Custom Vs. Standard Home – Why custom is more?
You’ve made up your mind! You’ve decided to buy a new home on your land but are torn between building a custom plan or one of our standard Keystone plans.
Well, we’re here to help answer one question on many of our prospective buyer’s minds, which is, “Why is building a custom home more expensive than building one of our Keystone plans?” Well, we’re happy to shed some light on it! Here are a few reasons why.
1. Practice makes perfect
As part of the Keystone process, when we build a new plan, we first build a prototype. This is the first-ever model of this plan. Building this prototype allows us to evaluate the new plan for detail, cost, design, functionality, aesthetics and ease of construction. This saves us from waste, which allows us to offer lower prices, and identify issues that may arise during construction costing everyone involved time and money. With a custom plan, we do not have the luxury to prototype the plan.
2. Costs to get plans drawn
In order to quote and build a custom plan, we require a full set of plans, which may cost as much as $5000 (current rates at the time of this writing). Keystone plans are drawn by one architect who we’ve been working with for years, who knows how to minimize cost. On the other hand, custom-home-buyers often use architects who are unfamiliar with our building processes and therefore do not know how to maximize construction efficiencies that save money.
3. Trade quotes are higher
Our trades spend more time quoting and building a custom home. Therefore, they will charge much more for a one-time build than they would to build a home that they intend to build multiple times.
4. Expectations and satisfaction gap
Without a model home to walk-through, buyers have a vision as to how they picture their custom home. That vision and the finished product may be different from one another, which can negatively affect their satisfaction level. On the other hand, with a Keystone plan, they are able to see photos and/or walk through the desired floor-plan at any point throughout the process.
5. Longer build time
Like our trades, Keystone will have to spend more time quoting and managing the construction of a custom home. Consequently, Keystone will charge more for the extra time spent and the increased risk of a one-time-build.
6. Cost
The current average price of a custom plan starts at can range between and easily exceed $165 and $200 per heated square foot.
If you think a Keystone Home is right for you, we can’t wait to help you get into one of our homes. Click the link here so that we can get in contact with you and begin the process: https://buildkeystone.com/contact-2/
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