield Plantation