Exterior of a modern house design

CHOOSING BETWEEN CUSTOM HOME DESIGNS AND READY-MADE HOMES

After years of waiting, you’ve finally decided to purchase a home. Congratulations!

With this decision, however, comes a very crucial choice: do you build a home or purchase one that’s already built?

To help you decide, we prepared this guide for you:

A closer look

Before you decide which one to choose, let’s delve deeper into each option.

A newly built home is designed from scratch and constructed from the ground up. You have the chance to fully customise the property, and you won’t have to make any compromises on its design.

An existing home, on the other hand, has already been built and is just waiting for a buyer. Because it’s pre-constructed, you won’t have a say in its floor plan or aesthetics, but it’s move-in ready practically from the start.

Blue print and miniature house

Why build a house?

As you wish

The biggest benefit of building your home is the ability to dictate every aspect of the property. You have free rein to decide the number of rooms, bathrooms, living spaces, and garages. You can implement whatever architectural style you prefer. And you can decide what features to include, such as a pool or a deck.

Fresh start

Because everything is new, you won’t need to worry about repairs and maintenance for quite some time. This applies to both the structure of the home, as well as inclusions like kitchen appliances, air conditioning, and other fixtures.

Greener option

A newly built home also tends to be more energy efficient because both the materials used and appliances installed conform to newer building standards. Not only does your home save you on electricity costs but it’s also kinder to the environment.

No competition

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than falling in love with a house only to find out that someone has outbid you for it. When you’re building a house, however, you’ll never have to worry about competition from other homebuyers.

The catch?

You can’t build a custom home overnight. That means you’ll have to wait a few months to let the crew finish construction. 

And the more features you include in your home, the bigger your final bill becomes. However, you can offset these costs with the $25,000 HomeBuilder grant and Preferred Homes’ own $25,000 construction incentive.

Want to know more about these offers? Schedule a call with one of our consultants today.

Happy young couple laughing in their home.

Why buy an existing home?

Move-in ready

Convenience is the biggest advantage an existing home offers. You can typically move into the property shortly after closing on it.

The price is negotiable 

It’s often easier to negotiate the buying price of a pre-built house than the construction costs of a custom-built one. If you’re working on a tighter budget, this could matter a lot to you.

What you see is what you get

Unlike a custom home, you won’t have to wait for months to see the finished product. When you visit a pre-constructed home, you know exactly what you’re buying.

It’s brand new, too

That means maintenance and repairs shouldn’t be an immediate concern, and you can enjoy the same warranties as a custom-built property.

The catch?

The downside of an existing home is that you don’t have a hand in determining its design or features. And it’s rare to find a pre-built home that checks all the boxes on your wishlist. 

You may decide to renovate the property later on, but that costs a lot of money—money you could have used to build a custom home in the first place.

Which one is right for you?

At the end of the day, only you can decide which home is right for you.

If you care about convenience, a ready-built home will suit you fine. But if you value customisation, building a home is a wise decision.

LOOKING TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME?

With over 60 years of experience in the industry, Preferred Homes is the leading custom builder in the Gold Coast and Brisbane area. We can help you bring your dream home to life. Talk to us today.