When building a house, you have two options. You can work with standardized plans or create custom ones. If you're wondering whether you should hire a team of custom home contractors, compare your situation to these 5 cases to determine how you may want to proceed.

Property Conditions

Some properties require custom solutions. If you have a coastal location where there's a limited space with solid ground to build on, for example, you'll want to maximize the value of the space you have. Custom home builders can create a structure that will conform to the contours of the available area.

For comparison, consider the challenges of dropping a standard design on an unusually shaped area. If it's kidney-shaped, for example, you might not have a location that allows all four corners of a relative square structure to fit on the property.

Neighbor Issues

Another source of potential customization needs is proximity to neighbors. Even on a square or rectangular lot, you may want to pull your living space away from the property line for privacy reasons. Trading off space in one zone means you'll likely want to add it elsewhere. That increases the likely need for customization.

Efficiency

Custom home builders allow their clients more room to experiment with efficient solutions. If you want to install massive windows with high insulation values, that's probably not something you can do with an off-the-shelf design. As you add more elements of this type, the need for customization increases. You might want to have a solar roof and take advantage of the angle of the sun to gather natural light. You may go further with materials and design choices like cladding that don't always fit into standard models of construction.

Aesthetics

The downside to living in a house with a standard configuration is every visitor will feel like they've seen hundreds of similar homes. Custom home contractors can help you put your imprint on your property. If you want to add an unusually pronounced entryway, for example, that calls for customization.

Structural Needs

A customer's use case for a property can sometimes impose specific structural challenges. Suppose you want to build a hillside home with a garage that connects to a flat area at the top of the property. The weight of the cars may be above most of the rest of the house. Consequently, you'll need to address unique structural engineering issues to make the home feasible.

For more information on custom homes, contact custom home builders near you.