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Common Decisions That are More Complicated With a Custom Home

Posted by John Holahan on Dec 21, 2015 7:00:00 AM

Common-decisions-that-can-be-more-complicated-with-a-custom-home.jpgThe process of building a custom home is a bit different from the process of buying an existing home—or even a brand new home that’s built according to predetermined specifications. In those cases your choices are limited by what’s available. What you see is pretty much what you get. With a brand new home you may have some flexibility when it comes to choosing a model, but once you choose your model there’s not a lot of additional choices to make.

That, of course, is the advantage—and the challenge—of building a custom home. Here are a few common decisions that are a little more complicated (but much more rewarding) when your build a custom home.

The Kitchen

When you buy a new home that uses a strict plan, you may get to choose an upgrade to your appliances (at a cost). You may also get to specify what color appliances you want, and if you’re lucky, you may get to have some input into the color of the kitchen. A custom home, on the other hand, allows you to choose what kind of cabinets your want, what kind of countertops and sink, you prefer, and even what kind of flooring you desire. And in a custom home, you may even be able to change the location of doors, windows, and even cabinets (although, we should mention that major changes like that—particularly after plans are drawn up can signficantly impact your costs).

The Master Bath

Once again, with a pre-determined plan, you don’t have a lot of decisions to make about the bathroom. Perhaps you can choose between a model that has 2 or 2 ½ baths, but that’s about it. With a custom home you can choose what kind of fixtures your want. You may opt to install a steam shower or a soaking tub. If you are so inclined (and hate having cold feet in the winter) you could even elect to install heated flooring (at a cost determined by you and your builder).

Windows, Doors, and Walls

When you buy a conventional home, the doors, windows, and walls are going to be right where the plan says they are going. It’s non-negotiable (and it’s one way that builders of that kind of home keep costs down—because every home is the same keeping labor and materials the same). In a custom home, you may want to move the windows or make them bigger to let in more light. You may opt to change the location of your garage door so that it’s not visible from the street. And you may even want to move an interior wall—or add a few square feet to the size of a room. Of course you’ll want to make as many of these decisions as possible before construction begins to avoid change charges and delays.

You have a lot more decisions to make when you build a custom home—and some of them are a bit more complicated. But that’s also what makes a custom home feel more personal and intimate. We offer a lot of great plans for homes in the Poconos. But those plans are just the beginning. You can modify them according to your wants and needs. That’s why, if you look at our plans, you’ll notice the prices are listed as, “Starting at $XXX.” You determine what you want—within your budget.

Sure, it’s a bit more complicated—but it’s well worth the effort to end up with the home you really want!

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