The Difference Between Builders

Building a home can be a wonderful experience. There are many satisfied homeowners out there who have thoroughly enjoyed the process. Part of that satisfaction comes from understanding the type of home you would like to build before you select your builder.

Custom Home – A truly custom home is one that is designed from scratch to be built on a specific site and purchased by a specific buyer. Price doesn’t determine whether a home is “custom.” That adjective applies whenever the home has an original and unique design.

Semi-Custom Home – A semi-custom home starts with an existing home design, which then is modified, sometimes substantially, to fit the site where the home will be built and the individual home buyer’s needs.

Production Home or Model Home – A model is built according to a standardized plan. Buyers don’t have many opportunities to change or customize a production or tract home within a subdivision.

Spec Home – A home built “on speculation” by a builder who hasn’t identified a specific buyer but hopes to sell it during construction or shortly after it’s completed. If a buyer decides to purchase the home during construction, he or she probably will be able to request some degree of customization. A spec home can be a custom home, a semi-custom home, or a production home.

Once you have decided which type of home you are most comfortable building, you need to find a builder who caters to your particular preference. Typically, the builders who offer custom homes concentrate primarily on single family homes and are smaller volume builders, while model home builders build all types of housing and are larger volume builders. In some instances, custom builders may offer lots, but they generally design homes for homeowners that already have a lot.

When making your decision on what type of builder is best for your needs, you will also want to consider any unique challenges your lot may present and determine how involved you are willing to be in the building process. A custom builder will often require more involvement in the building process than a model home builder.