To many in Chilliwack, building a custom home may seem like an extravagant expense or something only available to the uber wealthy. In reality, custom homes are economical and available in all price ranges and are available to singles, couples and families at all income levels. In addition, custom homes come with a number of features that make building a custom home advantageous for all homeowners. Here are 4 advantages of building a custom home and some statistics that might surprise you.
1.) Energy efficiency saves you money
As energy prices rise, so do the costs of heating and cooling older homes. Even purchasing new heating and cooling units can only go so far to lowering costs, when windows, doors and even insulating materials are out of date.
A new Alair custom home can save up to 3,449 KWH a year
That’s enough to power:
- A TV for 15 years
- A microwave for 16 years
- A coffee machine for 36 years
- Lighting for 86 years
In addition, both operating and maintenance costs are also significantly lower in a new custom built home.
Operating costs:
- Custom: $2.92 sq ft.
- Old: $4.26 sq ft
Maintenance costs:
- Custom: $241 sq ft.
- Old: $546 sq ft
2.) Greener materials means a healthier home
Today’s homes are becoming greener than ever, thanks to modern EPA standards and the cost-effectiveness of sourcing materials from sustainable resources. Even homes that are not certified “green,” still use far more green materials in their build and are up to codes set in the last decade, not in the 1970’s or before. Custom built homes are not just more suited to your individual lifestyle, they are healthier.
3.) Custom homes help you avoid stress when things go wrong
Even though used homes undergo rigorous inspection, there are no real guarantees that 90 days in the furnace won’t suddenly quit or a sinkhole suddenly appear in your backyard where you didn’t realize there used to be a swimming pool. Once you’ve signed on the dotted line, all the responsibility (and expense) for those events falls on you. New, custom homes not only come with multi-year warranties on the home itself, (10 years in the case of an Alair home) but also comes with warranties on most of the costliest items in a home, such as a furnace, water heater or even major appliances. In addition, homeowner’s insurance also runs up to 15% less on new custom built homes.
4.) Custom homes are built with you in mind
In addition to the costs of renting vs. buying, many people move out of apartments to have more freedom to decorate and “customize” their living space the way they want. But why just settle for being able to paint how you want? Custom homes allow you to put your own personal and unique style on your home from top to bottom and from start to finish. You can both interior and exterior aesthetics that fit your own style as well as customizing the home’s technological capabilities. Custom homes also have a proven track record of actually improving people’s quality of life overall.
After completing a custom home:
- 42% of people did more entertaining
- 80% of people reported being more relaxed at home
- 84% of people spent more time with their families
- 89% of people said that their family lives improved
View the custom home infographic by Alair Homes to find out more about the many benefits of building a custom home.
[Infographic]
