Home builders play a crucial role in the process of building your dream house. They work with a wide range of contractors including carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and roofers.
Working with a professional home builder can save you time, money, and stress. The best home builders will be transparent with you throughout the entire process, ensuring that your expectations are met.
Types of Builders
A new construction home is a big investment and there are many decisions to be made from the floorplan to finishes. To help the process go more smoothly, it’s helpful to have the right builder on your side. According to experts at Angi, there are several different types of home builders.
Production Builders are the ones who develop entire neighborhoods or tracts of land that are divided into lots for “stock plan homes”. They typically offer a few different house designs that can be modified to some extent but do not custom-build each home. Their economies of scale and standardized designs allow them to give prices quickly, as they know exactly what each option costs.
Semi-Custom Builders are similar to Production builders but they do customize the homes they build. This allows the buyers to get a feeling for what a particular house design looks like with the ability to make changes that feel more customized. These builders will usually have some inventory, either finished or under construction, that buyers can tour.
Spec Builders, on the other hand, start building homes before they even have a buyer lined up, as they are “speculating” that it will sell when completed. This can add to the length of time it takes to finish the home. It is important to ask the builder about their process for constructing the home and the timeline that they expect it will take to complete the construction phase.
Production Builders
Production builders, also known as tract builders or volume builders, construct multiple homes at a time in large residential developments. They own the land and offer a variety of pre-designed floor plans that are replicated throughout the development to keep home prices low and build times quicker.
Production builds may offer a limited number of design options, such as flooring, carpeting and cabinetry to help buyers customize their new homes. But these changes can be costly and don’t add up to the full customization available with custom home builds.
Since these builders build in large volumes, they can save money by purchasing materials in bulk. This can lower the price of building materials and make the build process more efficient, but it also reduces flexibility for the buyer.
To ensure that their communities will be a good fit, these builders pay attention to consumer surveys and hire mystery shoppers to visit their model homes. They will also scour demographic and economic data to see what will work in a specific market before they commit to the construction of any neighborhood.
In addition to constructing the homes, these builders will often sell the lots on which they build. This can save buyers from having to deal with the cost and hassle of finding a lot that is suitable for their needs.
Custom Builders
Custom builders create homes tailored to their clients’ specific lifestyles and preferences. They collaborate closely with architects and designers to ensure that every element of the home reflects the homeowner’s vision, from the layout of the kitchen to the energy-efficient features. This level of personalization requires a longer timeline and larger budget, but the result is a one-of-a-kind home that perfectly matches the client’s lifestyle.
Custom home builders often use Universal Design principles to make the house comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. This includes wider doorways, walk-in showers, and other adaptable spaces that make the house more accessible as the owners age. This attention to detail can improve resale value, and can also reduce maintenance costs over time.
Spec homebuilders buy land and then build houses on it to sell. They may offer a few standard house plans, but they don’t customize them for each buyer. This approach can save them money on development and materials, but it can also limit the variety of options available to buyers. Some spec builders, like the well-known John Hummel and Associates, focus on high-end designs that have earned them features in publications such as Elle Decor, Town and Country, Hampton Cottages and Gardens, and Bazaar. These eye-catching projects can attract buyers and increase resale values, but they can also be expensive to build.
Tract Builders
Tract builders purchase large plots of land, often on the outskirts of cities or towns, and then divide them into smaller lots for houses to be constructed. This allows them to build homes on a large scale and offer a selection of home models to prospective buyers. They also work on a budget, purchasing material in bulk to ensure they get the best prices. This saves them money and time as they can start building their homes quickly.
These builders offer a quick construction timeline and affordable price point, making them an attractive option for new homebuyers. They typically have a limited number of design options for homebuyers, however, and may not offer a choice of exterior materials.
While the upfront cost of a tract home can be high, these builders usually offer financing options or collaborate with programs that assist first-time homeowners. They also offer a variety of amenities, such as parks and community centers, to improve the quality of life for their residents.
Since tract builders create a series of identical houses, living in one can create a sense of community for homeowners and neighbors. However, the lack of personalization may be a drawback for some people who are looking to buy a house that feels like home. To overcome this, it is important to focus on interior design and décor, adding decorative elements and displaying cherished possessions to make the space feel more unique and comfortable.