I completely understand the OP's desire to choose a standard house design from a builder with limited options but I want to point out that such a house is not really a "tract" house.

A tract house would be one of a few similar house designs built at the same time in the same land sub-division (or tract) taking advantages of repetitive construction elements like plumbing trees and trusses that can be built in factories.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm curious, though. What would you call a builder who builds in a subdivision they own and only has about 14 different floor plans with the same type of upgrade options? They will also build on a lot you own, but most people seem to gravitate to their subdivision.

Why not buy a home that is already built? You can get even more bang for your money and not have any surprises with the design of the end result.

This post was edited by dekeoboe on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 22:17

There are several reasons why we built custom. One was that we are on acreage in a rural area. We specifically did not want to live in a subdivision. Secondly, the lay of our land and the mountain view would not have worked with most stock plans. Thirdly, designing and building my own house has been at the top of my 'bucket list' for most of my life.

It's funny, but after agonizing over design for the better part of 6 years, it occurred to me that I've been perfectly happy in every house I've lived in over the past 60 years. I would really have to sit down and think about it to come up with a list of short-comings. We could have had a stock design built on our land, and I'm sure we would have been perfectly happy. In fact, one of our options would have been a mobile home (gasp!) if we couldn't have afforded the house we are building.

Dekeoboe,

That will remain an option as well. One thing I've noticed about the type of homes we are looking at is new construction pretty much mirrors the cost of existing houses (only a few thousand dollars difference), plus we would have more of a choice in the finishes and end up with a new house.

I have no doubt that there are people who build custom because it's the best way for them. I can't however, imagine spending six years agonizing over the design. With my personality it would make the whole thing not worth it. That's just me, though.

Just be sure to "walk through" the floor plan in your mind. Pretend you're making breakfast, having dinner, doing laundry, watching TV, getting ready for bed....how does it work? Is it efficient for your needs? Does it seem like there's enough space where you need it? If so, then it doesn't matter if the house is custom or cookie cutter...if the layout works for you, it works.

Before I had any home built though, regardless of the plan, I would look into green building options. To me, that's worth the money and the custom features because it impacts the on going costs of living in the home as well as how comfortable the home feels regardless of the weather.

+1 on looking into green building, or at least making sure that the builder does a decent job of insulating and sealing. Our house is ICF, with an R-50 attic and decent windows. A lot of thought was put into siting the house both for esthetics and energy use. The results are startling, at least for someone who has never lived in a fully insulated house before. Our house is 1400 square feet, but the whole house is kept comfortable with a single small mini-split, being within 1/2 degree in every corner, as long as the interior doors are kept open. Last month's electric bill was $66. You save on buying HVAC equipment which can be much smaller, and you save every month. Something to consider.

AnnieDeighnaugh and MushCreek,

I actually have Chief Architect's Home Designer program and was able to draw the house from the detailed plans which the builder gave me. It will definitely fit our lifestyle and will be plenty big for us. The company builds what they call "Energy Smart" homes. They advertise that their homes score a 68 on the HERS scale, which while good could probably be lowered somewhat. We will have to keep that in mind.

NotBobTheBuilder, I would call the house you describe a design-build house. I would consider a custom house one where the owner provided the design to the builder. But these terms are used so loosely that you need to ask people to be specific and avoid industry jargon.

As Renovator8 has said, there are a lot of terms thrown around that mean different things to different people. I hear a lot of people (in real life) say "custom build" when what they mean is that they can pick their finishes and add some electrical outlets.

When I tell someone "I am building a house", they inevitably reply "who's your builder?" Shouldn't it be obvious when I say "I AM BUILDING A HOUSE"? But no, people say they are building when they mean that they are buying a brand new house, so that's what they assume I mean.

Congratulations on finding a builder that caters to your lifestyle. We're going custom specifically because we're child free and don't need 4000sq'. But we wanted a big garage. Around here, you have to have at least 5 unused rooms before you can get a 3 car garage. And 4+ cars? Forget about it. Even if we didn't want the garage, we'd rather have yard space than those unused rooms, and that's just unfathomable to builders around here.

I also have heard too many stories from friends who have bought from a production builder (what I think you're doing) to believe you ever have any kind of say. "Oh, the tile we forced you to choose 6 months ago from our 5 options is no longer available. And we need something tomorrow, so here's what you're getting." And for what we're spending to live in the neighbourhood we want to live in, I want some say in what the final product will look like.

