SEMI-CUSTOM HOME
A semi-custom home is an “in-between” choice for clients who may not want the limited options of a spec home, but don’t want to experience the process of building a custom home. A semi-custom home can be a great choice for clients who want their home to stand out and be more personalized for their needs, yet remain affordable and time efficient.
Customizing the Plan
A semi-custom home can either be built on the client’s land or on land already owned by the builder; usually the client is taking the builder’s home plan and customizing it to their needs. Typical customization examples include, extending the garage, adding a garage bay, widening the back porch porch, upgrading the water heater, adding windows to rooms . . . The builder modifies the home’s specifications to accommodate the client’s requests and sometimes creates a draft to reflect the desired customizations before beginning the build.
The extent of customization and its process varies by builder. Some builders have strict limitations on what can or cannot be done to a home, other times the client’s requests would be impractical to any builder, such as a installing a wood shingle roof, stucco, or antiques. Builders should steer clients away from requests that have a high probability of failures or problems. Either way it’s a good idea to make sure the list of “must haves” in the future home are priced ahead of time and can be handled by the builder before signing the building contract.
It's not uncommon for builders to charge the client during the customization process to cover time and resources for items such as:
A lot survey and a site plan to make sure the home will fit on the lot
Engineering costs to make sure the home can be built with the requested changes
Drafting costs of the home plan with proposed changes for showing the client as well as getting ARB approval from an HOA
The extent of this work varies based on the client’s requests and the limitations of the building lot.
Setting the Client’s Expectations
A semi-custom home when executed well can provide a great experience for both the client and the builder. There are several things that the client needs to be aware of before entering the process with a builder.
Most clients who build a semi-custom home will never call it a semi-custom home; often they refer to it as their custom home. While it’s true that their home is being customized and built for them, the overall experience is different, and the builder might not be equipped to handle all selections and customizations that the client throws at the builder. While all semi-custom home builders should have a process for handling change orders and selections after the project begins, it’s important to realize that most builders retain the right to deny a change order request.
A common issue that comes up during the semi-custom construction process is a change order or request from the client that requires a delay in the overall schedule of the home construction or an increased amount of work from the project manager or estimator. The extra management time and delayed project cost will be added on to the overall cost of the change order which can add up quickly. Before any contract is signed, the client needs to plan their “must haves” with related costs. There is nothing worse than a client realizing that a certain amenity or finish is not included in their home or can’t be included in their home after the construction process has already begun.
Vetting the Builder
During the semi-custom home building process, almost every point of construction as well as the end-product home is controlled by the builder, which ensures overall project efficiency. Because of this, it is important to vet the builder and their abilities before beginning the build. Clients or their real estate agents should talk to previous clients of the builder; this will provide the client with a sense of what to expect from a particular builder.
After properly vetting the builder, it’s important to trust the process and the builder during construction. There will be imperfections and mishaps on every home construction process and understandably it’s a stressful situation for most clients to be in, but a builder with a good reputation will be able to communicate well and guide the client through the process without taking advantage of any situations that might come up.