Custom or Pre-Designed? Good News: You Can Have Both

In building a new home, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to hire a custom home builder or work with a homebuilder that uses set floor plans.

Custom design is best for those who want specific features they can’t get in a pre-designed home. This option is the most costly, but it gives the homeowner the highest level of control over the details.

Pre-designed homes are great for anyone who isn’t picky about the details and wants everything selected for them. This option is generally less expensive; the homeowner doesn’t have to hire a design professional to create every detail from scratch or purchase a floor plan.

But what if you’re somewhere in between? You want the freedom to have some flexibility with design but not the burden and costs associated with a completely custom home. Fortunately, there’s an alternative that saves time (and money) and lets you select options and finishes that will make your home truly yours. Semi-custom homes are built from ready-made designs but allow the homeowner numerous choices for customization along the way.

Let’s explore the many advantages of semi-custom home construction.

Save Time and Reduce Your Design Expenses

In most cases, building a semi-custom home means you can move in sooner than custom home construction. You still get a professional design created by an expert in homebuilding, but you’re bypassing a long design phase that involves making countless decisions.

Financial savings are also part of the equation. When you use a design that’s already available, you save thousands in design fees. You can choose from a carefully curated catalog of floor plans without paying an architect or designer to research and create a custom plan for you.

More Fun, Less Stress

Decision fatigue is real, and it can hit hard when you’re building a new home. In fully custom home design, you have an overwhelming number of decisions to make about the layout, décor, and functionality of your home. The process can be exhausting. When you use a semi-custom design, most of the decisions have been made for you by an experienced design professional. You choose from several core designs and make fewer decisions, creating a home that reflects your tastes while keeping the process exciting and enjoyable.

Fewer Unpleasant Surprises

No matter how you do it, building a home involves some unexpected twists and turns. Semi-custom home design reduces the risk of surprise expenses and construction delays.

When you choose to work with an experienced home builder in a master-planned community, you bypass potential problems with permitting, which can delay construction and increase costs. And when you’re free to choose the options and finishes that make your home unique, you enjoy a streamlined design and construction process without sacrificing your personal preferences.

The Authors: Semi-Custom Homes in an Exquisite Location

Windsor Built Homes is pleased to offer semi-custom homes in a variety of desirable communities in North Carolina. The Authors in Fletcher is a prime example of how semi-custom homes can benefit their owners and come together to create a beautiful neighborhood.

Even without upgrades, the homes in The Authors make luxury the standard. Every kitchen and bathroom comes standard with granite or quartz countertops as well as soft-close cabinet doors and drawers. Natural gas tankless hot water heaters are also standard.

Every home in The Authors comes with Shaw Flooring’s luxury vinyl plank on the entire main floor and in any bathrooms or laundry rooms on the second floor. Homeowners may choose to upgrade and enjoy luxury vinyl plank flooring on the entire second floor as well.

Many homeowners in The Authors choose to take advantage of upgrades and options, getting the most out of their semi-custom homes. For example, homeowners can choose to extend the cabinets and countertops in the kitchen. Other popular upgrades include wall ovens and microwaves, upgrades to fireplaces, and additions to our standard craftsman trim.

The Authors community has eleven floorplans to choose from, so you can select the option that’s right for you and get all the benefits of semi-custom design. On top of all of this, there are multiple elevations to choose from so that your home looks as good on the outside as it does on the inside.

Customization Options Offered by Windsor Built

Windsor Built Homes takes semi-custom construction to a higher level, offering homeowners the opportunity to choose non-standard options for their homes. Customization is available for bathrooms, kitchens, windows, doors, and a multitude of other features.

In communities like The Authors, you have options and customizations that make your home uniquely yours. Not only do you get to choose your lot and floor plan, you can also select:

• Exterior options including extra concrete, decks, and fences
• Exterior colors and trim
• Interior colors
• Countertops
• Fireplaces with rock surround
• Wiring and plumbing options

You can also choose from our catalog of options or work with us to customize your home even further.

Limitations of Semi-Custom Homes

While working with a semi-custom home builder is a great option for many new homeowners, it’s important to understand that these homes are not fully customizable. If you’re looking to customize your structural floors, walls, or roof, you’ll want to hire a design professional to create a fully custom home design.

Most homeowners, however, will find that the semi-custom approach offers a clear path to a beautiful, finely crafted home with options and customizations that meet their unique needs and personal style.

Contact Us To Get Started

You can learn more about our semi-custom homebuilding process here, and we invite you to start enjoying all the benefits of a Windsor Built semi-custom home by contacting us today. We’re here to answer your questions and help you choose the community and home that are just right for you.