The perfect home looks a bit different for everyone. While a luxurious, custom-built house might be one person’s dream, a simple, cozy, and budget-friendly home could be another’s. Before you start your home-building project, you’ll need to decide which house is right for you. This blog provides the ultimate comparison between a custom home vs. production home. Read on to discover production and custom home definitions, advantages and disadvantages, and more.

What Is a Custom Home?

The building process for a production home is more structured than customized home building. Instead of working with designers and project managers, the builder will offer pre-set plans and design options. Having standardized designs, materials, and finishes allows the construction process to move faster. On average, a production-built home can take 3 to 6 months to construct.

Two-Story Custom Home

What Is a Production Home?

Production homes use standardized plans and designs. This shortens the construction timeline, which allows families to move in faster. However, customization is limited, resulting in a more uniform design that lacks the personal touch of custom homes. Production houses are common in highly populated areas, such as the suburbs. Production houses are a budget-friendly alternative to customized homes.

Custom Home vs. Production Home: Advantages & Disadvantages

Each type of home, production and custom, comes with its own unique benefits and drawbacks. Reviewing the pros and cons of each can help you determine which is the best fit for you and your family. Take a look below to explore the advantages and disadvantages of custom-built and production houses.

Custom Made Homes

Advantages:
– Customization of materials, finishes, and fixtures
– Increased quality control
– Individualized design and layout

Disadvantages:
– Longer construction timelines
– Increased costs
– More complex decision-making process

Production Homes

Advantages:
– Budget-Friendly
– Quicker Construction Process
– Less of a Wait to Move-In

Disadvantages:
– Limited Customization
– Reduced Quality Control
– Uniform Appearance

Custom Home vs. Production Home: The Building Process

Another key consideration when choosing between a production and customized home is the building process. Here you can review the building process for each:

Custom Home Building Process

Custom home building involves a more collaborative approach than production building. Throughout the design and build phases, you’ll meet with your contractor and their team to discuss the project specifications, goals, and progress. This can include communicating with the architectural, design, and/or building teams. The construction timeline for a customized home ranges on average from 6 to 12 months or longer depending on the project scope.

Production Home Building Process

The building process for a production home is more structured than customized home building. Instead of working with designers and project managers, the builder will offer pre-set plans and design options. Having standardized designs, materials, and finishes allows the construction process to move faster. On average, a production-built home can take 3 to 6 months to construct.

How To Choose Between a Custom Home vs. Production Home

All of the above factors, including budget, customization, and timeframe, are key in determining if a custom-built or production house is right for you. Additionally, your future plans should be taken into consideration when selecting the type of home to invest in. Here’s a closer examination of how each factor may affect your decision:

Your budget is one of the most influential factors in the home building process. In Toronto, the average cost of a customized home is $400 to $550+ per square foot. In contrast, production-built homes typically cost between $300 and $500+ per square foot.

If an individualized design is important to you, a custom build is the best option. Additionally, people who require accessible features can benefit from choosing a customized home. Alternatively, if you don’t mind a standardized design, you can save money with a production home.

Depending on your circumstance you may need to move into your new home as soon as possible. If this is the case for you, a production house may be best for you. If time isn’t an issue, you may decide that customizing your home is worth the added expense.

Custom builds are a great long-term investment if you plan to stay for 5+ years. You can design the home to accommodate future plans, such as growing your family. However, additional customization costs might not be worthwhile if you intend to move within 5 years.

Conclusion

Choosing between a custom home vs. production home is a big decision that should be considered carefully. From budget constraints to future planning, there are many factors to consider before you make your final choice. If you’re in need of further guidance or are ready to start your custom-building project, contact Aria Build for a free consultation.

FAQs

Semi-custom homes have features of both production and custom-built houses. Typically, a semi-custom house is built using standardized floor-plans. However, there is more flexibility throughout the design phases. You may be able to customize certain aspects of the home, such as finishes and/or materials.

Production homes are often more cost-effective in the short-term while customized homes can be a better long-term investment with the potential for a higher resale value.

A production-built home is ideal for people who:

  • Have a tight budget
  • Plan to move within the next 5 years
  • Need a home built quickly

A custom-built house is ideal for people who:

  • Plan to live in the home for 5+ years
  • Don’t have tight budget constraints
  • Want a uniquely designed and individualized home
  • Require accessible home features

The average production home in Toronto and the GTA is about 2,380 square feet.

A production home builder uses pre-designed floor-plans to build multiple homes in planned communities. These homes are typically built in suburban areas with high populations. The designs are fairly standardized as the construction process focuses more on volume and efficiency.

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