22 Aug What’s the difference between a project home and custom home
Finding the right builder to suit your requirements and budget takes time. Not all builders are the same. Finding the right fit is just as important as price and value for money. There are typically two types of builders to choose from. A project home builder or a custom house builder. In this article we discuss the difference between a project home and custom home and how this can affect who you choose to build for you.
What is a project home?
A project home is normally pre-designed and is something you would select from a range of home options. Typically, changes to the design would be limited. The price of a project home will vary based on the selections and inclusions you choose to finish your home. While the base price of your home may be low, you can find that the price will increase as you begin to add different types of selections, finishes and inclusions. A project home is a great fit for the those that are looking at a lower budget build. If you aren’t looking to customise your home to suit your needs, requirements and the block of land then a project home is a great choice.
Project home builders build a large volume of homes each year, meaning they have access to economies of scale and lower pricing negotiated with suppliers that can affect the cost to build your home. It is important to note that they will have select ranges of finishes and inclusions that can change the cost of your home significantly.
What is a custom home?
As the name suggests a custom home is something that is unique and is normally designed taking into account your lifestyle, budget and requirements. A custom home will normally start by gathering your ideas. This could include different floor plans, facades or other homes you’ve seen that you like. A building designer will collate all your ideas and information and translate your vision into a concept design. Once you can visually start to see how your home would look and more importantly how it will function you can make changes as you need to. At this point you can also start to think about budget and what you can and can’t change to build something that fits within your overall expected cost for the build.
Custom home builders don’t build as many homes each year as project home builder so typically the quality of finish may be higher and the level of service and engagement directly with the builder can be better.
What are the benefits of building a custom home?
When it comes to comparing what is right for you there are a few things to consider when it comes choosing a custom home…
- You can create a home design and mould something that will fit your needs and the needs of your family
- You have the benefit of knowing your home is truly unique
- You have control over the quality of the finish of your home
- You can build a home you love that is aligned to a realistic budget
Building a home is a unique and challenging process. While project homes suit a large amount of people building homes, there are also an increasing amount of people who prefer something custom and unique. Make sure you talk to builders to find out what they do and how your options compare.