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How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Home? The Complete Guide

The home shortage in America continues to grow, surpassing the 5.3 million mark as of 2021. It’s a 1.4 million increase since 2019. For anyone looking for a home currently, the slim pickings mean lots of competition for the available inventory.

But there’s another solution: building a custom luxury home from scratch. The biggest advantage of this approach is that you end up with a home that perfectly suits your budget and every interest.

But how long does it take to build a custom home? It’s perhaps the most important question you may have on your mind, especially if you intend to move into the new residence soon.

Well, the entire custom home building process can take anywhere from months to years, depending on a variety of factors. In this guide, we shed more light on this matter.

Read on to learn more.

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Do Custom Builds Take Longer?

Yes. Generally, a new construction house takes 7.7 months on average to complete. That’s when these houses are built by general contractors.

But when homeowners decide to run the show, the building process takes roughly 12.5 months. 

To understand why custom builds take longer, we need first to know what exactly constitutes a custom house. Simply put, a custom build is when you purchase a plot of land on which you want to build on and act as or hire a contractor to have the home built just the way you want it. Generally, you as the homeowner are in control of things, and your custom home builder does their best to build a home that meets your desires.

A great Townsville home builder states that non-custom-built homes, on the other hand, take much faster because the contractor is most of the time using a cookie-cutter design. They’ve probably already built millions of homes just like yours and know how to iron out any kinks to make the project go faster.

Factors That Can Increase the Home Building Process

Like most aspiring homeowners, it’s very likely you’d like to finish your custom home within schedule. To do so, you need to plan for potential factors that might delay your planned timeline.

Note that some of these factors you can minimize or avoid with a dependable workforce and smart project management. Others are unavoidable, such as when you are dealing with an act of God.

Let’s look at some of these factors.

Weather

Of all things you can control on your building site, the weather isn’t one. Temperature shifts, for instance, can be a huge setback.

Extreme temperatures can quickly affect how your project progresses. If the temperatures drop below freezing point, concrete takes much longer to harden. Such temperatures could also dramatically slow down the process of the paint hardening.

Too much precipitation, whether it’s rain, snow, or sleet, can also cause issues. For instance, a bulldozing project can be halted by too much mud. It can also delay the foundation pour.

Failing To Get The Required Permits

It’s impossible to sidestep bureaucracy in a construction process. You’ll need to fill out forms, sometimes in duplicate or triplicate.

If you miss any permits, the entire project could be shut down and cause untold frustration.

What Can You Do To Help Your Project Move Faster?

Building a custom home needs to be a collaborative process. The homeowner is a truly indispensable member of the team. Sure, you may not show up on the construction site every day, but you have a huge influence on how long the project takes to complete.

Here are a few ways you can help the project move faster.

Find the Right Custom Home Builder

When wondering how to build a custom home more quickly, the most important tip you can use is to select the right builder. Your custom home builder will arguably be the greatest determiner of how long the construction duration is.

Find a builder who has clear and proven systems for tracking the project’s budget and schedule. Such a builder should also know how to select and order materials, as well as how to communicate clearly with every member of the team.

Find a Great Interior Designer

Even for homeowners with an unquestionable design eye, it is never a smart idea to do things alone. You need the help of a professional, especially when it comes to custom living rooms and other areas in your house.

Consider making a seasoned interior designer part of your construction team. They can help with anything from picking out paint colors to selecting the right tile samples for your home. Their quick thinking can make a world of difference when it comes to sticking to your schedule.

Leave Some Room in Your Budget

Building the perfect house is always a fluid project. A seasoned custom home builder will give you budget projects that are as accurate as possible, but unexpected costs always crop up. That’s why you need to have a buffer to smooth things out and ensure you stay on track.

Try To Stick To The Original Design

Indecision can cost you a lot of time and delay your project. That’s why you need to work with your builder and architect from the beginning and create a layout and design that is buildable and that you love.

This way, you don’t have to make too many changes along the way.

How Long Does It Take To Build a Custom Home? Know You Know

Hopefully, we’ve fully answered your question: how long does it take to build a custom home? As you’ve seen, there’s a variety of factors involved. With the right team, however, you can come up with a realistic timeline and ensure you stick to it from the beginning.

Would you like to read more great content like this? Please, keep visiting our blog.

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