First home builders: off a plan or custom build?
If you’re looking for first home builders, you might be wondering whether it’s best to opt for a project home builder or a custom home builder. Well, there are benefits to choosing each—for your first home and beyond—so let’s explore them now.
A project home builder will have a display home
Display homes aren’t the be all and end all but they do mean that you get to see a finished example of what your first home builders are capable of. That said, if you’re looking for ideas for a custom build, it can be helpful to walk around a few display homes to get some ideas of what you like and what you don’t so they can be beneficial no matter what you are leaning towards.
A custom builder will plan to your specific needs and budget
With a project first home builder, you’re restricted to the specific designs and set plans that they have. But with a custom first home builder, your options are endless. They’ll sit down with you and ascertain exactly what you need and explain what will fit in your budget.
The prices are generally comparable
You might expect that it’s cheaper to go with a project first home builder and sometimes this is the case, but not always. This is because they sell you packages and you’re often required to buy “extras” in order to have things you would want included in your build—like a driveway or perhaps landscaping. Since custom first home builders construct their price around everything you want in there, you usually find they’re around the same price anyway. This helpful tool from Finder gives you an idea of how much it costs to build a house.
A custom first home builder is the way to go with difficult blocks of land
More often than not, project homes are not designed to be built on narrow, sloping or battle-axe blocks. You may be required to prepare the land for a project home builder before they’ll even consider building on it which can be both a headache and expensive. This means that if your block of land is tricky, you may be required to go with a custom first home builder.
Want to know more about how Preferred Homes do first homes? Check out our First Home Buyers info. You may also like to know about our House and Land Package options.