Building a home is a lifelong dream for people. It’s also a significant investment that should be made with care and consideration. The first step of the process is choosing your home builder. You have two options: volume builders or custom home builders. While volume builders may be an easy and convenient choice, there are better reasons to choose a custom home builder such as freedom and flexibility with design. You can build a home that perfectly fits your lifestyle and needs. From the layout to the finishes, every aspect of your home can be customised to your preferences. Read on for the benefits of choosing a custom home builder and why it’s worth investing in a personalised home-building experience.
Custom home builder vs volume builder
Custom home builders offer more personalised services and allow you to customise your home according to your needs and preferences. Volume builders, on the other hand, specialise in producing large numbers of homes quickly and efficiently. Volume builders are often large companies that build hundreds of homes each year from a catalogue of pre-made designs. They have the advantage of scale on their side. However, with scale comes rigid designs that you, as the home builder, potentially don’t love. You want to invest in a functional home design that works for you. You also want to invest in the quality of the build and the service throughout it.
How to choose a custom home builder
It’s common that you’ll get recommendations from family and friends for builders. When assessing if a builder is right for you, consider their years of experience and design style. Take a look at their completed projects – do you like the look of their designs? Are they local? Will they be available during and after construction to resolve any imperfections? Do they understand the unique challenges of your site? These are all questions that should be answered before engaging a builder. You should also look out for how a builder communicates with you and their manner. You’re going to have a close working relationship over the months of your build.
The benefits of choosing a custom home builder
The benefits of choosing a custom home builder are the customisation options available to you, the quality of materials used and the workmanship and the level of attention that you get. Also, the time allocated to you and the scope for collaboration.
Customisation options – custom home builder vs volume builder
Customisation options with a volume builder will have limits. The limits will depend on the builder that you choose to work with. Volume builders will offer upgrades that are centred around higher-quality building materials. These upgrades aren’t true customisation where you have the opportunity to change design elements and incorporate your own ideas into the build. With a custom home builder, you’ll have more choices with all details of your home including the layout, materials and finishes.
Communication and collaboration with a custom home builder
With fewer projects on the go, custom builders have the time to work directly with you. The end result of a beautifully designed and functional home depends upon the client’s personal involvement in the build. For this to be facilitated it’s essential that the builder has the capacity to accommodate communication and involvement.
Timeframe and completion of projects – custom home builder vs volume builder
Volume builders are often more rigid in their build processes which means that builds stick to a tight schedule. Timeframes for volume builds are typically quicker than custom homes, as long as the builder has access to materials and skilled labour for their projects.
A smaller build timeframe doesn’t necessarily mean a better outcome for you. Having a generous amount of time scheduled for quality assurance is incredibly important for the finished product and its longevity. Additionally, having more flexibility and willingness from the builder to make changes during the construction of the home is an advantage. Although the build might take longer, your result will be a more tailored and quality build.
Enso Homes custom home builds
Our custom-built homes are found throughout Geelong, Golden Plains, the Bellarine, and the Surf Coast. We can work with you on creating a custom home design from scratch. Discover how you can customise your home with Enso Homes – register your interest.
