Custom Home Builders: 7 Facts You Need To Know
custom home builders
As custom home builders, we know that our clients have many questions about the process of building a home from the ground up. After all, most people buy pre-constructed homes. We’ve compiled some helpful facts that will help you understand the process and discover the benefits of opting for a custom home.
1. You Can Choose A Custom or Semi-Custom Home
At Wechsler Custom Homes, you’ll find more than 40 house plans on our website. However, if you don’t see the type of home or plan you want, we can create a fully custom plan.
Our plans provide you with what we would call a semi-custom home project. We provide the basic plans in terms of size and layout, but you customize all the fun stuff. Each of our homes ends up looking completely unique, from the inside out. You pick out the flooring, the doors, the exterior and interior colors, the cabinets, the sinks, etc. Even when customers opt for our existing plans, no two homes ever end up exactly alike.
2. Home Plans Can Be Customized & Changed
Even if you opt for one of our plans, these interiors can be customized to suit your needs or inclinations. For instance, perhaps you don’t want a dining room, rather than keep this room open-concept, we can close off the room so that you can use it as a home office, library, playroom, or whatever else you need. This is just one example of what can be altered.
If you find a plan and love the layout, but want a different exterior style, this also can be accommodated. Whether you were dreaming of a homey traditional exterior, a rustic mountain cabin, or something sleek and modern, we can make it happen.
3. There Are Custom Homes To Suit Most Budgets
When you hear the term “custom home builder,” you might mistakenly think this is something that only the wealthy can afford, but that’s definitely not true. If you take a look at our pricing sheet, you’ll see that we have many affordable plans, the majority of our homes range in the 400s and 500s, with our average home price at about $495,000.
That’s well below California’s average home price, which is about $712,000. Not only that, as we are starting from the ground up, you can design a home that uniquely suits your tastes and lifestyle.
4. You Will Need To Purchase Land Separately
When you look at our pricing sheet, you will see that the section under “Land” is blank, and that’s because our customers will need to find their ideal lot and prices for land vary based upon lot size and location. In many cases, a client will already have purchased land and then come to us, but if you do need land, we can help you find the right parcel.
As custom home builders, we specialize in building homes in and around Placer County, especially in the Auburn and Foresthill areas. There are many beautiful and affordable parcels of land in our area, and we can help you find something that suits your tastes and your budget.
5. The Process Is Faster Than You Think
Most people assume it takes far longer to build a custom home than a production home or spec home, but that’s usually not the case. While there certainly are more custom features to add to the home, this doesn’t mean we cannot complete the project in a timely manner. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, it takes, on average, about seven months to build a home, but we usually can complete projects more quickly than that.
For one thing, most of our clients opt for one of our existing home plans, and this is faster than drawing up brand new plans, even if we make a few design modifications. Additionally, we’ve been custom home builders for more than 40 years and we have the experience and know-how to complete projects quickly without sacrificing quality.
6. We Include An Array Of Standard Specifications
If you click on the Standard Specifications tab on our homepage, you will see that every Wechsler custom home includes a variety of quality standard features. We feel that these features are integral, but not all builders include these types of features, such as generous electrical systems, ceiling fans in all bedrooms, extensive use of hardwoods, quality tile, and stone.
These are just a few features that will be included in your home cost. For instance, in your kitchen, we offer a wide assortment of Homecrest designer cabinetry options. You can select from cherry, maple, oak or pecan woods and choose from 100s of stain or paint finishes. Granite countertops and stainless-steel ranges, microwaves, and dishwashers also are included.
Obviously, you can upgrade and add whatever features you love. If you’ve been dreaming of a clawfoot tub or farmhouse sink, we can alter the design plans to include whatever you want. We do offer equitable allowances in lieu of our specifications and do not subscribe to the idea that customer upgrades or preferences should carry unreasonable upcharges so be sure to let us know the type of design elements you love.
7. Our Homes Are Eco-Friendly
At Wechsler Homes, we are committed to limiting our impact on California’s beautiful environment. The protection of nature is a huge responsibility, and we take that responsibility seriously. We select materials carefully and we recycle everything that we can from the construction of our homes. We also see to it that all other wastes are disposed of properly.
But we also strive to create homes that are as energy-efficient as possible. In addition to the aforementioned standard specifications, each of our homes includes a 3.0 solar system or an appropriately sized plan per PG&E guidelines. Not only is this great for the environment, but it also keeps your energy costs as low as possible.
Our homes also come standard with tankless water heaters, high-efficiency gas heat, and highly efficient central air conditioning. We also install programmable thermostats to help you easily manage your energy use. We use energy-efficient LED recess lighting and the highest quality insulation in each of our homes.
Building a custom home is a lifelong dream for many people, and as custom home builders, we make dreams come true every day for our clients. If you are interested in a custom home, contact us at any time. Also, be sure to click on our House Plans and Pricing tabs so that you can get an idea of the types of houses we can build and the projected budgets.