California Custom Homes: Which Options Are Right For You?
If you truly want your dream home, starting from scratch can be a better option than choosing from the available homes on the market. As builders of California custom homes, we can provide you with plans and designs that meet your needs, tastes and budget. But, before you get started with a custom home project, you’ll need to decide which options will be right for you.
Semi-Custom Homes Vs. Custom Homes
At Wechsler Custom Homes, we can provide you with a completely unique custom home plan, but we also have a myriad of semi-custom home plans. If you have a large budget and plenty of time, custom home projects can be a good option. However, semi-custom homes do have several advantages over a new design.
Custom architecture plans aren’t cheap, but semi-custom home plans are much more affordable. Opting for a semi-custom home also saves time, because you don’t have to wait for plans and our construction team already has calculated the number of materials needed and has experience with the design, so they can build more quickly.
Of course, we know that every customer wants to put their personal stamp on their home, but we offer so many design options that your home will truly fit your style and needs. We also can make alterations in many of our home plans, so if you want something smaller or larger or perhaps you want to play with the room configurations, this may be an option.
Selecting A House Plan
Chances are, you’ve lived in many homes through the years, and you’ve learned what you like and what you don’t like. We recommend that you make a list of what you want before you even make that first call to our team.
For instance, think about how you spend most of your time in your home. Some people love to spend time in the family room and kitchen areas, so you might want a home with a large open space for relaxing and cooking. Some people want a luxurious master suite with all the trimmings so that they can relax at the end of the day and enjoy this space.
Still, others, would rather spend their time out of doors, gardening or just relaxing in the yard, hosting barbecues and maybe soaking in a hot tub or enjoying a swimming pool. For these people, you might want a smaller home so that you can enjoy a larger yard space.
Many of our clients also want California custom homes with just a single story, and we have many house plans that suit this requirement. After all, as we get older, trudging up and down stairs many times each day tends to lose its appeal and there’s always the chance that we might face mobility issues in the future.
Keep in mind, as we stated in the last section, our semi-custom home plans can be modified to suit your needs and tastes. For instance, here’s a quick look at one of our many home plans – The Jamie.
As you can see, this floor plan includes a dining room as well as an eat-in kitchen. But, what if you don’t really want a dining room? This space could be closed off to create a good-sized office space or library, which might be a more usable space for you.
Exterior & Interior Design
When you browse through our House Plans page, you will notice many artist renderings, but this is just a starting point. You might notice that we often include multiple renderings to showcase how one person might opt for a traditional exterior design while another person might want something more contemporary.
Many exterior features can be customized so that your final design matches your tastes. If you want a stone or stucco exterior with a more Spanish or Mediterranean style, this can be accommodated. If you want something that leans more toward a Craftsman-style or farmhouse-style, we can achieve that look, as well. We may build semi-custom homes, but no two of our homes ever look alike.
With your interior, we offer a huge array of design options. For instance, we offer designer cabinetry with the choice of cherry, maple, oak, alder, pecan or painted wood with hundreds of stain and paint finishes. You can choose from a wide selection of granite countertops and many tile backsplash options. We offer a myriad of flooring options, as well, including hardwoods or waterproof LVP flooring and carpeting.
These are just a few options you can customize. You also can add in features such as crown molding, built-in shelving, a window seat and other features. If you don’t find design options that you like within our list of standard specifications, we do offer equitable allowances in lieu of our specifications.
In addition to the many design options that we include as standard features, our California custom homes come with solar systems, high-efficiency gas heaters and air conditioners, programmable thermostats, LED recess lighting and high-quality insulation throughout the home to ensure that your house is as energy-efficient as possible.
Selecting A Lot
We build new homes in Auburn, CA, and throughout Placer County. Some of our customers come to us with their lot already purchased. However, if you don’t have a lot, we can help you find one that suits your needs. There are many options available in our area, so whether you prefer a more rural location or something “in town,” we can help find the perfect lot for you.
Before you start looking at lots, think about what you prefer in terms of setting. Do you like having neighbors nearby or do you want more peace and quiet? Of course, even a suburban location can be fairly quiet, so drive around the lots you like at different times of day and take note of the noise level.
You also should consider the location in terms of convenience. For instance, do you want to be near restaurants, grocery stores and a hospital or is this not as important to you? If you find some lots you like that are a bit rural, drive into town so that you can get a feel for what it will be like to drive that distance for goods and services.
If you want a rural location, you might have to consider utility access. Will these sites be accessible to water lines, gas lines and power lines? Will you be able to have good cell phone service? Is there good internet access? These are all important factors that will contribute to your decision. Keep in mind, that some rural lots can include a septic system and propane tanks instead of being hooked up to city services, but you will need to learn a bit about these options before making your decision.
This might sound challenging, but we can help you every step of the way. With our many years of home building experience, we can find the best way to position your home on just about any lot. We will consider how utilities need to be connected, where sunlight will hit at various times of the day as well as factors such as removing trees and leveling the land for construction as many lots feature uneven elevations.
Additional Construction Options
While you might just be thinking about building a single-family home, we also have a few other options to consider. These days, many Californians are building accessory dwelling units (ADU) on their property. These also are known as granny flats or a mother-in-law suite and they can be an excellent option to consider.
We have many ADU plans, and these guest houses can be used to accommodate your older parents, your adult children, family and friends, as well as used to additional income as a long-term or short-term rental.
We also can build a custom garage that is separate from your home. This can be a great option for someone with a larger property that wants RV or boat storage or perhaps a large workshop.
