Difference Between Custom Home and Production Construction
Finding yourself a new home is a process that requires you to make many decisions. One of the first and most important ones you will have to consider is whether you choose a custom home construction or production construction route. Your choice will determine various factors about your new home, such as the cost and the length of time it will take to build. It is therefore vital that you are informed about the differences between the two methods of construction, as well as their pros and cons, to see which method will better suit you.
Custom Home Construction
Homes that are custom built are one-of-a-kind creations that allow for the prospective home owner to have a high degree of design input during the construction process and are therefore highly personalized. As well as the architectural flexibility in the construction process, the buyer also has a say over the location and environment in which the buyer would like their house to be built. Consequently, the design of these homes is often integrated into the landscape, for example, it faces a particular view or it includes paint colors or plants that suit the particular environment. Custom builders tend to build on land that is already owned by the client, and start a completely new and original project each time.
Trends in Custom Home Design
- Green Building: Due to the growing concern for the environment, energy-saving and eco-friendly building techniques are being embraced. Buyers custom building their home are offered a variety of features such as solar panels, insulation, recycled building materials and water-saving appliances. The costs and benefits of such things can be weighed in order to result in a home that is both comfortable and friendly to the environment.
- Multigenerational Living: Houses that home two or more generations – such as grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, etc. – may have specific needs that must be considered. The family may wish to have various smaller sections of the house that are independent from the main family area, or even semi-detached apartment-style spaces. This allows for the family to share a home but without having to sacrifice privacy.
- Lifestyle Spaces: Custom homes can be built to include rooms that provide a space for health, fitness or entertainment, such as yoga or Pilates studios, swimming pools, gyms, game rooms or theaters.
Pros and Cons of Custom Home Design
- Offers the customer a high degree of choice and flexibility regarding the architecture and design
- Gives the customer a home that is well-suited to their needs and preferences
- Typically involves a higher cost for the customer
- Typically takes a longer period of time to build due to all the decisions that need to be made by the customer in conjunction with the home builders
- There may be unforeseen costs and setbacks that were not initially clear
Production Construction
Production builders generally construct many homes in a particular area that are all largely based on one preselected architectural model. Choice in design and architecture for the customer is limited and generally the only construction plans used are ones selected by the building firm. Often all the homes in one community are built by production home builders who initially own a large piece of land which is then subdivided, built with houses in high volumes, and then sold.
Pros and Cons of Production Construction
- Offer great value and can save on costs
- Takes away the stress of having to make day-to-day decisions for customers
- Much time is saved and the customer can move in much sooner
Because these houses are produced in high volume, efficiency and fine-tuning in the production process is ensured