When you decide to finally build that home you’ve always secretly dreamed about, you have two main options when it comes to choosing a builder. You can either choose to work with a production builder or a custom luxury home builder.
A production builder typically builds a set of homes in a development, based on existing floor plans. When you go this route, you can choose from the set floor plans and make some design decisions from a set of existing choices.
This gives you some control over what your home looks like but limits the number of customizations you can make.
Working with a custom luxury home builder, on the other hand, is a completely different experience. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect when working with a luxury home builder like Rufty Homes.
While working with a production builder makes sense for some situations, more and more people are looking to have more options, especially when it comes to building their forever home. With the standard work of many builders being more concerned with efficiency instead of quality, we understand why luxury homes are going for over 2$ million in the Raleigh area. When you work with a luxury home builder, like the Rufty Homes team, here’s how it compares to a production build.
One of the most attractive reasons for working with a custom luxury home builder is that you’re not limited by floor plans. You get to start the process with a blank piece of paper, not a preset plan of limited options.
This allows you to have full creative license over how your home looks and functions. All you have to do is talk with our team about your ideas and we’ll figure out creative solutions to bring them to life. As long as there aren’t any permitting issues, we’ll never say no to an idea.
Not only will you get to choose the layout for your home, but working with a luxury home builder means that you can fully customize the inside of your home as well. For past clients, we’ve incorporated unique designs like a golf simulator, a music studio, and a dog room to meet each homeowner’s specific needs.
You don’t have that kind of flexibility when working with a production builder.
Another thing that sets a luxury home building experience apart from a production builder is the time it takes to complete the home. Because of the limited floor plans and options, production builds are fast, with the primary goal of finishing a neighborhood as quickly as possible.
The luxury home building process moves at a slower pace because the goal is all about making sure you’re happy. Learn more about preparing to build a luxury home in the Triangle!
We’ll start by working with you to find the perfect piece of land for your future home. Then, we’ll work with you to develop a plan that hits all of your wants and needs. Working at a slower pace helps to ensure that nothing is overlooked and every detail of your house is well thought out and planned.
While we’re always excited for our clients to move into their new homes, we’d rather take our time to make sure everything is perfect than rush to move you in too quickly. And, our clients prefer this approach as well.
Perhaps the most important difference between working with a production builder and a custom luxury home builder is the relationship you form with your building company.
The nature of a production build is impersonal, but the opposite is true with a luxury build. Here at Rufty Homes, we offer a white-glove experience, where we go above and beyond for our clients every single day.
We also limit the number of builds that each project manager works on, so they can give dedicated attention to each project and homeowner. When you work with Rufty Homes, you can expect to form genuine connections with our whole team and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that every decision we make on a project is with your best interests in mind.
Many of our clients keep in touch with their project managers well after the project is complete, which is another testament to how much we value the relationships we form during a build.
Now that you know more about what to expect when you work with a custom luxury home builder, what’s it like to work with Rufty Homes specifically? Why don’t we let our customers do the talking…
“Everyone was so understanding and respectful of our time. In all of the past renovation projects we’ve done, I’ve never seen a team go out of their way to work with us as much as Rufty Homes did.”
“We connected with the Rufty team right away, and really appreciated that they listened to what we wanted and then figured out a way to make it happen, even if it seemed impossible at first.”
“As soon as I met our Project Manager, I felt completely at ease that we were in good hands.”
“We appreciated the open lines of communication and we formed great chemistry working together. If something unexpected came up, they were clear about how it might affect our timeline and budget.”
“The whole team was always one step ahead of any potential issue and if I had a question about anything, I’d get a response in 24 hours or less.”
If you’re thinking about building your next home in Cary, Raleigh, or other areas of the Research Triangle, consider working with a custom luxury home builder for more control over your project and the best possible service.
Next up, read more about how the Rufty Homes team rises above traditional custom home building business practices, or contact our team to learn more about how to get started building your custom home.
Find out what’s been building at Rufty Homes in our March Email Newsletter! In this month’s newsletter, we dive into what makes us rise above the traditional custom home builder, how we built a forever home for a local family, and what our subcontractors mean to us as part of the Rufty family!
Read the email newsletter here. >>
Building a custom home or going through an extensive renovation of your current home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. It’s a significant investment of time and money, but oftentimes, the experience leaves a lot to be desired.
That’s why we operate differently, here at Rufty Homes. We don’t follow the path of “traditional” custom home building practices, because we believe there’s a better way.
Here’s a closer look at the different ways that we give our customers a white-glove experience from our very first meeting all the way until they move into their homes.
Transparency Above All
Other home builders tend to tell their clients what they want to hear. Or, they’ll give vague estimates about pricing, leaving their customers with a surprising bill at the end of the project.
When you work with Rufty Homes, however, you’ll receive transparent communications from day one. We believe in being upfront with our clients, so they know exactly what to expect during the course of the project.
This means we go into detail about pricing, showing our clients exactly how much it costs to build out aspects of their home. This leads to more accurate estimating, so our clients never feel surprised. And, if the budget needs to adjust throughout the course of the project, we have those conversations with you immediately, so you’re never left in the dark.
