Building a home for some people entails overseeing the construction from the start and dedicating a few months in the entire process. Some others do not need much of your time and efforts, but still, go perfectly. And there are some builds that you can buy directly “off the rack”, completely built. However, it depends on your choice of the type of builder. Whether you choose a custom home or a customizable home, it does you good to know their differences.
What Is A Spec Home?
A spec home builder is the middle-ground between a fully custom home, which you build from scratch, and tract homes, which are ready to move in. Spec homes offer some customization and these builders construct hundreds of homes every year. Tract home builders do not offer much in terms of accommodating for the home owner’s plans. The main consideration in deciding between the three types of builders – custom home builders, Spec home & Tract home builders is the affordability. A spec home is very popular because it can be built in a unique design, reflecting your style, and also provides you an affordable option.
Differences Between A Spec Home, Custom Home, And Tract Home
A tract builder might make the most cost-effective of homes, but the fact is that there is so little that you can change in their designs. On the other hand, spec homes and custom homes allow your inputs fully or partially. Let us see below the various types of home builds.
Spec Home (U R HOME TEXAS)
A Spec home or a speculative home is a brand-new property that is near completion or fully finished. These homes come with pre-customized features, made with minimal charges. A spec home can be a safe investment, depending on the builder.
Specs homes are well-built, have great amenities and upgrades, and are located in promising neighborhoods. Once you decide on a semi-constructed spec home, you can select the finishes and they will be ready in no time for immediate occupancy.
Homebuyers can select any model they like and then modify according to their tastes. What parts of the layout can be changed depends on many factors, but you will have the option to choose from designs like countertops, flooring, and cabinets. Some builders even offer you the choice of structural components like the shingles and insulation.
The builders can also give a tour of their model homes to give you a good idea of the finished product, which cannot be said about custom homes and are quicker to build when compared to custom homes.
Tract Home
An advantage for tract builders is they will have dozens if not hundreds of homes being built at once, so you will not have to worry about shortages of a modeled home you like from their inventory. These builders buy large tracts of land and tend to develop their own subdivisions keeping their homes exclusive from other builders entering the community.
Tract builders look for proven, durable building materials that help them speed construction and provide energy efficiency. These type of builders are not very flexible with custom requests, limited selection is provided for your home as their priority is efficiency and speed.
Floor plan designs are pretty basic and say very little on home design, however expect this build to be very cost efficient and a quicker turn around time than both spec and custom homes.
Custom Home
A fully custom home is what offers the buyer complete control over the build. As a homeowner, you can be involved in making every decision. Whether it is the layout, design, materials used, amenities, or finishes, you have a say in everything.
Although custom homes are specific to a site, you can tailor it according to your ideas. One of the biggest attractions is that you have the option to add extra eco-friendly choices or choose features that suit your location and environment.
However, this can be daunting, especially if you have no experience in overseeing a home build.
Custom built homes are also very expensive and they take more time to build. And without any blueprints or previous models to compare with, you also don’t have an idea of how the final product might turn out, which can cause some problems with room sizes and ceiling heights.
Which Is Right For You?
In order to say which is right, consider the pros and cons of all three types of builders Specs, Tract Homes and Custom homes. Although with custom homes you get a truly unique home and you get what you dreamt of, the time of construction can be pretty lengthy and it could get overwhelming with unexpected issues or unpredictable costs. On the other hand, spec homes can be more cost effective and faster to build, with customization still at play for your home. To summarize it all, it is a personal choice of which to choose based on a buyers priorities. As the housing markets begin to grow again, spec homes are leading way for priority builds touching both features of custom and cost efficiency.
