Homes Designed for Affordability

September 14, 2002

When home interest rates rise, homebuyers (especially first-time buyers) experience difficulty in qualifying for home loans. Sales drop and builders look for ways to get their product back in motion. Sales incentives such as discounts, temporary fixed rates, and creative commission plans can cut into the builders' profits and may intrigue the buyer into a home he or she can't pay for in the future. A much better idea is to make it easier from the start for buyers to purchase homes and get payments that realistically fit into their budget. How do we do this? By designing homes that are economical to build, so that the builders' savings are passed on to the buyer through a lower priced home.

Building a home that is cost-effective does not mean sacrificing quality or beauty. Begin by choosing an architectural firm that is not only experienced in design, but also in market trends, buyers' desires, and cost effective planning.

There are a lot of ways to contain costs in the design. For instance, instead of a sitting area that is actually pulled out from the rest of a master suite, it is less expensive to add more footage to a boxed bedroom and put a beautiful bay window at the sitting area. Create the illusion of separation with columns or interior angles. In the case of a custom home, the buyer might choose to take these cost savings and put them into a corner set oval tub to add elegance to the master bath. In other words, keep it simple on the outside and put all your corners on the inside.

By maintaining a rectangular shaped slab, the builder can keep construction costs down. Every additional corner in a foundation boosts the builder's cost. It can cost more in siding, brick, rock, or stucco. It costs more in framing, insulation, and window placement. Every "pull-out" or "indention" that changes the slab can create a chain reaction in cost effects including labor. A foundation change also changes the roof formation. Clearly, a box costs less to build and less to buy -- from bottom to top.

By building a home that is economical in design and saving money on some interior specifications, a first-time buyer can enjoy some of the eye-catching accents of higher priced homes such as a splash of hardwood floor at the entry, art niches, and impact windows. A move-up buyer can gain in square footage, have a more ornate elevation, a graceful staircase, and elegant accents throughout the home. The buyer of a custom home, who starts with a simple design rather than a complicated floorplan can attain more luxury, flexibility, and overall refinement per dollar.

The two most important items to your customers are (1) the best product for dollar value and (2) working with professionals that back their product with quality service. When looking for an architect to design a product, why should your needs be any different?