Pros and Cons of Building a Custom Home

We’re in the home building business, but we’re not biased… we swear it. 😂

So you’re thinking about building a custom home which probably feels daunting, exciting, and a bit overwhelming all at the same time?! We get it!

Building a custom home can seem like a daunting endeavour to undertake, so it is important to consider the Pros and Cons before you begin that journey. 

You can probably guess some of the major pros and cons yourself, like time commitment, stress levels, costs, etc. But we’ll dig a little deeper and share some less obvious Pros you might not have thought of. We’ll also do our best to explain why we think the ‘Cons’ actually aren’t too big of a con; like how a custom home is not as expensive as you think! 

Before we get into it, we should point out that there are varying degrees of customization. Not all custom homes have a pool, floating stairs, and dog wash station. Let us explain further.

Customise a little, or alot

There are ample ways to build a custom home to fit within your budget and desires just as there’s more than one way to bake a cake (Mmm cake..)

For example; take our spec homes, the Inspire range, a great solution for those who want to skip the stress of major build decisions, while still having control over key features around the home.

Want an extra layer on that cake? That perfect kitchen, spa-like bathroom or extra storage? Then try our Vision Homes. Builds that are tailored to your lifestyle needs with a wide array of custom options. 

Want icing on top? Our Infinity Homes offer the highest quality, maximum attention to detail, the possibilities are endless. Hello pool house, marble fireplace, and mud room with doggy wash station!

You see, you can customize a little, or a lot depending on what you want. Now let’s explore some pros and cons. 

Pros of Building a Home

For sure there can be some challenges around finding land, but building a custom home offers an amazing experience that you’ll cherish for years to come. 

Let’s look at some other advantages of building a custom home. 

1. Making dreams a reality (a specialty of ours here at Cameron!) – You can get exactly what you want and need in a home without trying to fit those dreams into an existing design later. 
2. It’s unbelievably rewarding – It’s one of the most rewarding feelings out there (just ask our clients)
3. You can build just about anywhere you want – Barring any major issues with the land you purchase (and making sure it’s zoned for residential), you’ll be able to build your home on any plot you desire. Cabin in the woods? Within a bustling community? Want an ocean view, mountain view.. or both! Plenty of options. 
4. Avoid the dreaded bidding war – We’ve all heard the stories, and have friends who’ve been bitterly disappointed not to get the home they wanted. Finding a home that has the features you want can be very difficult and stressful. 
5. That feel good, feeling – You’re the first owner of your home and have a hand in creating it. Go on, pat yourself on the back!
6. Smart-tech for better living – Smart home technology allows you to control things like lighting, heating, and home security. A newly custom-built home offers more possibilities to up your tech game. “Alexa, play Taylor Swift”. 
7. Help the environment through energy efficiency – Newer homes are built to meet current building codes and step codes and thus are more energy-efficient and air tight. There are also options for upgrading your heating, ventilation, and cooling, plus insulation, and air filtration. Better efficiency is good for the environment and will reduce those utility bills each month. 
8. Save with Solar – If you choose solar panels, the excess power your home generates can be sent back to the distribution grid and BCHydro will credit you on your next bill. You could potentially be in for some really low monthly bills (if not $0 in some months) 
9. New home warranties – Cameron is backed by Pacific Home Warranty which gives you extra protection on new home construction.
10. Receive a tax break – The ‘GST/HST new housing rebate’ offers breaks on a home that was newly built or substantially renovated. You might be able to take advantage of a new housing rebate on part of the tax.
11. It’s brand spanking new! – Everything from pipes to the heating and cooling systems will be new. Forget about renovation/upgrade costs in the near future; repairing the roof, re-insulating, remodeling, replacing appliances.. nope! Because it’s brand new, your newly built home could end up costing less in the long run.

See related: Thinking of building a custom home – here’s our advice

Cons of Building a Home

The first thing you’re probably thinking is that ‘building a custom home comes with a higher price tag’ than buying a home. In fact that’s just one of the many myths about building a custom home that you’ll need to get familiar with and put aside. 

Now let’s dig into some of the disadvantages of building a custom home:. 

1. More involved, more time consuming – For sure building your own custom home is more involved, with many decisions to make.
2. Wait time – Expect to wait at least 4-6 months before you can move-in. Building a beautiful home is something that cannot be rushed over the line unfortunately.
3. Decisions, Decisions, Decisions – You’ll have a lot of decisions to make from plotting out the land, creating a floor plan and choosing building materials, finishes and colors. But don’t let that put you off. After 35 years of helping families design their perfect home, we guide you all the way and aim to make it enjoyable!
4. House Price Depreciation – New house construction, particularly in up-and-coming neighborhoods, can be more of a gamble. But if the numbers are true the Comox Valley shouldn’t have anything to worry about – the house prices continue to rise as families flock in their droves.
5. Landscaping – Depending on your home builders, you might get little or no landscaping with a new construction. Potentially you should factor in dollars (and years), to get the yard you want. Luckily, we know a thing or 2 about gardens, watch our head honcho Cory talk about how not to neglect your yard (opens Youtube) with the build.  
6. Worried it won’t turn out the way you dreamed – Don’t fret, we won’t let you settle for anything that’s “just ok”. Remember  – you are part of our family, and we are here for you–from realizing your vision to celebrating your completed home.
7. No need to worry about servicing the land – like access to municipal water and sewage, septic systems, drainage, or any environmental and other permits, should the plot of land not be connected to utilities.
8. Finding a lot in your desired location – It’s a challenge that’s for sure! If you want to be close to the hustle and bustle of life in your new town, it may be difficult to find a lot to build on. Especially in Comox and Courtenay, land lots are at a premium right now and many suitable lots have already been turned into homes.
9. Budgeting for a custom home can be hard – It can be, but with a Cameron member by your side, it will be crystal clear. Our chief goal at Cameron Contracting is to keep your build on-time, on-budget, and work closely with you if upgrades are needed. 
10. Construction loans – work differently to traditional mortgages, so approval to build your dream home might be harder to obtain. Speak with your mortgage brokers. The alternative to a land purchase is to go through the builder (like Cameron), who will have spec homes and semi-custom homes where you buy the design and land from our inventory. Check out our home inventory list on our builds page. 

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the process

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life is whether to buy a home, or build your own. Our years of experience has taught us how to help our clients enjoy the process. We’ll ease you through the tough times and share moments of joy throughout the build. 

Crafting your perfect home takes time and consideration, and we guide you through every stage of the process. Check out our process where we break down the main steps and milestones you can look forward to when working with the Cameron’s.

To get the juices flowing check out our completed custom builds, where we showcase our Spec homes (aka Inspire range), our Vision Homes, as well as our high end custom homes (aka Infinity range). The latter being an all-inclusive experience, highest quality craftsmanship with maximum functionality, The sky’s the limit.

Come Meet With Us

Set up a meeting with us, or come visit our Home Centre showroom in Courtenay for inspiration. 

We’d love to meet you and help you build the house of your dreams that will take you into the future.

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Check out more resources in our Guide to Building a Home in the Comox Valley