The Pros and Cons of Building A Custom Home In Bend & Central Oregon

It’s no secret that building a custom home is a large undertaking. It can be a months or yearslong process, there are many decisions to be made, and the costs can add up; however, once your custom home is built you’ll have a new home that fits your needs and your lifestyle perfectly. A home completely customized to you. So is this reward worth the extra effort?

While the answer to this question depends on your personal preferences, we’ll walk through the pros and cons of building a custom home in Bend, or another location, to help you arrive at the decision that’s best for you. With nearly 20 years of experience helping clients build homes in Central Oregon, we’ll share our insights on the benefits and the potential downsides of building a custom home.

Benefits of Building a Custom Home in Bend

Custom Home In Bend, Oregon

Let’s start with the top benefits of building a custom home and the reasons why we see many people choose to build a custom home in Bend and across Central Oregon.

Personalization & Custom Design

This is perhaps the number one reason to build a custom home. When you build a custom home you get complete control over the design, floor plan, layout, and features to match your lifestyle. Every detail, from room sizes, and materials used, to where your electrical sockets are located, is selected by you. 

There is no other means to achieve this level of personalization in your home. While you can make changes to personalize an existing home to your style or do a remodel to change the layout or floor plan, you still won’t reach the level of personalization that you get when you design and build your own custom home.

Unlimited Choice 

To this end, another one of the pros of building a custom home in Bend or elsewhere is that you’ll have endless options. If you’d like to build a home with seven bedrooms, build a home with an ADU above the garage, or want a room designed for a specific hobby, building a custom home allows you to have it all. 

Endless options also means the ability to choose any material for any of your home’s spaces. You can source historic reclaimed wood for your flooring, use tiles imported from Portugal in your kitchen, or add handcrafted details like a custom mantel or stonework in your primary bathroom. You can also choose when to use a budget option versus when to splurge.

Whatever you dream of can be accomplished when you build a custom home. This flexibility is one of the many benefits of working with a truly custom home builder, versus another type of home builder.

Optimized Functionality

There are times you may have lived in a home and thought, “I wish I had more storage in this room”, or "I wish this room were a little bit bigger”. When you design and build your own custom home, you’ll no longer have these thoughts as you can purposefully build your home to have whatever functionality you’d like. 

If you have always wanted additional storage space, prefer a walk-in pantry in the kitchen, or you’d like to have a second en suite bedroom or junior suite for when you have guests, you can incorporate these things when building a custom home. This optimized functionality means there’s no wasted space and everything is tailored to how you live.

Choice of Location

This is one of the best benefits of building a custom home in Bend in particular. Because we have limited space within the urban growth boundary, it can be difficult to find a prebuilt home that has all of the features you’d like in the location you want. It’s common to find older, smaller homes in locations that are more desirable here in Central Oregon. Or, if you are looking for more space or a view of the mountains, you may find a great piece of land without a home on it. When you build a custom home in Bend, you’ll be able to choose your location and build a home you love that is purposefully built for your needs, wherever you choose to build.

Whether you prefer to be in Tumalo or Tetherow to have more space, or you found a lot with a view in Sisters, or you’d like to be closer to downtown Bend, when you build a custom home you won’t have to sacrifice location or home amenities when you know you plan to build a custom home that is personalized to you.

Focus On Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

When building a custom home, you have the ability to incorporate modern energy efficient materials, smart home technology and sustainable building practices that you don’t have when you purchase a home that has already been built. While you can certainly renovate an existing home to incorporate higher energy efficiency and more sustainable living, these upgrades can be more expensive to add later than simply to have from the start. Not only can you save money by including energy efficient practices while building a custom home, you’ll also save money on utilities with better insulation, solar panels, and high-efficiency appliances once you are living in your new custom home.

Higher Quality Construction

Unlike mass-produced homes, custom homes often use higher quality materials and craftsmanship. Having the ability to select all of the details means that you will also be able to choose materials for your new home that are designed to last. 

This is another area for potential savings, as you’ll likely have fewer home maintenance needs with the higher quality construction that comes from working with a custom home builder. Especially with a custom home builder that focuses on high quality craftsmanship.

Full Budget Control

While custom homes can be more expensive, they don’t always have to be. When you build a home on your land, you can control where your money is spent. This gives you the control to prioritize the features that matter most to you and avoid expenses for unnecessary features that come with pre-built homes or from builders that only allow you to select specific packages or designs.

Future-Proofing

Another huge benefit of building a custom home is the ability to future-proof your new home and plan for long-term needs. This can include designing your home for aspects of life like aging-in-place or having other family members living in the same home with a multi-generational living design.

Future-proofing can also mean designing your home with resale value in mind if this is part of your future plan. When you buy a home, you don’t have the same ability to future-proof as you do when you build a custom home.

