If you’re interested in a new home, you might consider checking out display home villages to see what they’re like.  It can be fun and inspiring to go house shopping, especially when display home villages look so good.  There are some things to consider, though:

Custom homes can be less expensive.  Display home villages are generally at a set price and there’s a pretty high markup.  Some cost comparisons could reveal that it would take you several years longer to pay one of these homes off over the cost of building your own home.

Display homes are often assembled like toy houses. A lot of people complain about lack of quality workmanship when they actually move in to one. But a paint drip or chip should be the least of your worries when inspecting your home. You’ll want to look for serious flaws above and beyond paint or finishing touches. Sure, you’ve paid a premium for these finishing touches so should be able to expect solid workmanship but be more concerned about structural issues and having quality overall. Are you sure the company you’re working with has a great industry reputation?

Build A Custom Home Instead

When you buy something from display home villages, the workers and the processes are already in place. There usually isn’t any wiggle room.  Custom homes offer much more room for you to get what you want and at a lower price.

When you take your own house plans to a group of builders for a quote, there are some definite cost advantages.  You could get great pricing, you could have builders competing for your business (therefore promising great results and expedited timelines), and you may even get better quality products.

When you arrange for a display home, the builders, the brands, and the choices are generally already in place. There are a finite number of options for tile, for roof shingles, for cabinetry, and so on. It’s extremely expensive to request anything extra because the builder already has their options in place (and all those options have a steep markup).  Requesting different material or differences outside the display home can be very costly.

If you’re buying a display village home, don’t buy based on a pamphlet only. If you haven’t seen it, be extra vigilant. Do make sure you carefully review contracts and see a 3D model of the home wherever possible. In many cases, those buying something that they haven’t seen in person could either pay a lot extra for their requirements or could get a finished product that doesn’t meet their expectations.

Custom homes offer excellent cost and quality advantages. And if you go with a custom home, you’ve got negotiating room, especially if you own the copyright to your house plans.