Client Needs Always Come First
Here at Rufty Homes, we don’t believe in saying the word “can’t.” Unless we’re limited by a code issue, we’ll find a way to make your ideas come to life. For past clients, that’s meant moving the location of a fireplace in an almost completed home or completely changing the driveway or retrofitting the stunning plumbing fixture you bought when traveling in Europe so it could be used in your home.
We want you to love your home, so we think of out-of-the-box, creative solutions to fit your needs.
We also put a limit on the number of projects that our project managers work on at a given time. This ensures that you and your home always have a dedicated concierge building team that can answer your questions whenever they arise.
Taking It Slow
Many builders do whatever it takes to get clients to sign a contract quickly. We prefer a slower, more methodical approach. For the best possible building experience, we get involved in all aspects of the design process.
Once we determine that we will be a good fit for your project, we present you with a Professional Services Agreement and find that when our customers commit to the Professional Services Agreement with a deposit, it shows them that we’re serious about their project and that they are too. They become a priority to us and we start dedicating time and resources to their project.
During the PSA stage, we spend countless hours helping with design development and estimating. We prepare a detailed budget estimation, that we collaborate on with various subcontractors for the most accurate pricing. From here, we move onto our final construction contract.
Slowing down also means that we tend to stay away from new building trends. Instead of jumping on board with “faster” trends in the industry, we stand by the practices that we know are going to help us build the most accurate house. Even if it takes a little longer, it’s worth it to give our clients a home that’s made to last for generations.
Collaboration Is the Key to Success
Finally, we recognize that there’s not one single person on the Rufty Homes team who has all the answers. That’s why we take a team approach to every project. This gives us the opportunity to bring new, fresh ideas to each project, specific to each client’s needs.
We also don’t limit ourselves to working with only specific interior designers and architects. Instead, we find the best fit for our clients, based on their goals for their project.
In many cases, our clients also join in the collaboration process, bringing new ideas to the table and being involved in the everyday process. When you work with our team, you can be as involved in the building process as much or as little as you’d like.
If you’d like to experience a home building process unlike any other, we’d love to talk with you about your ideas. We’ll make sure the building or remodeling process is low-stress and rewarding every step of the way.
The Thompson family ended up creating the custom build of their dreams, all thanks to a little luck. They liked the idea of building a forever home, but they were in love with their current location, on a picturesque, quiet street filled with trees. So, when they noticed a lot became available on the street, it seemed like kismet.
Elizabeth Thompson remembers, “We learned that Jon Rufty had a bid on the lot, so we met with him about a custom build home that would fit our needs as our boys grow up. Unfortunately, Jon didn’t end up getting the lot, but he told us he had a feeling that the man who owned an adjacent lot might be ready to sell. As it turns out, he was right. We purchased that lot instead and talked to Rufty about how to bring our plans to life.”
The Thompsons had been through numerous renovation projects on their past house, so they had a good feel for their personal style. They wanted a classic, timeless look that incorporated elements of nature to complement the primarily black and white color scheme.
“We knew what we wanted, but the thought of pulling together a seamless look for our whole home felt intimidating, so we leaned on Jon Rufty to help us find the right designer,” explains Elizabeth. Jon put Elizabeth in touch with Heather Holcombe, and it was a perfect fit from the start.
Heather explains, “It was a great team environment right from the start. Everyone clicked from a personality standpoint and it made the whole process so much easier and enjoyable.”
Elizabeth agrees, saying, “We valued Heather’s opinion so much. She really helped us take our ideas about what we liked to help give the house a seamless look where everything goes together.”
One of Heather’s suggestions was to incorporate a brick floor near the backdoor, which serves as a landing space when the family and their dogs return home. It was also a nod back to Elizabeth’s childhood home, which had brick flooring. “Our boys play lots of sports so we love having this low maintenance (but beautiful!) area where everyone can just come in and take off their stuff. And, I appreciate that it reminds me of where I grew up”, says Elizabeth.
While Elizabeth’s husband, Corey, has a demanding work schedule, he still wanted to be involved in the design process for the vaulted ceiling. Heather, as well as the whole Rufty team, worked around his schedule, and the result is a stunning display of wood beams, bringing a rustic warmth to the area.
“Everyone was so understanding and respectful of our time. In all of the past renovation projects we’ve done, I’ve never seen a team go out of their way to work with us as much as Rufty Homes did. Even when we went to their offices for meetings, they’d have popcorn and drinks for our boys and let them watch TV while we talked,” Elizabeth remembers.
Back at their new house, the boys can still enjoy popcorn, TV, and video games, but now it’s in their upstairs lounge space, complete with built-in bunk beds, a wet bar, and a full play area.
“This custom build home was created with the idea that it’d be our forever home, where our kids play now and eventually bring their own families one day. Rufty Homes made it possible and we couldn’t be happier with the end result,” says Elizabeth.
See the full project gallery here.
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