When you’re looking to buy a new home, there are many things to consider. Are you going to look at what’s on the market? Do you want to build? Does this mean you’re going to build a custom home or do you want a personalized production home? At J. Schwartz, LLC Remodeling & Fine Home Building, we understand that buying a new home is stressful. There are a lot of moving parts and it takes help from an expert to get it right. If you’ve never worked with a custom home builder in Philadelphia, the process is a bit different than what many people have experienced when buying a home. Today, let’s focus on the pros and cons that come with building a custom home.
Pros of a custom home
Customization
As the name says, you’re getting a custom home. This doesn’t mean that you’re choosing from three or four floor plans and making choices based on what you like. Rather, you’re customizing every piece of your home. Is there a specific floor plan out there somewhere that you love and you want as the inspiration for your home? Your custom home builder can make it happen. Are you considering pieces from several different floor plans? Again, your custom home builder will make it happen. You can have every nook and cranny of your home build exactly how you want it.
Lower maintenance costs
While it might be cheaper to buy a home that’s already built, a new home comes with lower maintenance costs than an older home. This is because your builder has already inspected everything to make sure it works properly and it’s all brand new. This means that the electrical in your home is fresh and running properly, your air conditioner is new and functioning at its highest efficiency, and you don’t have to worry about cracks in the foundation or a faulty roof.
Less competition on the buying market
The buying market can be brutal. A home that you’ve fallen in love with can be swept out from under you buy a better offer within hours and you can spend months searching for another home that you love and are able to make a competitive offer on. Rather than dealing with the rat race of making offer after offer on homes, you can find a lot and build a home that you love.
Cons of a custom home
Time
Building a home takes time. From start to finish it will take several months to get your home to the point where you’re ready to move in. In contrast, buying a home that’s move-in ready typically takes a few weeks. This is something that you’re going to want to consider when making the decision to build.
Lack of landscaping
Most often, when a new home is built, the entire lot is cleared. This makes it easier for the construction crew to work without having to navigate trees or shrubs with heavy equipment. Once the home is finished, the landscapers can come in and plant new bushes and either plant grass or lay sod. This makes for raw and immature landscaping, so you’ll have to wait years before you have a shade tree in the yard.
Location
When building a custom home, you need to find a location. This can be tough as many of the best locations throughout town, or even outside of town, have often already been developed. When building your custom home, you’re going to have to find an open lot that you can buy to build your new home.
Meet with a builder
Get in touch with our team at J. Schwartz, LLC Remodeling & Fine Home Building today to learn more about building a custom home. We’re experts in high-end builds and can work as your custom home builder in Philadelphia. Reach out today by calling or sending a message and we’ll help you get started.
