I would say in general specs are cheaper than build your own. But it really depends on your decisions in design. If you go for all the standard stuff your house would be as cheap or cheaper. The design is kind of a weird process where you get the number at the end. Our final number was about 10% higher than we planned to spend, but we did a lot of upgrades and expansions of bedrooms and lanai. If I were building again I would first decide on the model and options you want. The sales rep can give you a general price point and then look at lots that will fit your model. Add the lot premium to your model cost and you should be pretty close on the price.
For customization, I would say you can do a lot. We almost made major changes to our Putnam to try and add a kitchen nook and move the kitchen toward the front and the front bedroom to the back. Design drew up the plans and said there was no additional costs. We decided against it but they were willing to do it. Obviously pushing out walls and extending garages and Lanai can be done if it fits on the lot. I will say some things such as bathroom mirrors and lighting had limited choices when we designed last year.
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