There are plenty of smart reasons to buy or build a custom home, starting with the fact that new homes in Florida are built to strict, weather and climate-specific building codes – not to mention a new home’s energy-efficient benefits. So, the choice becomes whether building a custom DeLand home is better than buying a production build in a subdivision.

7 Reasons It’s Better to Build a Custom Home

While production builders may advertise “more affordable pricing” and “quick closes of escrow,” there is plenty they aren’t promoting in the fine print. If you’re interested in buying a new home, there are multiple reasons why it makes more sense to build a custom home than to purchase a production build in a subdivision.

1. Superior craftsmanship

When you choose the right contractor for the job, there is no comparing the craftsmanship exhibited in a custom home versus a subdivision build. Your custom home builder prioritizes high-quality materials and is careful about the subcontractors selected to work on the job. When we build homes for our clients, we consider it a lifetime partnership, and our integrity is on the line.

While custom homes may take longer from start to finish (but not by much), the results are well worth it. Your investment will stand the test of time, and the quality of the workmanship saves you money over the lifetime of the home via the reduced need for repairs or renovations as well as lower utility spending.

2. Houses exceed current building codes

This is especially important in Volusia county, where a bad storm season wreaks havoc on houses that aren’t up to code. Of course, your subdivision builder is obligated to build the house to current building code regulations, but there are plenty of design features and materials that go above and beyond code regulations when it comes to wind mitigation, weather resistance, and energy efficiency.

As a custom home builder, we “build above the code,” which means we’re on the front-end of innovative design curves, and our homes honor the codes that others will have to meet in the years to come. As a result, a custom home should stand stronger and more resilient from season to season, and you’ll benefit from increased energy savings and efficiency to boot.

3. Superior customer service

There is no doubt that a top custom home builder provides superior customer service compared to a subdivision counterpart. Where one contractor or developer is fielding communications from dozens of clients during a subdivision build, custom home builders have the luxury of giving our clients all of our attention. 

We answer calls and get back to queries in 24 hours or less, personally attend to your concerns, and our team prefers to cultivate a long-term partnership with our clients. While occasional customer service calls are inevitable over the years, we promise to meet those with immediate respect and attention. This is quite different from the subdivision approach, which can be to wait as long as possible to address “minor” complaints, hoping the customers will give up and fade away.  

4. A home designed especially for you

Custom home builders are happy to provide design ideas as needed, and we may have suggestions or recommendations based on what we learn from you during your design consultations. However, you are the one who gets to say the ultimate yay or nay when it comes to building plans and what you want (within the parameters of building code restrictions and budget, of course). Our goal is to customize your home design for ultimate functionality and meet your personal aesthetic preferences.

Subdivision homes are pre-planned, a reason they are often referred to as “cookie-cutter houses.” Long before you see a model or choose a lot, the subdivision developer already has a list of five to eight floorplans streamlined to make building more efficient. The sales office already priced the tiered “upgrades packages,” with an eye of buying in bulk to keep prices down. The result is that while you have control over some aspects of your home, others are entirely out of your control.

Ultimately, you choose what fits your family the best from the developer’s pre-selected floorplans and features, rather than getting to have complete control over the floor plan, unique design features, and the finishing elements. 

5. Exterior and interior customization

While an HOA may dictate some aspects of a home’s exterior presentation, there is plenty of room to make it your own, and this includes the landscaping. Unfortunately, in many contemporary DeLand subdivisions, even the landscaping choices are pre-selected, leaving homeowners with only the limited options left to decorate their interiors.

Custom homes include custom landscaping, and then the interior of your home is left entirely to the decisions made by you, your builder, and your interior decorator.

6. Fewer restrictions in terms of timelines and choices

A subdivision operates on its own timeline, and your job is to roll with it and ensure your options and upgrade decisions are made on time. Custom home builds work completely differently. We take the time you need at the project’s front-end to make sure you’ve weighed all the options and have made concrete decisions about fixtures, finishes, and other home design details.

Then, we can create a schedule – and stick to it – so the experience is as relaxed as you need it to be during the design phase, with a timely and efficient buildout. 

7. Honesty and integrity

Yes, we’re in this business to make a profit, too. But we are far more committed to honesty and integrity than the average developer. For example, developers prioritize minimal investment for maximum profits, whereas custom builders prioritize high-quality materials and craftsmanship, so each finished home serves as a lifetime legacy of our work. 

We like to say that we are honest about the hard stuff even when it isn’t what the customer wants to hear. When you work with us, you’ll never have to listen to sales pitches or schmooze, and there is no such thing as false promises. Our word is a guarantee.

Skip the Subdivision: Work With DeLand’s Premier Home Builder

Would you like to work with a DeLand custom home builder committed to building the home of your dreams? Then, schedule a consultation with Fogle Constructors. We work with customers every step of the way, from lot evaluation and soil testing, to material recommendations and selection, to a completely custom design and build. Our recent clients can provide testimonies about our work and their positive experiences. Fogle guarantees you’ll never regret passing up that cookie-cutter subdivision opportunity.