But, I am also a whole lot pickier than a lot of people. A lot of people would be fine with the "whatever the builder chose at the last minute" tile. Just because *I* wouldn't be, doesn't mean the people it happened to are any less happy with their house.

I get the feeling you feel like you need to defend your choice. It might seem like people around here have something against production builds, but I don't believe that's true. I think that there are just a whole lot more posts from people doing custom, because (as you've already predicted) there are so many more questions and decisions (and headaches) when you're building custom. So we come here for advice and a venting outlet.

Of course building has to fit with your personality. For me, I'd be a lot more stressed by being forced to pay for choices that didn't make me happy, than the stress of having 1,000 decisions to make....control freak that I am. I thoroughly enjoyed the build and the design process...I keep kidding DH that I need another "craft project"! Time for a new house!!!

Please make sure that you can actually get certain items elsewhere, like the kitchen cabinets you mentioned. We are working with a builder much like you, and we can only use his vendor and the vendor's products. Just make sure your eyes are wide open with no surprises.

Shouldn't it be obvious when I say "I AM BUILDING A HOUSE"?

My late mother would always smirk and scoff when I told her I was a "builder" and send her pics of new builds and renos as proof.

"And which part did you build? Did you frame it? Put on the bricks? You're not a builder." In her mind, unless you physically put together every component, you weren't more than an interested spectator with a chequebook.

***
Notbob

Nothing lazy or wrong with your approach at all. (BTW, a lot of the agonizing you're referring to could be easily avoided by relying on experienced architects, designers and contractors.)

This post was edited by worthy on Wed, Jul 9, 14 at 19:11

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions that everyone has made. Today, my wife and I were looking at carpeting (for our current home) and talked with the carpet sales lady about whether they work with the builder we like. She said they did, so it wouldn't be impossible for us to get exactly the type of flooring we want and flooring that isn't builder's grade.

As for the cabinets, that is one area I think I would have some issues with. The cabinets offered by the company are Aristokraft, which I know has some issues among people. But what I have to compare them with (cabinets in our mobile home) make me think that even their cheapest line would be better than what we've got now. Even the cabinets we have now still don't look that bad after 18 years, but of course we never had children destroying them. In my conversations with the company representative, he assured me we could pick whatever material we wanted, but I'm equally sure it will add to the price regardless of the fact that we would get a credit for whatever they didn't provide. I'm just not sure that we want to search for cabinets and that we would get much of a better deal. Luckily, we won't have to worry about that now.

I do wish we were closer to doing this, but I've been told that patience is a virtue. :)

"we could pick whatever material we wanted"

Like you said, at an additional cost. What that additional cost would be is what your next question should be. And just remember verbal words can be just words (his is trying to sell you something remember) so make certain it is written in the contract.

I realize there's no such thing as a free lunch, but I have to believe a change with this builder would be no different than any other, and of course you're correct that anything will have to be spelled out in the final contract. Everyone I've talked with who owns homes from this builder say they are better than their word, which is part of the reason we like them. Thanks.

One thing to keep in mind is that often when you're making changes, the costs of the changes don't reflect the obvious cost to the builder.

For example, you go to a show room, and the red tile is the same price as the blue tile. The builder offers blue tile, so red should be a free substitute, right? No. The builder's price on the blue tile might be based on the fact that he's using it in all 100 homes. He bought a truckload of it, and got it for 20% of the price you see in the showroom. If you want the red tile, not only is it going to cost him 5 times as much to get it for your one house, but he's got to pay someone to go buy it and have it delivered whereas the blue stuff is already in his warehouse. And maybe, because he's already got blue tile, not putting it in your house means that he's stuck with it, so you don't necessarily get credit for tile he can't return. Then, he's got trades who know that every house gets the blue tile, and how it's installed. Keeping track of the one house that gets red means extra paperwork, and a risk that someone's going to mess up, and the builder will have to pay to have it removed and replaced.

Aside from all the legitimate expenses possibly incurred by your change, some builders make their entire profit on changes. They price out a house, and put a very minimal margin on it. That way, they can show a lower base price to all the home buyers. But any change you add in is a way to pad his profit. So maybe the different carpet costs the exact same, but by doubling the cost, he can make up for cutting the original price so low.

