When planning your new home, one of the first questions to consider is whether working with a custom home builder or a higher volume home builder (also known as a production builder) is the best option for you.

Both types of builders are great options, and each can offer you a great new home. Much of the decision will depend on how many choices you want to make, as well as how much design information you'd like to have during the process of building your home.

At its core, the difference between a production Custom home builder in Portland and a custom home builder is simple:
A production builder simultaneously builds a community of homes based on a library of floor plans, each with a limited range of customization options. A custom builder typically creates a one-of-a -kind home that offers an even greater range of design options that is often built on a single lot.

Here's a breakdown of what to expect from each:

Production Builders

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), most production home builders:

• Offer the house and land as a package
• Offers a variety of home plans to choose from
• Allows shoppers to select their favorite style/design from a menu across various product categories
• Build homes at prices for first-time , move-in and luxury buyers

Custom Home Builders

As the name implies, the custom home building process is less scripted because there are no predefined options or menus to choose from. With custom homes:

• The house can be built on land you own or on land you purchase .
• You can provide a floor plan or order a set of floor plans to be drawn from scratch.
• You can work with an independent architect and builder, or with a design-build company that manages both the architectural design and construction process.
• You will be more involved in the process and will have the opportunity to make many decisions.
• You can choose from almost any product in a category, within your budget of course, rather than selecting from a defined menu of options.

The Production House Construction Process

A production builder can usually deliver the same size home for less money than a custom builder. The reasons lie in the purchasing power of volume when purchasing building materials and land and in a higher volume, often systematized approach to construction.

Buying the right type of land is an important part of a production builder's strategy. Many larger builders build homes in large, planned communities. The scale of a production builder and access to a large number of lots in such communities also allows the construction process to be adjusted for greater efficiency.

Higher volume builders can also pass on cost savings by buying building materials in bulk. Just as large airlines can lock in low fuel prices by ordering in bulk, production builders can use their size to order materials for hundreds of homes at once, often at lower prices.

An advantage of production home communities is that the community developer also works closely with each builder to ensure an attractive mix of homes. In addition to mixing models or floor plans from various builders, each floor plan typically offers multiple elevations to vary the look of each home’s front. By changing the location of windows, gables, and the size and shape of the front porch, a single floor plan can be built in several different aspects.

To add more curb appeal to the design, each elevation can usually be built with a different type and color of exterior. A given model home can be built with various bricks, siding, stone or stucco and different shades of color to offer pleasing diversity and individuality.

As a buyer working with a production home builder, you will typically start by selecting a lot for your home and your favorite floor plan from the builder's plan library. The next step is to select an elevation. Many production builders also offer the opportunity to specify the use of an extra room; according to your needs, an additional room can be built as an additional bedroom, a study or even a media room.

Next, you and the builder will work together, often in a design center, to further personalize your new home by selecting design options, home styles, colors, finishes, and other key products in your home, such as appliances, cabinets, countertops and carpets and flooring.

Buyers who select a production builder are generally unable to change the basic structure, i.e. room layout or square footage, but each model has a wide range of attractive options to choose from to personalize your home in many ways.

The Custom Home Construction Process

Expect to pay more for a custom home than for a production model of similar size and floor plan; after all, the typical custom builder doesn't enjoy the economies of scale and labor efficiency that a production builder does. Of course, the actual price will depend on a number of variables; the most obvious are the size of the house, the complexity of its design, the building products and materials you select, and the land you purchase.

While many people associate custom homes with large, expensive homes, a custom home can range from a simple ranch-style home to a more elaborate, multi-story floor plan designed around your lifestyle.

Once you select a Custom home builder Portland Oregon, you can provide your own floor plan or work with an architect to design a home from scratch. As a custom home buyer , you can select most of the details of your home and can even work closely with your builder to design a floor plan that works around the existing trees on your lot and positions your windows to take advantage of it. the view
When building a custom home, your options are nearly limitless. The main restrictions are your budget and any building codes or zoning limitations. If you find the freedom of creating a home from a blank sheet of paper exciting, then chances are you 'll build a custom home for yourself.

The key to working with a custom builder is to set a realistic budget and stick to it, even when you're lured by an attractive but higher-cost option. While most buyers realize that additional customization will increase the price of the home , unexpected land-related costs can catch you by surprise, so it pays to do your homework.

At one end of the scale, you may have a flat suburban lot with in-ground utilities already available curtsied. A completed lot is ready to build on .

On the other hand, you may be considering a property that is wooded, rural, or on a steep hillside. While such land is certainly scenic, the upfront costs of preparing previously undeveloped rural land for construction typically represent a significant additional cost on top of the purchase price of the land. Site preparation (building a driveway, bringing in water, power, and sewer lines, and digging foundations) can be quite expensive. Your builder and architect can also help you estimate those costs.

Even if you're building on already developed land, you and your architect and builder should carefully research any zoning or deed restrictions. To avoid surprises, ask an attorney to clarify any restrictions and get estimates on site work (either through the builder or on your own) before you complete a land purchase.

Because the process of building a custom home is, unsurprisingly, truly custom, you'll typically spend much more time designing and building your new home than if you work with a production builder.

That said, knowing what to expect at each stage, and especially what decisions you'll make and when, can make your custom home process go smoothly and result in the home you've always dreamed of.