Thinking about building new but not sure whether a spec home or custom home is the right path? Spec home vs custom home comes down to two things: how much involvement you want in the process, and how flexible your timeline is. Both get you a quality-built home. The difference is how you get there.
A spec home is a house a builder puts up on speculation, meaning the finishes, layout, and floor plan are already chosen before a buyer signs on. Depending on how far along construction is, you may still have some room to choose countertops, fixture colors, or tile. Closer to completion, what you see is what you get.
A custom home starts with your land and your ideas instead. You work directly with the builder from the first conversation through move-in, and every detail, the floor plan, the finishes, the porch depth, the window placement, is a decision you make together. The timeline runs longer, but the result is a home built around how you actually live.
Tract Home vs Spec Home: Same Thing?
Not quite. A tract home comes out of tract home construction, where tract home builders repeat a handful of plans across an entire subdivision, sometimes dozens of houses off the same three or four blueprints.
A spec home from Anderson Home Construction is built on an individual lot, one at a time, with the same craftsmanship that goes into our custom work. The finishes are pre-selected, but the house is not identical to the one three doors down.
If you’ve been searching listings and keep running into that phrase, it’s worth knowing the difference before you tour anything, because a tract home and a spec home can look similar online without being built the same way.
What Comes Standard, Either Way
This is the part that surprises people: whether you buy a spec home or build custom from us, you get the same building standard. Nine-foot ceilings throughout, not the eight-foot industry minimum.
A Vantech subfloor system instead of OSB or particle board. Double-hung windows, not the single-hung units most builders have switched to in order to cut costs. Oversized craftsman-style trim with a one-by-eight base. Floor joists spaced twelve inches on center instead of sixteen, for a sturdier feel underfoot.
Why We Build to One Standard
A lot of builders treat “custom” and “spec” as two different products, with two different price points and two different levels of care. Corners that get cut on a spec home to hit a number don’t get cut on ours, because we’re a family business, not a production line.
Three generations back, this company started on the belief that a house built by people who will answer for it later gets built right the first time. That is the whole reason a spec home from us and a custom home from us come off the same standard instead of two.
Spec Home vs Custom Home: Which One Fits You?
A spec home is the better fit if you want a move-in-ready home on a faster timeline, you would rather choose from finishes already selected than pick every detail yourself, or you want predictable pricing without an open-ended decision list.
A custom build is the better fit if you already own land, or you’re under contract on a lot, you want full control over the layout and every finish, and you’re willing to trade a longer timeline for a house built exactly to your life.
There isn’t a wrong answer here, just a better fit for where you are right now. The best way to tell which one is yours is to walk through a home in person. Look at the trim, the windows, the subfloor. If we’re not the right fit, no hard feelings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a spec home and a custom home?
A spec home is already built or under construction with finishes chosen by the builder. A custom home is designed and built on your land with every detail shaped around your preferences. Both are built to the same quality standard at Anderson Home Construction.
Can I still make selections on a spec home?
It depends on timing. Come in early and there’s usually room for countertops, fixture colors, and tile. Closer to completion, selections are limited to what’s already in place.
Do spec homes and custom homes come with different quality?
No. Every Anderson home gets nine-foot ceilings, double-hung windows, Vantech subfloor, oversized craftsman trim, and tighter floor joist spacing, regardless of which path you take.
How many spec homes does Anderson have available at once?
It varies. We typically have a handful in different stages of completion at any given time, so reach out for what’s currently available and how far along it is. Check out our available homes.