Birchwood Homes wants Virginia residents to be informed about custom new home construction and the benefits it can bring to new home ownership.
Generally speaking, buying a home that's already constructed is cheaper than building your own, but building a custom home has benefits that can't be matched. It's the best option when you want the home of your dreams.
The home you call your forever home and build a life and family in. Constructing your custom dream home might take more time than buying one that's already built, but in the end, it's worth the wait.
So let's talk about 5 reasons building vs. buying a home might be for you.
1) It's A Home In Virginia Built By You, For You
If you're currently living in a house vs. an apartment, there are probably a million things you would want to change about it. Most people in the Richmond Metro Area who want to move and buy a new house have a housing problem. Maybe their current home is not large enough to handle a growing family, the yard isn't large enough for pets, or it's not close enough to a good school system and other amenities.
Shopping around at all the cookie-cutter style homes and pre-built houses will get you closer to your dream home, but this takes time and frustration. 9 times out of 10, the houses you look at will have all but one of the amenities you crave. We see it time and time again when we work with clients who are considering building vs. buying a new home. They tell us about how they have gone to open houses and researched online, but there's always that one thing missing. Maybe it would have been their dream home if it had a different first-story floor plan, certain kitchen features, another walk-in closet, or a better community.
Most custom home builders (ourselves included), provide home addition construction which can help adapt your resale purchase to meet your needs. But, it will always come with county code limitations, homeowner's association rules, and other regulations you have to follow. In the end, all of this isn't an issue when you decide to construct your own home. Building your home vs. buying one means the plans are flexible. You can choose the floorplan, the number of rooms, the size of the lot, and all the other features. The possibilities are endless, and that's why building your own home vs. buying is the only way to make the home, the perfect home for you.
2) Building Means Your Home Will Match Your Style, Unlike All The Pre-built Homes
As you're looking around at all the pre-built homes, picture your dream home in your mind. Is the design exactly how you imagined? This is another reason for building vs. buying your own home
When you decide to build your own home, you don't have to worry about decor, style, size, or anything else not matching your dreams. You get to choose everything from the design to the decor, the materials, hardware, closet size, etc. The sky is the limit.
For reference, here are some popular new home construction styles for Virginia homeowners.
Colonial: Large chimneys, gambrel roofs, thick walls, flattened columns, and decorative crowns. Colonial-style houses are simple and not adorned. Plus, they are very symmetrical and focused on brickwork.
Georgian Style: This is the most common home style in Virginia. They are very symmetrical just like the colonials, but they are much more elaborate. If the house looks like an ostentatious colonial, then it’s more than likely a Georgian-style home. In the end, these houses evolved from European styles.
Federal Homes: The architecture in the state of Virginia and here in Goochland as well, has been influenced heavily by federal architecture. These houses are even more elaborate than Georgian-style houses and are more curved. Federal homes have more columns thanks to Renaissance ideals, heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Thus, you are more likely to see heavy use of columns.
Queen Anny Style: When you construct a new Queen Anne style house it will have towers, front gables, and wrap-around porches. These houses are what Americans were building during the transition from the 19th to the 20th centuries. This was the staple style of new home construction during the Victorian era.
Folk Victorian Style: This style of home comes from the time of Queen Anne. These are very simple houses, aren’t very ostentatious, and focus on a level of “folkiness”.
If you're not sure which one is best, talk with your custom home builder. They can help you choose one that fits your style and the community.
3) When You Decide To Build Your Own Home, You're The One In Control
If you choose to build your own home vs. buying one already constructed, you're most likely going to choose a custom home builder to work with. All new home builders who help you design and construct a custom home have pre-drawn plans you can look at. This doesn't mean you aren't in control of the design.
Home builders have architects who help draw up the plans, and they can help you change the layout, features, interior design, elevation, and materials. You can even ask them to work with you creating a completely new design from the ground up. A design drawn completely from your imagination and dreams.
4) Building Your Own Home In Virginia Costs More Upfront, But Saves You Money Later
When you want to construct your new, custom home, it will be built using the latest technology and materials. The appliances, features, and structure will be state-of-the-art and able to handle weathering. Pre-built homes that have been lived in are 10, 20, or 30+ years old and will require maintenance. Some of these homes have older appliances, others are using older materials, and some have roofs with old shingles that are being damaged by the elements.
A home you decide to build will be greener and more eco-friendly with high energy ratings. For example, Birchwood Homes uses only the best materials, upgraded insulation, and five-star energy appliances.
If you are still deciding whether to build a home vs. buying one, talk with your home builder. As the world is becoming more eco-friendly in 2024, it will be cheaper in the long run to have your home built to be more energy efficient at the beginning.
That leads us to the next topic.
5) Buying Vs. Building Your Own Home: Building Ensures The Best Privacy For Your Future Family
Home builders that construct cookie-cutter style homes in neighborhoods are trying to earn as much money as possible, and they do it by cramming as many homes onto as many lots as possible. These houses are very close together and don't offer any privacy.
This is when building your own home always beats buying one that's pre-built. You get to choose the location and lot, away from all the crammed neighborhoods here in Central, VA.
When you decide to build your own home, your home builder can help you choose the perfect lot, build the home facing the best direction, and even strategically place windows.
You can even add a privacy fence and other landscaping features that assist with privacy and might not be allowed in certain communities.
In Conclusion: Buying Vs. Building A Home In Virginia
We won't lie to you, buying a home that is already built is cheaper than constructing a new, custom home. But, you can't deny building your own home has benefits that far outweigh the fact it's more expensive. Building your home offers:
Control over the design and features.
More Privacy
Requires less maintenance.
Decision-making power about the location and community.
Economic savings over time.
Ensures you get the home of your dreams.
If you aren't sure after reading this article you can check out another of our articles about the costs of building your own home in Virginia. This will give you more insight into the costs that come along with the process.
But don't hesitate to contact Birchwood Homes if you would like free information. We are a custom home builder in Goochland, VA.
Our service area includes the Richmond Metro Area and all the surrounding counties, and we would love to help you make your dream home a reality.