How to Build a Spec House Part II
House Design
On How to Build a Spec House Part I we discussed the math behind selecting the property and sale price. Part II we will go over the house design and how to deliver a product better than your competitors.
When you know your targeted market and house size, now you need to design the home you are going to build. Many people think you can have a house design before you have a property in mind and that is not true.
Select the house to fit the lot, do not select any house for any lot. An example can be a rear downhill sloping lot, if you select a home that is deep without a basement then you need to build the grade up at the rear of the home to compensate for the lot slope. This can be extremely expensive and usually when you need fill it is not available. For a down sloping rear lot a home with a walkout lower level is best. Just like a home with one story fits a flat lot perfectly. An uphill lot fits a house with a garage under to cut the vertical angle of the driveway and so on. You need to select something that works with the contours of the land and not against them.
Finishes and design are dictated by the comps of your market space. The sales prices dictate what you have to spend and the room for your profit. Colonial style homes have minimal wasted space so the cost per foot is less than something with more angles. Sometimes a home with more angles elevates the design style and sales price so it may be the best fit for your comps. You want to provide a great flowing usable lay out. Family space along with work space as in the Kitchen. Have you ever tried to cook in a Kitchen where the range is sandwiched in a brick or tile alcove? They provided 6″ of counter for fire protection on each side, it looks nice but really is not suitable for cooking.
House Selection
Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and make sure your design is family friendly. You also need to design something that works with the budget. Most colonial style homes use square or rectangle layouts that have usable space, some houses with curved rooms have wasted space that incurs cost to build. True Modern homes are minimal, many designers say they are cheaper to build. I have found that is not true, they are beautiful and I love them but typically there are flush beams that limit wires, HVAC, plumbing pipes causing higher install cost. Larger windows are also expensive and especially in hurricane prone areas.
Before going to far in design start working your math to make sure you do not over design or over spend on professional fees for a house that blows your budget.
