Pros and Cons of Building a Custom Home

2021 September 15

Building your own custom home is so exciting! If you’re considering it, make sure you give yourself time to get all your ducks in a row.

It’s a big decision with a lot of moving pieces, so it’s important to do your research and learn as much as you can before you get started. 

A great place to start is learning the pros and cons of building a custom home, so here they are!

Pros of Building a Custom Home

Customization 

One of the biggest and most obvious perks of building a custom home is the fact that you are able to design it however you want. 

You’ll be able to add personalized touches through a variety of unique features, big or small.

From big-picture, conceptual design choices like the layout to small, finite details like doorknobs and window trim, you’ll be able to craft the feel of where you’ll be spending countless hours with your family. 

Long story short, custom homes are an incredible avenue for adding creativity and personality to your daily life, down to the tiniest details. 

This isn’t always possible with pre-owned or move-in-ready homes since the base and bones of the house are already set in stone, literally! 

Lower Maintenance Costs

You read that right! Another huge benefit of building a custom home is reduced maintenance costs over time. 

You’ll invest more money up-front since your home will be built with the latest technology and materials, but this means that there shouldn’t be any major updates or repairs required for at least a few years.

You’ll end up saving yourself money on HVAC, roofing systems, insulation, flooring, the list goes on. 

Overall—customized means new, and new means less time and money spent on updates!

Have Your Dream Home Anywhere You Want

Homebuyers will often find a great pre-built home, just to realize it’s on a location that isn’t what they hoped for, or vice versa. 

Avoid all of that with a custom-built home! You’ll get to pick exactly what you want, from the land it’s built on to the way it looks inside. 

A lot of families opt for building smaller houses at first, and expand through add-ons and remodels as the years go by. 

When you build a custom home and choose your lot, you’ll be able to account for those potential updates. Essentially, you’ll have a lot more space to work with. 

Interested in the ins and outs of custom home building plots? Learn more about buying land to build a house here.

Cons of Building a Custom Home

Higher Initial Costs 

Unfortunately, all the benefits we mentioned earlier come with a higher initial price tag. 

Custom homes are more expensive up-front due to the prices of the lot, customized materials, up-to-date technology, appliances, and other factors. 

However, keep in mind that most of these translate to lower utility and maintenance costs in the long run. If long-term costs are more important to you than short-term ones, it’s definitely worth looking into building a custom home. 

Want more information about budgeting for custom homes? Learn more here. 

Time 

As you could guess, building a custom home is a longer process than the alternative. This is due to the number of decisions involved, along with builders taking time to come up with plans to address them. 

However, it should be noted that taking the time to make sure everything is just right is really important! After all, this is where you’ll be spending years—and even decades—with the people you care about. 

Make sure you’re ready for potential delays. 

Though they’re not a given, delays are definitely possible when you take things like weather (affects construction), material availability, appliance supply, and other things into consideration. 

Recently, material shortages in the home building industry have been a culprit for unexpected delays. These shortages are partly due to supply chain issues that stem from the pandemic’s lasting effect on global logistics. 

Lack of Mature Landscape

As we mentioned, part of building a custom home is choosing a lot to build on. 

Newer lots tend not to have mature landscaping, as they haven’t been developed yet. 

The grass might not be as thick as you’d like, or there may be trees and shrubbery that require some time and effort to get them looking how you’d like. 

Once again, it’s worth noting that custom homes are an investment up-front. You’ll likely have to devote some resources towards getting your landscaping looking how you want, but you’ll have an added sense of accomplishment once it’s all bloomed and beautiful.  

Eagle Creek Homes Will Help You Build the Custom Home of Your Dreams

As you’ve learned through our pros and cons list, your dream custom home requires a lot of planning and decisions. Finding the right partner to guide you through the whole process can make it a lot easier. 

It’s a lot of work, but it’s so worth it in the end! 

At Eagle Creek Homes, we pride ourselves on being a true partner. We will work hand-in-hand with you, guiding you through our fun and transparent custom home building process.

When you work with Eagle Creek Homes, you will never be out of the loop. 

Your project manager will give you updates every step of the way, so you’ll know exactly what to expect during every stage of the process. 

You’ll see photo and video updates on the status of your home, and will get calendar reminders for every important meeting. 

If you’re ready to start bringing your dream home to life and want to learn more about our process and customization options, contact Eagle Creek Homes today!