That doesn't mean the builder isn't a good one. It's just how his business is structured. His product is for the people who value low cost over input into decisions. If you are one of those people, then you will most likely be very happy. But if you go in thinking that you can get the low cost AND the red tiles, then you may be very disappointed.

Bazinga, well said amberm!

The building company we like has a web site with their floor plans listed and all the options available and the cost of the upgrades spelled out. As I said before, most of the items available we have researched and we like what's offered. On those areas we don't, we will have the ability to tell the company what we would prefer to use and then they will order it and install it. For example, the company uses Mohawk carpet. We don't care for any of the levels they offer. However, there are higher levels of Mohawk that we like. Given that it is still Mohawk, they will order it through their supplier. The same holds true for the Congoleum vinyl they use. How much extra is unknown to me right now given that we aren't ready to break ground. The company sales rep said the company doesn't begin to start talking numbers on items until we put down a $500 completely refundable good faith deposit meaning we have a floor plan in mind and are ready to act on it, which I can completely understand.

I will know how much it would cost retail (which I completely understand is not what the company would pay for it) so I can at least compare the price they give me to what it would cost me to have it done on my own. That is an option, as we were told the other day by the carpeting sales lady we were talking with regarding our current home. In fact, she was preparing for a meeting with the building company next week on a whole-house install. If I don't like the price the company offers then I'm free to have the work done myself as long as I'm willing to foot the costs. They will tell me how much of a credit I will be getting for them not doing the work or providing the material. Again, that was spelled out to me in the email with the company's sales rep and confirmed independently by a friend.

Another example is in the appliance package. They offer different levels of GE appliances, which I hate. I prefer LG. The only thing I will be required to do is to purchase the appliances, provide the builder with the measurements, as it will affect the kitchen cabinet sizes, and then pay to have them installed. I understand the builder will not warranty them, but the installer I hire will and so will LG.

Maybe this company is different from other production builders, but one of their advertised promises is that they will take any of their floor plans and modify them however you want with whatever material you want. They are even willing to do some structural rearranging. We want a pantry in the kitchen, which their in-house architect will work into the floor plan before the contract is signed, and which we will then be presented in terms of how much it will add to the cost. We also want a different style of backsplash in the kitchen incorporating a tile mural I love. I will buy and supply the tile and they will provide the installation based on the detailed plans I am required to provide. Again, I understand that all that will come at a higher cost, but before the contract is signed all those costs will be spelled out in writing.

When it comes to the main structure of the house, I know this company's reputation. They build solid homes. We will see the floor plan we like in a few weeks as they are currently building it as a market home. At that time I will be able to judge how well it will work for us. Where the structure of the house is concerned (the bones) from the experience of people I know and trust the house is fine. Where we will want changes are in the areas I've previously mentioned, and they are willing to accommodate us in those changes. If I think I can get a better price on those cosmetic areas then I'm free to do so. Even the pantry isn't that big of a deal as we know a couple who did the same thing. They spent an additional $800 for it and was given a $250 credit for the cabinet they chose to leave out.

You are fortunate to have a builder willing to provide you with so much information knowing that it will be 5 or so years before you are ready to build...or do they not know this?

They are well aware of our time frame.

NotBob, I don't believe anyone here is trying to be critical of your choice. I think we're all just telling you our experiences so you are prepared in case you encounter it.

My example of the red/blue tiles seems to have been misunderstood, so I'll try again using your appliance example. Your builder offers GE. Let's say the model they offer is available at Lowes for $1000. You like LG, and the model you want is at Lowes for $1200. So you think you can get a $1000 credit from the builder for not taking the appliance and put it towards the LG one. You might have to pay for delivery out of pocket, but otherwise, it's a couple hundred $ for a $1200 appliance that you love. However, because the builder buys a few hundred of that GE appliance every year, he might be getting it for $500. So now your credit for buying your own appliance is only $500. You have to pay the extra $700 out of pocket. Some builders might not even give you the full $500 credit because it'll leave them with an appliance they can't return. Or they want to discourage home buyers from taking the credit because if they buy too few GE appliances, they lose their pricing.

