Average Cost, House Size, And Buyer Budgets

As the housing market continues to recover, 2017 is expected to continue the trend of rising costs of labor and materials. As a result, home buyers can expect a likewise increase in the cost per square foot for Georgia home builders.

In addition, the upswing in material costs have also led to higher insurance premiums and municipal fees, while home buyer preferences, which include more luxury finishes and home automation and other amenities have also caused a spike in the average cost for custom home builds.

The Average Cost of a Custom Built Home

As stated above, custom home builds tend to come equipped with specialized finishes, high-end appliances, and other features you can't find in an existing home. So, the final cost can range anywhere from $250,000 to well over $1.5 million. In 2017, more than one-third (33.1%) of all custom home buyers are expected to pay between $250,000 and $499,000. The second largest percentage of buyers (20.6%) will be homes priced between $500,000 and $749,000.

The Average Cost Per Square Foot

According to the 2017 Professional Builder House/Buyer Survey, three-quarters of builders and architects report that their costs have increased over the past three years with over 36% of them reporting increases of at least 10%. Things like high-end finishes and appliances and new building and energy codes have resulted in an increase in the overall cost per square foot for the average property. Among current buyers, 37.1% are paying less than $150 per square foot. The second most common range is between $150/sf to $199/sf, at 35.5%.

What is the Most Common Age Range for Buyers?

Today's overall real estate market is being fueled by baby boomers and millennials, but when it comes to custom home builds, it is older Americans who are leading the industry. Nearly 33% of all first-time custom home buyers are aged between 52 and 65 followed by people aged 40 to 51 (29.3%).

Home Sizing Trends

Among custom home buyers who are not buying their first homes, the largest percentage (36.4%) are those buying homes that are slightly larger than their previous homes by anywhere between 50 square feet and 499 square feet. Nearly 28% buy homes identical in size to their prior homes and 15.3% buy homes that are significantly larger than their last homes, most by more than 500 square feet.

Average Income for Home Buyers

The most common income bracket among new home buyers is between $100,000 and $150,000. These buyers account for nearly 35% of all new home buyers. The second most common bracket is buyers who earn between $150,000 and $$200,000, at just over 20%.

Find Out Why Southland is the Most Trusted Georgia Home Builder

If 2017 is the year you are finally going to have your dream home built, then Southland Custom Homes has the experience and reputation you need to ensure your home is built right and on budget. Give our Georgia home builders a call today at 1-866-56-BUILD to get started. Our professional in-house design team can help ensure you get a home that is not only tailored to your unique wants and needs, but one that also fits your family's budget.

Visit one of our model showrooms today in Macon (3956 Bloomfield Village Drive, Macon, GA 31206), Dawsonville (98 Bethel Drive, Dawsonville, GA 30534), Marietta (265 N. Cobb PKWY, Marietta, GA 30062) or Winder (429 Loganville Hwy.,Suite 101, Winder, GA 30680) to see all that we have to offer!

Southland Custom Homes builds in the following locations:

Baldwin County
Banks County
Barrow County
Bartow County
Bibb County
Bleckley County
Butts County
Carroll County
Cherokee County
Clarke County
Clayton County
Cobb County
Coweta County
Crawford County
Dawson County
DeKalb County
Dooly County
Douglas County
Fannin County
Fayette County
Floyd County
Forsyth County
Fulton County
Gilmer County
Gordon County
Greene County
Gwinnett County
Habersham County
Hall County
Hancock County
Haralson County
Hart County
Heard County
Henry County
Jackson County
Jasper County
Jones County
Lamar County
Lumpkin County
Macon County
Madison County
Meriwether County
Monroe County
Morgan County
Newton County
Oconee County
Oglethorpe County
Paulding County
Peach County
Pickens County
Pike County
Polk County
Pulaski County
Putnam County
Rockdale County
Stephens County
Talbot County
Taylor County
Twiggs County
Union County
Upson County
Walton County
White County
Wilkinson County

We also build in the following cities in Georgia:

Acworth
Alpharetta
Athens
Athens-Clarke
Atlanta
Barrow
Bartow
Belvedere
Belvedere Park
Brookhaven
Butts
Calhoun
Canton
Carroll
Carrollton
Cartersville
Cherokee
Cobb
College Park
Coweta
Cumming
Dawsonville
Decatur
Dekalb
Douglas
Dublin
Douglasville
Dunwoody
Duluth
East Point
Ellijay
Fayette
Forest Park
Forest
Forsyth
Gainesville
Grantville
Griffin
Gwinnett
Hall
Henry
Hinesville
Hogansville
Jasper
John's Creek
Kennesaw
LaGrange
Lake Allatoona
Lake Blue Ridge
Lake Chatuge
Lake Hartwell
Lake Jackson
Lake Lanier
Lake Nottely
Lake Oconee
Lawrenceville
Lone Oak
Mableton
Macon
Marietta
McDonough
Milledgeville
Milton
Newnan
Newton
North Atlanta
North Druid Hills
The North Georgia mountains
Paulding
Peachtree City
Redan
Rockdale
Rome
Roswell
Sandy Springs
Smyrna
Snellville
Spalding
Stone Mountain
Sugar Hill
Tucker
Union City
Washington
Winder