No Need for Renovations

It may go without saying, but not having to renovate your home is a huge benefit of building a custom home. Because the house will already be built to your style and specifications, there won’t be anything you’ll need to change right away. You can enjoy your space with no need to renovate for as long as you are living there. If your style or your lifestyle changes and you’d like to renovate in the future, you can, but you won’t need to when you build and design the home yourself.

Personal Satisfaction

There’s a deep sense of pride and accomplishment in creating a home from the ground up.

It’s uniquely yours, built for your comfort, your taste, and your future. You’ve made all of your own choices and spent the necessary time planning for your new home, and this allows you a sense of satisfaction that is truly priceless.

Cons of Building a Custom Home

Despite all of the huge benefits of building a custom home, there are a few potential downsides or reasons why building a custom home may not be the right choice for you. 

Higher Upfront Costs

When you build a custom home, the cost is typically higher than when buying an existing home, simply for the fact that you are buying something being purposefully built for you. While custom homes are not always more expensive than buying an existing home, there are always additional upfront costs that you will want to consider before you decide to build.

If you don’t already own the land you are building on, there may be a higher initial down payment for your loan. You’ll also need to pay for the architect and designer helping you create your floor plan, which is an additional initial cost. Depending on your area, there will also be additional costs for building permits and any other local permits required. The higher down payment, additional financing and required permits are all initial costs to consider before you decide to build a custom home.

Potential for Unexpected Costs

Along with the higher upfront costs, building a custom home also has the potential for changes in cost as you build. If changes are made during construction, material prices fluctuate, or unforeseen issues (like soil problems) arise, the overall cost you pay can increase.

Adequate planning to include a contingency fund in your home building budget can help you avoid potential financial stress if unexpected costs arise. The size of your contingency budget can vary depending on the home you are building. For a luxury custom home in Bend, you might have a higher contingency budget because of the longer timeline, complexity, and material costs, than say, a semi-custom build.

Longer Build Time

Custom homes take months or even years to complete, depending on complexity and availability of labor and materials. Not only are you building a home from scratch, there is also the possibility of potential delays due to weather, supply chain issues, or contractor availability.

A longer build time can be a downside if you need to move into a new home or area within a shorter time frame. If you are short on time, buying a home may be a better choice; however, you may also be able to rent while your home is being built to give you better flexibility to move in when your home is ready. If you are building a vacation home or a second home, time to completion may be less of a factor when weighing the pros and cons of building a custom home in Bend or elsewhere.

Decision Fatigue

Choosing every detail, from floor plans to cabinet handles, can be overwhelming. It requires careful planning and decision-making throughout the entire process, which may lead some to feel decision fatigue. 

Working with an experienced designer and a quality custom home builder who takes the time to understand your vision, can be immensely beneficial in helping you avoid decision fatigue during the custom home building process. When your vision is a priority, these professionals can present you with options that are tailored specifically to you. This should make it easier for you to avoid making too many decisions if you don’t want to be responsible for making them all.

Managing the Process Can Be Stressful

Managing everything, coordinating contractors, permits, and inspections can be time-consuming and stressful. That’s why it’s important to choose a custom home builder that will manage these aspects for you. When you work with a custom home builder like PGC Building + Design, our goal is to make the home building process as seamless and streamlined as possible so that you can enjoy the experience rather than feel overwhelmed or stressed.

If you are looking for a custom home builder in Bend, we’d love to talk with you. You can connect with us for a free consultation to talk about your home building goals.

Pros & Cons of Building a Custom Home

Here is a quick recap of the pros and cons of building a custom home.

Pros of Building a Custom Home

• Personalization & Custom Design

• Unlimited Choice

• Optimized Functionality

• Choice of Location

• Focus On Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

• Higher Quality Construction

• Full Budget Control

• Future-Proofing

• No Need For Renovations

• Personal Satisfaction

Cons of Building A Custom Home

• Higher Upfront Costs

• Potential For Unexpected Costs

• Longer Build Time

• Potential For Decision Fatigue

• Managing The Process Can Be Stressful

Is Building a Custom Home Right for You?

A custom home is a great option if you want full control over your home’s design and are willing to invest time and money into the process. If you need a house quickly or want to avoid potential stress and higher upfront costs, buying an existing home may be a better choice for you. 

There are many other factors to consider and it is a very personal choice; however, we’ve seen the deep satisfaction our clients feel after building a custom home to fit their personal preferences and lifestyle. For most people, building a custom home is worth considering before making the decision to build versus buy. 

If you are considering building a custom home in Bend versus buying a new home or renovating your current home, contact us for a free consultation to talk more about your needs. You can also learn more about our luxury custom home building services.