When buying a new construction home, you generally have one of two choices. You can work with the homebuilder on building a custom home from the ground up, or you can choose from the builder’s selection of inventory homes.
Some home buyers wrongly assume that working with a custom homebuilder like Lowder New Homes means going through the headache of making a thousand decisions, but choosing an inventory home can actually make the home buying process less intense and more streamlined — not to mention a shorter wait time before move-in.
Let’s talk a bit more about inventory homes and the potential benefits they offer for home buyers.
Inventory Homes Explained
Also known as a “spec home,” an inventory home is an existing new house that the builder has either finished building or is in the process of building.
Inventory homes may be used as model homes or “show homes” for new neighborhood developments, but in many cases, they are simply homes based on popular floor plans. that the builder believes they can easily sell to potential buyers.
Think of an inventory home as any other home on the existing real estate market, except that it is brand new and has never been lived in.
Custom Homes v.s. Inventory Homes
How is buying an inventory home different from building from the ground up?
Benefits of Custom Homes
First, let’s look at some of the key benefits of custom homes vs. inventory homes.
- Choose your exact location. With a custom home, you get to choose the exact lot you want for your home. With inventory homes, the home sits where it sits.
- Greater customization. A custom home gives you more customization options. You decide on floor plans, cabinetry, countertops, appliances, fixtures, and other options because you’re involved with the building process early from the start. On the other hand, you have fewer opportunities to customize with an inventory home because most of those choices were already made by the builder.
- More budget control. A custom home gives you more control of your budget because you’re deciding on home size and upgrades as you go. An inventory home is pre-priced according to the cost of supplies/labor and the real estate market in general.
Benefits of Inventory Homes
While a custom-built home offers more flexibility to shape it into your “dream home,” inventory homes offer some distinct advantages, as well. Why should you consider choosing an inventory home from a builder?
- Move-in right away. Custom homes can take months to build, and many factors can affect the timetable, such as bad weather, supply shortages, etc. Inventory homes are move-in-ready homes, allowing for quick move-in times. If the builder has already designed and built a home you love, you can move in as soon as you can close the sale.
- Reduced stress in the home buying process. You get the benefit of moving into a quality home without the stress of making many decisions or waiting for the home to be built. Many first-timers find this much more appealing than building from scratch.
- Same new home warranty as a custom home. An inventory home is still brand-new, meaning the builder’s warranty still applies.
- Opportunities to save money. If the inventory home has been on the market for a while, the builder may be more motivated to sell it. This offers you the opportunity to take advantage of big discounts.
At any given time, Lowder New Homes offers a generous selection of available inventory homes in a variety of price ranges to suit almost any budget. You’ll enjoy the same benefits of a new home build, and you’ll have confidence knowing that your home will be high-quality and a great value for the money. Contact us today to get started on your new home search.