Custom built houses

jennylove1084 · September 2011

Can you get a custom built house (or spec home in a custom neighborhood) for $200k or under? When I search MLS (West DSM, Clive, Waukee) the only new construction that comes up seems to be cookie cutter - same house over and over again, or builders advertising their popular x floor plan.

Maybe I am looking in the wrong suburbs?

December29_Brid · September 2011

Prairie Trail in Ankeny has custom built homes that are definitely not cookie cutter. Sadly, though, the prices of the houses is pretty high because of what the neighborhood aspires to be someday...I think it will be nice if they can pull it off, but it seems like overkill. The houses are adorable though!! it is on the south side of Ankeny too, so close to the interstate and downtown.

mz-n-ss · September 2011

Yes, you definitey can custome build for any price range. Basically you jsut need to find the right builder that is willing to work with you and your vision. There are several great online sites that offer a wide varitey of floor plans (for free) in all sizes. It's a good place to start - we found ours online and then made a few adjustments to fit our wants.

jennylove1084 · September 2011

December29_Brid:
Prairie Trail in Ankeny has custom built homes that are definitely not cookie cutter. Sadly, though, the prices of the houses is pretty high because of what the neighborhood aspires to be someday...I think it will be nice if they can pull it off, but it seems like overkill. The houses are adorable though!! it is on the south side of Ankeny too, so close to the interstate and downtown.

I was thinking they were on MLS, just more than we can afford.

Is there a good place to find lots available in a custom neighborhood where you can bring your own plan? Or do you just drive around to find them?

jennylove1084 · September 2011

December29_Brid:
Prairie Trail in Ankeny has custom built homes that are definitely not cookie cutter. Sadly, though, the prices of the houses is pretty high because of what the neighborhood aspires to be someday...I think it will be nice if they can pull it off, but it seems like overkill. The houses are adorable though!! it is on the south side of Ankeny too, so close to the interstate and downtown.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1711-Sw-18th-St_Ankeny_IA_50023_M84194-00296

I found this, it's pretty adorable. The inside finishes aren't my taste but that doesn't mean I can't get on that is.

December29_Brid · September 2011

That is a cute house! They are trying to build some more affordable houses over there now and they are just as cute if not cuter than the big ones! If I am correct, you are not in the area yet, right? Well, that area 'will' be cool soon hopefully. They are building shops, there is a spa/salon over there, a Hy-Vee will be built soon, schools are close by, Cascade Falls Aquatic Center is there and they have a very cool park in the neighborhood with a squishy floor! There is also a new clinic over there for both hospitals and they have a bunch of other cool plans for it! I actually think the neighborhood has its own website...try googling it and see if it pops up!!

Mrs.Reem · September 2011

We took a plan to our builder and had them build it after we found the land we wanted. If you search for land in the MLS it sometimes tells you if it's a developer or if you can bring your own builder.

Many of the pieces in the sububs you're looking at are going to be on the higher end. There isn't a lot of land left (except for Waukee maybe) so the lot prices are going to be higher making the house price higher.

There might be houses in my BIL/SIL's development in that price range. They live in Beaver [something - can't remember ] in Johnston. The development is off of Beaver Drive there. (Not lower Beaver, more north)

jennylove1084 · September 2011

December29_Brid:
That is a cute house! They are trying to build some more affordable houses over there now and they are just as cute if not cuter than the big ones! If I am correct, you are not in the area yet, right? Well, that area 'will' be cool soon hopefully. They are building shops, there is a spa/salon over there, a Hy-Vee will be built soon, schools are close by, Cascade Falls Aquatic Center is there and they have a very cool park in the neighborhood with a squishy floor! There is also a new clinic over there for both hospitals and they have a bunch of other cool plans for it! I actually think the neighborhood has its own website...try googling it and see if it pops up!!

No, we have to be out of our house Oct. 28 though so I'm running out of time to figure out what we're going to do. Dh has been renting in WDSM for a few weeks and I've been there once to look at houses.

jacksjerseygirl · October 2011

The answer is yes and no. Custom built homes are not the same as 'new construction'.

In a custom built home you work with an architect to design your home's floor plan as well as all the finishes and placement of such finishes. Generally, custom building is much more expensive than buying existing construction or selecting a more 'cookie cutter' style. Keep in mind that saying 'cookie cutter' doesn't mean necessarily that your home will look like your neighbors - it simply means that the builder has a couple of floor plans that they have found efficient to use and because there is no fee/time with an architect it keeps the cost down.

Generally a lower price point can accommodate a home better if you select a builder's existing floor plan (some have several to select from). You get to be in on the build from the ground but you are confined to floor plan and your budget dictates the quality of finishes and extras.

You won't be able to build a home with ALL builders for 200K. This isn't meant to be offensive but there are some builders whose baseline quality of building material is much higher than other builders. You should focus on builders who have a reputation for building 'mass production' instead of individual custom homes.

We spent many months after moving to the area trying to decide to buy or build. The only reason we chose to build was because a) we financially can and b) we couldn't find exactly what we wanted. Generally, you will get MORE home and yard for your money buying EXISTING.

Our lot of land with our builder itself was 125K ... so we wouldn't have been able to build a home for 200K. But we also wanted over .5 acres, on a cul de sac and not too far out.

It really all does just vary on what you want. But I would certainly exhaust the market first.

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