top of page
Search

Spec Home vs Custom Home: What's the Difference?

If you are looking to buy a newly built home, you want to understand the nuances that make a spec home and a custom home different. Both are new homes, but they are not the same thing.


Buying any type of new home is a tremendous investment. It could be the biggest one you ever make! Because of this, it is important to take your time and get all your facts straight before signing on the dotted line.


custom home during construction

Before you begin to compare the different options in your area, you will want to know where to start. Knowing the difference between a spec home and a custom home is a great place to start. We have outlined some important things to consider so keep reading to discover the difference.


What Is a Custom Home?


With a custom home, if you can dream it, then the best home designers and builders can create your “dream home.” It is a home built to your wishes and specifications down to every last detail. Every inch of the home will be how you imagined it as you work to decide the details and the layout.


Working directly with the builder and designer gives you control in choosing all the important elements. If you are looking for this kind of ownership, a custom home may be the choice for you.


What is a Spec Home?


The difference comes with how much decision-making you desire as the buyer. While a custom home is completely up to you, a spec home has limited choices for design, appliance, and floor plans.


Spec homes initially start at the same place as custom homes; their own lot of land. But, it is the home builder who chooses the floor plan and design layout. It is pre-selected. Many homeowners like this route if you are a first time homeowner, as all the many choices and layouts can be overwhelming when it is your first experience.


Advantages of a Custom Home


The biggest benefit of a custom home is that you get exactly what you want, of course! A custom home is about more than just choosing how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want. Every nook and cranny is built from your imagination.


It's not just the aesthetics you see in and around the home. It is the home’s essentials, too, that you get to choose from.


Downside of a Custom Home


Primarily, you get what you want, but the biggest disadvantage is that it will cost you more than a spec home. If you are a first-time home buyer, this may not be workable.


Further, custom homes take longer to build. If you need a house soon, a custom home may not be the best option.


Texas House Plans Complete Design Services


Serving the entire state of Texas, Texas House Plans is a premier custom home design firm specializing in new construction and remodel designs.


Texas House Plans offers complete design services, encompassing construction documents, plan development, and engineering services through partners.


The home design process can be overwhelming, but Texas House Plans makes the design process simple. You can get the home you’ve been dreaming of with the help of their expertise.


Get what you want by contacting Texas House Plans today!

bottom of page