There are many different types of home builders, from those that build a few houses each year (custom builders) to companies that build hundreds and even thousands of homes a year. Production home builders are companies really, who build hundreds or thousands of homes each year.
There are two different types of production builders:
- Locally based or regional production home builders who develop new home communities in one city or region of the country.
- National production home builders do the same thing, but work concurrently in multiple cities and states across the country.
Benefits of Working with Production Home Builders
There are benefits to working with production home builders. They use stream-lined processes for working with home buyers and negotiating volume discounts on materials and labor. Some of their cist savings benefit you as the home buyer. The trade-off is less flexibility like the inability to make major changes to standard floor plans or upgrade bedroom flooring where carpeting is standard.
Here's how you'll benefit from buying a home from a production builder.
- One stop shopping for land, home design and construction. That's a lot easier than picking your house plans and then hunting for a building lot, something I did when building my custom home (learn more about custom home builders).
- Shorter timeline from contract to closing because the land is ready for construction. Production home builders are focused on volume so they strive to complete houses in four months … but I had one experience where it took nine months.
- Cost savings based on production home builders buying their land, building materials and labor in higher volumes, like hundreds of refrigerators.
- Master-planned communities with amenities like a community swimming pool, fitness center, hiking trails and more open space.
- Production home builders provide choices with varying home styles versus a cookie cutter approach. They strive for a mix of home styles, one and two-story homes (called elevation). They also encourage a variety of entrances and siding materials, allowing homeowners to personalize their houses.
- Many production home builders have a design center. It simplifies selection of finishes from roofing and siding, to appliances, cabinets, countertops, bathroom fixtures, flooring and light fixtures.
Here's what I did after closing on my production home builder house:
- Getting More House for Less Money
- Top 3 Home Renovations Before Moving Into a New House
- Replaced Cheap Kitchen Cabinets
Production Builders Also Community Builders
Beyond building houses, production builders create entire communities with sidewalks and shared outdoor spaces. That's why they're also called community builders.
My favorite community was in Almaden Valley, San Jose, California where four hundred houses shared a community pool. Our younger son loved the years he spent on their swim team. Wednesday night barbeques meant catching up with neighbors, and a night off from cooking. It was also an easy way to raise money for the swim team.
