Advice Please - Build the perfect home 'v' buy the perfect lot?? (Katy: for sale, rental)

[LJSassy30]

Hi all.

I'm looking for some advice please.

We are considering building our family home in Cardiff Ranch, Katy - currently renting in Pine Mill Ranch.

The Community is perfect, zoned to the schools my eldest children already attend, and will be zoned to the new Elementary School at Pine Mill Ranch when it is completed.

My question is - would you build your perfect home on an ok sized plot, or buy an ok home on a great oversized plot?

We love a Westin Home floor plan, but their available plots are limited in size - I am hoping to have a yard large enough to have a swimming pool and a play area to put in a climbing frame for my youngest child.

Meritage Homes don't have any floor plans the I have fallen in love with, but they do have very large plots which would easily hold a pool and leave a lot of ground for the kids to play.

My heart says build the house i love and sacrifice a large back yard, but I'm worried I'll regret not getting a larger plot in the future.

Sorry if this is long winded, its playing round in my head constantly at the moment and it's good to get advice from people who are not emotionally connected to the situation.

Thanks for any coming comments.

[Kiovo]

Will you guys considered a home already built? That way you can see the homes on the lots already and decide if it's something you can work with.

IMO, I would go with lot size if you plan on being outside a lot. The house you can decorate and come to love but you wont be able to make your lot bigger!

Doesn't Westin build in PMR also?

[Rip808]

I would agree with the above poster and go with the bigger lot...try to find the home the you like the most from Meritage. In the end I don't think you can go wrong with the subdivision. Good luck!

[LJSassy30]

Thanks for your replies.

There are no homes for sale in the community except for overpriced inventory homes. It's actually cheaper to build in this area. Westin stopped building in PMR a year ago. Although we like our rental here, we prefer the feeling of CR.

My husband wants to buy the Westin house, but I am trying to make sure we don't end up regretting making the wrong decision.

[pdouglas]

I would select lot over home.

[xecluded]

As other had suggested - i would pick lot over home over and over and over........

[Cbink]

Originally Posted by LJSassy30

Thanks for your replies.

There are no homes for sale in the community except for overpriced inventory homes. It's actually cheaper to build in this area. Westin stopped building in PMR a year ago. Although we like our rental here, we prefer the feeling of CR.

My husband wants to buy the Westin house, but I am trying to make sure we don't end up regretting making the wrong decision.

Inventory homes are negotiable. I paid 20% less than mine was listed at.

It's a hard decision. We searched for a house/lot we loved and took the hit of putting the pool in ourselves. It sounds like you might be compromising either way.

[abbybaby]

We were in your situation with our first home and our current. We chose the lot and ended up moving 5 years later because the house just wasn't right for us. We had planned on putting a pool, outdoor kitchen , etc. in. We ended up doing nothing to it because we just couldn't see spending all that much when we didn't enjoy our home.

With our current home we did not have time to shop around or build. With 3 young kids and 2 labs we knew we needed a yard and pool. I had to sacrifice the house that I wanted for the yard that the kids and dogs needed. We knew going into this house that we won't be staying so that made the decision easier the 2nd time around.

I do miss our old house. We were super lucky and had an incredible floor plan along with a huge yard.

Are the other lots really that small? Also like another person said check out inventory homes. You usually get a better deal on inventory because they are negotiable. Plus you can find some with nice upgrades. Have you actually priced out everything you want to put in a new build? Upgrades can raise your price big time without realizing it.

[PedroMartinez]

My lot was the reason why I purchased my home. Put my home on 1,000 different lot's and I wouldn't have purchased it.

[Cbink]

I'd definitely look into negotiating on the inventory homes if price is the only thing that's putting you off.
Especially if you're in a position to buy now. The inventory homes cost the builder a lot of money if they have to hold them into next year. Buying at this time of year was the reason we got such a good deal.

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

My lot was the reason why I purchased my home. Put my home on 1,000 different lot's and I wouldn't have purchased it.

We got really lucky although we did have to pay to put in a pool but we got the pool we wanted at least.