Looking for lasting Value in a home? Think Custom.

The resale home market is being drawn down by bank owned and short sale properties in all price ranges. Appraisers should only base their appraisals on a “sale between a willing buyer and willing seller” but that rule is largely being ignored. Sight unseen appraisals and computer generated estimates are all too common and this is leading to the inherent quality of a home and its neighborhood being lost in the final pricing. This is a huge problem to the seller as the property is often undervalued. If you know what to look for, this same problem is an opportunity for you as the buyer.

Construction Quality

Single-family homes vary widely in quality and quality of construction is a major cost variable. Class 1 construction found in custom homes is the most expensive commonly encountered and Class 6 is the minimum required under most building codes. Most single-family homes have some characteristics of several quality classes.

The following construction cost examples are based on building the same home, varying only the quality of construction. The example is a single story of 3,850 square feet with attached three-car garage. Prices are as of December 2009 with construction costs based on Riverside County, California. The total cost includes direct costs (construction); indirect costs (clean up, insurance and permits) and contractor mark up of approximately 12.5 percent. The following cost estimates do not include the cost of land or architectural fees. The source of this estimate is Building Cost. Net http://www.building-cost.net/

Homes built in a tract environment

Most homes with features that fall in construction quality class 4, 5 or 6 are "spec" homes with four to six corners, built for sale to the public from stock plans. Homes of this quality of construction cost between $85 and $120 per square foot.

Custom Home Construction

When you look at a custom home, expect a totally different quality of construction. Custom homes are more expensive to build (they have more than ten exterior corners) and are usually built from custom plans prepared by an architect retained by the property owner. In the following example you can count 20 ‘corners” in a home custom designed to address the site and meet the families lifestyle.

Designed to Site Specific & Lifestyle Criteria

All major rooms in this floor plan have vineyard and mountain views, rooms are designed to flow to the outside for entertainment, the garage is hidden from view and guest enter through a landscaped courtyard and on entry see the view across a formal dining room.  As a lifestyle preference, the formal areas (living and dining) are separate from family living areas (kitchen and family room) and separate wings were created for adults and children/guests.

Custom Home in GlenOak Hills, Temecula

You can’t reuse your favorite tract home floor plan and maximize the site potentials. Custom homes are more costly to construct because the homes is designed for the site to maximize views and privacy. In addition, the quality of finishing materials is of a higher level than found in tract homes.

The following prices are for a 3,850 square foot, single story home built at three levels of construction quality – most custom homes fall into Class 1 and 2 categories. We have added Class 3 (chosen by few homeowners) to indicate the low end of building a custom home. Estimated prices are for December 2009 in Riverside County, California. Construction costs range from $167 to $375 per square foot. These prices do not include land prices, utilities, driveways or the cost of architectural fees and construction drawings.

Custom homes – an unparalleled value.

If you are looking to buy a home and want to assure yourself of long-term value, consider the purchase of a custom home.  Forget the big box McMansion on a small lot. Custom homes in the Temecula Wine County reflect a value you are unlikely to see again. To see the custom homes used in this example look at http://temeculawinecountycustomhomes.com or view on Realtor.com 

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/37550-Avenida-Bravura_Temecula_CA_92592_1117471754