Should You Build a Custom Home?

Finding the perfect home can feel impossible.

You’re looking for a home. But, every house is not quite right. It doesn’t have that “open concept” design. Or it does and you want more walls — more defined space. You’d like a bigger kitchen island. Darn! It doesn’t have a 1/2 bath just for guests.

You think, “If only I could afford to build a custom home.” And that may be the right solution for you. Are you ready to make the time and energy commitment required?

Here a 1+ acre lot has been carefully cleared to leave these gorgeous mature trees.

Show Me The Money

Prices for a custom home are typically from $150 to $250 a square foot. It’s more than the money; it’s the many decisions that you have to make. Starting with finding a buildable lot. Is it ready to build on? Or do you need to get water and utilities to the site? Are there grading issues? That’s just the beginning. And you haven’t even hired an architect yet.

You could buy a home from one of the big builders. But, they often limit how many structural changes you can make. And those aesthetic upgrades (crown moulding, etc.) can add up.

An Affordable Option

Turns out, you don’t have to settle. There is a happy medium. A semi-custom builder can offer the best of both worlds. Usually, at a price far less than a “start from scratch” custom home. Their prices are often competitive with comparable homes in the area. They have already selected a buildable lot for you. They have home plans that they have experience building. But, you can decide if you want double ovens, to add a game room, an extra bath, a larger kitchen island, and many more custom choices. Although the big builders will give you a choice of cabinets, they rarely let you choose your color scheme. (I recently bought a tract home and my choice of wall color was light yellow or light yellow.)

The home is being built according to plan, but if you bought even at this later stage in the process, changes like accommodating a larger commercial-quality stove is still possible.

The earlier you purchase the lot from a semi-custom builder, the more changes you can make. But, even in the later stages of building, there are options that you can include. Usually, you have to live with the appliances a large builder has selected. But, with a small semi-custom home builder, you can select exactly what you want. Maybe you want a large commercial-quality stove. In most cases, the kitchen can be reconfigured to accommodate it. That’s just one example.

Your Way at an Affordable Price

You don’t have to choose between a tract home and an expensive, time-consuming custom home. Consider a semi-custom home and make your dreams come true — at an affordable price.

A Local Custom-Quality Builder

For help finding the perfect custom-home builder, contact Shiela Hanlon of Panoramas of Texas at 832-928-1183.