When you build a new home, you can make it match your lifestyle, instead of having to fit yourself into a house someone else lived in. But not all newly built homes are created equal in terms of flexibility. One of the first considerations you may need to make is whether to create a fully custom home vs. a semi-custom house.
Knowing the difference between semi-custom and custom homes will help you decide which building process works best with your preferences, budget, and timeframe.
What Is a Custom Home?
A custom home is exactly what it sounds like. It’s custom, and it’s built for you. Instead of modifying an existing blueprint or home plan you buy, you begin your own design from the ground up. An architect or designer builds a custom plan for your home that suits your lifestyle, preferences, and the property that you have.
Custom homes usually are a bit more expensive than a semi-custom home, but they give you that level of personalization and control that isn’t always possible with a semi-custom home. Depending on your builder and project, you may have control over everything from the general layout and square footage to architectural details, materials, finishes, fixtures, and built-in amenities. The extra money often redeems itself with that freedom to choose everything exactly as you envision it.
Building a custom home is usually a complex and very involved process for the home buyer with lots of decisions needing to be made. However, it’s also very rewarding at the end of it all to get a home that truly reflects your personality and specific needs.
Custom Homes Pros and Cons
The biggest benefit of a custom home vs. a semi-custom home is the freedom. You’ll be able to design the home around how you want to use it rather than trying to fit your demands to an existing design.
Pros of a custom home include:
- More control of the floor plan and overall layout
- More freedom of architectural style and design
- Ability to choose materials, finishes, fixtures, and features
- Ability to design plans for your specific property
- Greater flexibility to meet particular demands and priorities
Some cons of a fully custom home depending on your priorities may be:
- More design decisions needing to be made
- A longer planning and construction timeline
- Increase in cost with certain features or complicated designs
What Is a Semi-Custom Home?
A semi-custom home vs. a custom home adds more pre-determined structure to the building process yet still has some degree of personalization. Instead of building the home from the ground up, you usually pick from one of the builder’s pre-existing floor designs. From there, you might be able to choose finishes, materials, colors, fixtures, and other design features. Some builders will also let you make changes to the floor plan, such as adding a room, altering some proportions or modifying interior features.
The largest difference when comparing a custom home vs. a semi-custom home is usually the level of freedom you have to adjust the basic design of the home. When having a semi-custom home built, there are some more parameters that may limit your choices for customization.
Semi-Custom Homes Pros and Cons
You can make the design process easier by starting with an existing floor plan, but you’ll still have options to make the home your own.
Pros of a semi-custom home include:
- Less pressure when making design considerations
- Having a floor plan to start with
- Possibly shorter planning and construction timelines
- More predictable costs
- Some customizable finishes, fixtures, and features
Some cons of a semi-custom home depending on your priorities may be:
- Less control over entire floor plan
- Fewer options to do big architecture modifications
- Limited customization to options supplied by the builder
Cost of Custom Home vs. a Semi-Custom Home
The cost for both fully custom homes and semi-custom homes can vary greatly based on the size of the home, property, materials, finishes, builder, and level of customization. Choosing a semi-custom doesn’t necessarily imply cheap, and custom doesn’t mean that every choice has to be high-end.
A builder like Mountain View Building can give you an accurate quote for the home you are considering, including the size, layout, features, and if you’re looking to see the difference between the costs of a custom home and semi-custom home.
Custom Home vs. Semi-Custom Home: What’s Right For You?
The best decision for you on building a custom home vs. a semi-custom home depends on what you want out of the building process and as an end result. As you explore your options, consider:
- How much control you want of the layout and design plan
- If you already have a very specific architectural vision in mind
- How many decisions you want to be tasked with making throughout the process
- Your budget and desired timeline
- If an existing floorplan already covers most of your goals and needs
In summary, a fully custom home offers you much more freedom if you’re especially concerned about choosing the exact layout, architectural style, and specific features and fixtures. If you already like an existing floor plan and just want to customize certain things, semi-custom home construction might be that perfect middle ground between fully custom and a spec house.
Start Designing Your Custom Home
Are you ready to see what your new home could be? Contact Mountain View Building to tell us all about your property, your priorities, your budget, and your ideas. We’ll help you understand your options and decide the best way to make your vision a reality. Contact us today to begin your custom home or semi-custom home design.
