Is a Spec Home Right for You?

If you want to buy a home, should you consider a spec home? What is a spec home anyway, and how is it different than any other type of a home? What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a spec home? For one advantage, if you buy a spec home, you will have more options in how your new home is built that you would not have if you buy a home that has already been built.

Most spec homes are not expensive, do not require that much maintenance, and are considered by many to be quality products. If you purchase such a home, standard construction products will be used, and the home will be built using standard stock plans, for the most part. The advantage you will have, however, is you will have choices concerning the colors in your new home, the kinds of cabinets you will have to look at every day, and the basic floor plan. If you buy a home that has already been built, you will not have such choices.

A spec home is not the same as a custom built home. With a custom built home, you can control every detail of how your dream home is built, from the colors, types of carpet, where you want your electrical outlets, to what you want in your home: pantries, ceiling fans, and anything else you can think of. The problem is, you will pay much more for construction, for inspections, and blueprints for a custom built house. With a spec home, you will pay much less. Even though you will not have as many choices, you will have many choices you would not have with a pre-built home. The cost will be reasonable.

A spec home is produced in a factory with computer aided drafting, not onsite using typical building methods. After it is produced, it is then built on site. That is why you will have more choices. You will indeed have much flexibility in designing your home. Often the architecture and creativity of such homes is highlighted in architectural magazines.

Spec homes are often much more reasonable to purchase than other homes. They are built using low cost materials. Building them does not require as many laborers. It will take fewer hours to build than another home. Because so many have already been built, those building your home will know the costs and details involved and be able to tell you. Spec homes also do not cost as much to maintain. Because of the technology involved, they are energy efficient. Your heating and cooling bills will not be as expensive as they would with more traditional homes. A heating bill could be as much as $30 a month cheaper.

If you would have a house built using some other method, it may take months before it is completed. If you would have a spec home built, you could be in your new home in weeks. Because of the way a spec home is built, there will be much fewer delays due to weather.

There are disadvantages to buying a spec home. If you buy such a home in an undesirable area your home won't appreciate in value very much. A large number of spec homes in a particular area may make it so all the homes look too much the same on the outside. This may make a spec home that is offered for sale look unappealing to a potential buyer. If your home is in such an area, it won't appreciate much in value.

If you buy a spec home in an area where the builder does not finish all the homes, the area could go bust. If you are waiting for a library or school to be built in the area, it may not be. The building of such public structures often depends on the population in the area. Without a new school, your children may have to be bused further to school.

Is a spec home right for you? Do the homework; weight the pros and cons, and decide.

Citations: Spec Homes, no author listed, Soundhome.comSpec Homes

Instead of Building a New House, Invest in a Spec Home, no author listed, Articlesbase.com

Spec Homes, no author listed, Spec-homes.net