If you’re considering building a new home, you’re probably asking yourself whether you should go with a pre-designed floor plan or design your own. The truth is, it really depends on you and your top priorities. Are you just looking to build a home that serves your needs and that will be comfortable for your family? Or are you looking to create the home you’ve always dreamed of that meets your exact specifications? There are pros and cons to both using pre-done plans and hiring someone to design your personalized home. We will discuss both in this article.
Pros of Using Pre-Drawn Floor Plans for Your New Home
If you’re just looking to build a house that will meet your needs and provide a suitable living environment for you and your family and you are not concerned about the nitty-gritty details, then pre-designed floor plans are a good choice. There are several benefits of taking this route.
Saves Money and Time
Pre-drawn house plans save you so much time you would spend if you designed your home from scratch. In fact, it can take ten times longer to build a custom home than it takes to build using a pre-designed plan. Also, since pre-done plans are already compliant with the city requirements, they can save new homeowners a considerable amount of time and money. It can be a headache to get your custom design approved. According to one source, it can take up to one year to complete the pre-building process, including receiving city approval. So, if you’re not willing to put in that much time and energy in designing a custom home, then pre-done floor plans might be for you.
You Can Personalize Pre-Made Plans
Despite what some think, pre-drawn floor plans can be tweaked to get closer to what you want. You might not get exactly what you want, but you will save time and money getting something close. Also, when you’re looking at floor plans, you will have dozens of options and styles to select from. It’s possible that you will find a plan that meets your preferences. Once you choose a plan, you can make the changes you want, you just need to discuss them with your design team.
Here’s a list of some house styles you could choose from:
- Craftsman
- Contemporary
- Modern
- Cottage
- Southern
- Mountain
- Ranch
- Traditional
Pros of Building A Custom Home
While there are many pros of choosing a pre-designed floor plan, there are several benefits of designing the home of your dreams from scratch. Creating your custom home can be a rewarding experience because it allows you to really bring your creativity and personality to your home, both inside and outside. Some people dream of their perfect home with the amenities, fixtures, and styles they want. If this sounds like you, then taking the custom home path might be the choice for you. Here are some benefits of doing this.
Build Your Home YOUR Way
The biggest benefit of designing your home with an architect is you get to fully customize it just the way you want from the very beginning. You take the lead in creating the home that works for your lifestyle. Although this may sound overwhelming, the right home builder will make the design and build process as smooth as possible. After all, it should be an enjoyable experience constructing your new home. Although it may take longer and require more patience on your part, the end result will be worth the extra time and energy. You will have a home unique to your preferences.
Save Money Later
This might sound strange, saving money by building a custom home. But, spending more money upfront and getting precisely what you want can save you from wasting money down the road. For example, it might not be possible to make every change you want to a pre-designed floor plan. You may end up with features or areas in your house that go to waste, yet you still have to pay for them. Space alone costs about $120 per square foot. So, consider this when deciding between hiring a home planner and choosing from already-made floor plans.
In Conclusion…
Consider these pros and cons to make the decision that’s best for you. If you’re looking to build and move into your new house as soon as possible and don’t need it to meet specific expectations, then choosing from pre-drawn plans is a solid choice. However, if you’ve always pictured your ideal home and are willing to spend the time, money, and energy to start from scratch to get a home that perfectly supports your lifestyle, then hire an architect to help you design it. Either way, building a new home should be a fun experience.
New Life Builders would be happy to assist you in building your custom home. Call us today and we will walk you through the next steps to making your design a reality!
Read the next post about the pros and cons of modular homes vs. stick built homes to learn which option is right for you.
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