New Devonshire Custom Home Rendering

Custom Homes Builder vs. Production Home Builder. Who Should You Choose?

For many building the home of their dreams is a daunting process that begins with the choice – custom home builder or production home builder.

Both types of new home builder may deliver a great new home for you, but your decision to use a custom home builder or a production home builder will come down to what factors are most important to you in your new home build.

Let’s look at the difference and cover some questions that may help you make the right choice for you.

Custom Homes Builder

A custom homes builder designs and constructs a one-of-a-kind home built to suit the client’s needs, vision and budget. These homes are built from scratch in a collaboration between the homeowner, custom home builder, architect, and the design and project management team.

For these homes, the lot is a fundamental aspect of the build’s design and construction.  Often built on a single lot, the custom home builder may own a suitable lot, or the homeowner my have purchased the lot on their own.

Custom homes offer benefits production homes do not:

  1. Choice
  2. Flexibility

In a custom home build, the homeowner has a choice in virtually every aspect of their new home build. From Foundation, to flooring to interior decorating, the homeowner works with the builder to select exactly what fits the lot, their lifestyle and vision for their new home to build the exact home of their dream.

Here then is what a homeowner can expect of a custom home build:

  1. The home can be on the lot of the homeowners choice
  2. A homeowner can supply a floor plan or commission plans from the builder
  3. The homeowner will be involved in the process and have the opportunity to make decisions along the way
  4. Homeowners can choose nearly any product, as long as it fits the budget, rather than selecting from a defined list of choices.

The main restrictions for a custom home build are building code and zoning restrictions (your custom home builder should be able to help with those) and budget.

If you are the type that wants to be involved in key decisions in building your dream home, and want the full slate of options are your disposal – then this is likely the right choice for your new home build.

Production Home Builder

A production home builder, sometimes called a “tract builder,” will provide a house floor plan or a group of floor plans that they build over and over again. Often these homes are built in communities where a single builder owns all the lots and the lot is included in your build price.

In a production home build, homeowners select a floor plan and choose from a list of predefined elevations and finishing options for their new home. By definition, a production home build offers limited flexibility once a plan has been selected and the build is underway.

Here is what a homeowner can expect from a production home build:

  1. A new home build and lot as a package
  2. A group of floor plans from which to choose
  3. A choice of elevation and finishing options from a predefined list
  4. A community with a mix of home styles from the same builder
  5. A somewhat faster home construction time-frame.

 

Questions to Consider When Choosing Your New Home Builder

There is not necessarily a right or wrong decision in choosing between a custom home builder and a production home builder. There are advantages to each depending on the factors that matter most to the homeowner.

Here are some questions that will help you make your choice:

  1. Is unlimited choice throughout the build important to you?
  2. Do you want to select a lot in a neighborhood of your choice?
  3. Do you have a very specific expectations for what the home must include to meet your personality and vision?
  4. Do you want to work closely with the builder and interior designers to realize your dream home?
  5. Do you expect the builder to get to know you family, personality and lifestyle needs?

If you answered yes to most of the above 5 questions, then a custom  home builder is likely the right choice for your new home.

Here are some other questions to consider:

  1. Do you want to see a finished floor plan model to know what your home will look like?
  2. Are you comfortable with a menu of options for your home’s flooring, cabinetry and other finishing touches?
  3. Would you rather leave most of the decisions to the builder to design and construct your new home?
  4. Will you be satisfied with a luxury floor plan that is similar to your neighbors except for elevation choices and some finishing touches?
  5. Are you comfortable with a home build with little flexibility for change once its underway, but that will be constructed relatively quickly compared to other builds?

If these questions are more fitting for your personality, you may want to select a production home builder.

Where Does Devonshire Custom Homes fit in?

Our name says it all. We are a Tampa custom home builder with a reputation as one of the finest builders from South Tampa to St. Petersburg in Tampa Bay’s finest neighborhoods. We strive to make the custom design and construction of new luxury homes match the personality of our home buyers. We work to build a home tailored to your unique objectives and that fits your lifestyle. At Devonshire Custom Homes, our home building process works like this:

  1. Develop your custom home requirements.
  2. Discuss financing options and recommendations.
  3. Assist in lot selection in a neighborhood that fits your criteria if you have not purchased a lot.
  4. Designing the house plan to meet your personality, requirements and budget
  5. Work with you to select the finishes for your dream home
  6. Develop engineered plans for permitting
  7. Creating the most pleasurable build phase possible
  8. Celebrating your move in day!

Are you thinking about building a new luxury home? Let’s talk about how we can help you realize your dream!

Free Consultation