So sure, you're ALLOWED to get whatever appliance you want. And you're aware that there may be costs involved. But I'm trying to explain why those costs might be a whole lot more than you imagine. And that's with 100% belief that your builder is good, honest and reliable.

A friend of mine has a production built house. They wanted a bigger eating area in the kitchen. So they had the back wall bumped out a few feet. They paid whatever the builder quoted for it. However, in the process of doing it for them, the builder realized that it was a whole lot more involved than they thought when it was quoted. Since building my friend's house, the builder simply will not build that for anyone else. With your friend's pantry, it may be that they quoted $800, and then after they built it, realized that it actually cost them more than $800 to do. Being honest builders, they didn't make your friends pay more than the quoted price. But they will be sure that if they do it again for you, you will be paying more. Obviously, I don't know this happened. I'm just trying to illustrate how a friend's previous experience is not a 100% guarantee yours will be similar, or could even be an indication of your costs. It's really common, especially for builders who build the same model repetitively, to make mistakes quoting something out of the ordinary.

Finally, I missed the part about you building in 5 years. Around here, builders do not build the same houses for more than a year or 2. Tastes and trends change, so the builder changes its product offering. It might be something as simple as swapping the powder room and a closet, or changing the facade. But it's a new model. And although they gain a lot of cost savings from doing the same thing over and over, they do it over and over within a limited time frame. I would put money on whatever they are doing now will NOT be what they are doing in 5 years. I suspect your builder is the same, as you mentioned they are currently building a model of a new floor plan. I'm sure it'll replace an older model. And next year, something else will replace that again.

You have pointed out a very real benefit to a production build, though. My house is currently just a series of computer files. There are no houses out there like it that I can walk through and see if I like it. I have to be able to read the floor plans and visualize. And I'm taking a risk that it'll be as good in real life as I picture in my head.

Amberm14,

Your points are well-taken. I can only go by the experiences I have had with the people I know. I also realize that the sales rep is doing his best to make me happy but given that people independent of him (and who would be more than willing to tell me if something was wrong) have confirmed everything he said, I'm not worried.

As for the credit issue, I imagined the credit given would be if we selected the lowest-cost package they offer. I have no illusions that they will give me enough to even cover the cost of the appliances I like. As I stated before, however, this will be the last home I ever live in and I will spend the extra money to get what I want even if it means limiting selections in areas I don't really care about.

Can't speak of other builders, but I know this one is still building some of the same floorplans they were offering six years ago. In fact, one couple we know has lived in their house for eight years and the company still builds it. I guess time will tell.

This post was edited by NotBobTheBuilder on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 21:47

My thinking is that you need to do whatever you feel is best for you and your wife within your budget. When it comes down to it, you're the ones who are going to be paying for it, so as long as you two are both happy, that's really all that matters. Best wishes with your home!

NotBobTheBuilder - I worked as a sales agent for a builder very much like the one you’re describing, many years ago in the early ’80’s. He did offer all the changes and options to his customers, and offered 10-15 different floor plans for each neighborhood he built in. He was not the only builder in a neighborhood, often there would be three or four, so there was not a “cookie-cutter” atmosphere.

These homes are still just as attractive and well built as they were when I sold them oh-so-many years ago - with many of the original owners still happily residing there.

If this is what works best for your budget and your style of living, then this will ultimately be a home you’re happy in and proud to own! You sound as though you’ve researched this very carefully, and that research and knowledge will steer you well. I wish you all the best!

Thank you both Bethanysmom and nanny2a.

Nanny2a, we have certainly done, and continue to do, our due diligence in this endeavor. We drove by the site where the market home that fits our desired floorplan is being built and was kind of surprised to see how little has been done. It is supposed to be ready for the builder to sell in August and they have yet to pour the slab. The foundation blocks are in place and all the plumbing is roughed in and it is graveled, but nothing else yet. My wife and I had the predictable shock reaction of "boy, this really looks small" and "how in the world will they get everything in there?" Then, after we got home and took out the tape measure we realized that without walls to offer perspective it will look too small. I know that is the general reaction of many building a home. Unfortunately, the market house won't have the bonus room option, which we plan to add as I have about 2,500 books that I need to have room to store, but I've seen pictures of this same company's bonus rooms and I know it will be just fine.

Again, thanks for the kind words.