Custom Homes – Choosing Form Over Function
In South Florida, you have a wide variety of options when looking to purchase a newly constructed home. Options and customization cover a wide spectrum of choices and price ranges – so how do you know which is right for you?
Sometimes it is a matter of location.
In Sarasota, it is more common to see new subdivisions with hundreds of newly constructed homes (known as “tract homes”) .
On Lido and Longboat Key and even in parts of Sarasota County however, new homes are generally found singularly by the lot, and therefore either known as “spec” or “custom” homes.
New Home Definitions
Tract Homes: Tract homes are very similar in size, appearance and attribute than all the other homes in the community. A builder will give you choice of several floor plans, and you may be able to choose finishes or floor coverings, depending on the phase of construction. Tract homes in Sarasota are often located in a planned subdivision of hundreds of homes. A Buyer’s input as to design is very minimal. Tract homes are often the most attractive to cost-conscious buyers, as they reflect economies of scale through duplication.
Spec Homes: Spec homes are generally constructed by custom builders based upon the trending style and design selling best in the current market. Although they may add some distinctive touches, a spec home builder is creating a home which will have broad appeal for the price range, so as to quickly attract a buyer.
Although builder may have many spec homes at any given time, they are not in a homogenous neighborhood like tract homes.
Spec homes are most often purchased by people who want a unique or distinctive home, but perhaps do not have the time, patience, or vision to have custom home built.
Custom Homes: Custom homes are built as a joint effort between the custom home builder and the buyer. The lot may be chosen by either party, but in this scenario, the home itself is often co-designed by both seller and builder. The buyer has input and control over design, detail and materials, as well as the agreed upon budget.
Custom home buyers enjoy the thrill of seeing the home constructed step-by-step, and have the vision to visualize the end product.
The Custom Home Difference
Although custom homes are often considered luxury properties, you may decide to build custom home which is more moderate. It is not as much about the ultimate cost of the home, but about the quality of workmanship which you can expect. A custom home builder is more of a craftsman, detailed oriented and dedicated to creating your home to exacting standards.
This is opposed to the tract home builder, whose emphasis is on repetition and cost savings for the end user.
Form over Function: Consider it as the difference between a handmade product versus one off an assembly line.
Although both products will do the job, the handmade product is made with more care and diligence – and ultimately is a better quality product. In the case of custom home builders, the products are known to better stand the test of time, exhibiting quality and skill above that of the assembly line builders.
If you are a homebuyer looking to purchase a home which is unique to your tastes and style, a custom home may be the best option for you.
The Sarasota general contractors at Lindahl Construction would love to speak with you as to your goals, your budgets, and your vision for your family. Is a custom home the right choice? Let’s talk and find out.