Dave was in a complete panic when he called “They won’t let me change anything!” he said. “I paid for a custom house but the only thing they’ll let me change is the paint color!”

Often I hear people tell me they had a custom house built and I ask “ Who was the architect?” They say “Architect? No architect, Big-Tract-House-Builder built it.”

If you don’t have an Architect, then all you did was buy a house that wasn’t built yet.

A custom home starts with you, the person living in it. You and the Architect will spend six months to a year getting to know what you like, picking fixtures and most importantly, figuring out how you live so the house fits you. Like a tailored suit, a custom home really fits only one person & their family.

If the builder built the house, but stopped short of painting, carpeting and appliances, then the house was spec built. The builder was “speculating” that they would be able to sell it before the lender came after them. The reason they’re letting you “choose” those items isn’t out of the goodness of their hearts, it’s because that stuff is expensive and they didn’t want to invest that money up front.

In the 1980’s almost every house was spec built and the builders had quite a inventory of new homes on their books. When the bubble burst they were stuck holding that bag of inventory and a lot of them went bankrupt.

This time around they are a little smarter. They sell the house before they build it so if the poop hits the fan again they won’t have a huge inventory of built houses to sell, they’ll just have vacant land. The sizzle on that steak is that they can tell customers that the house is “semi-custom” (that’s like being a little-bit pregnant) and that they can pick from a list of options and goodies.

It’s true that you can pick paint colors, appliances and the like but you can’t have them move a wall, turn the island in the kitchen the other way or have a different color roof.

Production builders can only build two or three different floor plans (different styles of house) before they begin to loose the cost benefits of being a production builder. Because they buy a gazzillon of every fixture they need they can negotiate the price down. Of course to remain profitable, whoever they negotiate the best price with will cut corners on their product until they make it round.

For example: A production builder will by toilets for about $35 each. A custom home will likely have toilets that cost around $400 each. And let me assure you, there is a huge difference in quality between a $35 toilet and a $400 toilet.

If you take the time to read the contract on a “semi-custom” house you’ll note that the builder can change any part of anything in or on the house without telling you and there is diddly you can do about it. The reason? They want to be able to use the cheapest stuff to build the house and what’s cheapest and where it comes from changes with the tides. For example, I met someone recently who thought they were going to get a furnace that was 90% efficient because that’s what was in the model home. Turns out that what was installed in their house was only 80% efficient.

(Sidebar: Did you ever wonder why the furnace is located near the bottom of the stairs, instead of somewhere that would make sense? I’m guessing is because that’s where it landed after being slid down the stairs on its side. - I’m jus’ sayin’)

So, if you want a custom home, find an Architect that has the same sensibilities that you have. Someone who wants to build you a house that fits you. If you like renewable and sustainable, find an Architect who works in those materials. If you want a cozy little house find an Architect who also likes cozy little houses.