There are several facets that make Design South Homes a unique and respected company, but none is more important than our focus on customer satisfaction and the relationships we build with our homeowners.

When you build with Design South Homes, you can expect to receive personal attention throughout the building process, and our goal is to make the creation of your new home enjoyable and exciting. 

Here are some factors our customers have told us were important in their decision to build with Design South Homes:

1) Quality and Choice

Our homes are built with high-quality, national name-brand materials and best of all, countless design options are available for you to personalize your new home to your unique style and needs.

One of the biggest things that sets us apart from other home builders is the Design South Homes’ Design Studio, where you will work with a professional designer to bring your dream home to life.

2) The People

Design South Homes was founded with a commitment to relationships, both to our Homeowners and to our team members. As a local custom home builder, we live and work in the community we build, so our customers are our neighbors and we provide personal customer service to each and every one. Our dedicated team members are local residents and we are always available to answer questions and provide support during the home building process.

3) Commitment to Excellence

Our owner’s commitment to superior design and high-quality custom home building, as well as his dedication to the industry and to local community involvement has continued to demonstrate excellence with our projects over the years.

Design/Build is a turn-key home delivery system where a single entity delivers the design and construction of a new home. Having a cohesive team at every stage of the design and build of a new home creates a platform for a high value experience for our Homeowners, identifying budget and project parameters and for a more streamlined process for the client.

Yes! We design and build luxury custom homes. We specialize in creating stunning, one-of-kind high-quality homes that exceed the wishes and expectations of our Homeowners. As a Design/Build company, our focus is on design and that is exemplified in each project we build.

Our Design Studio is located in the downtown historic district of Mount Dora, Florida. We build beautiful new homes in Central Florida, in the Lake and Orange County areas.

Please see our area map to determine if your desired location falls within our service area.

Design South Homes was founded in 2001. Since our inception, we have been dedicated to building homes to the highest quality standards for the highest level of Homeowner satisfaction.

Yes, we are both licensed and fully insured in the State of Florida. We carry general liability insurance and the required workers compensation coverage, as well as auto insurance for our company vehicles. We require our trade partners to provide proof of licensing and insurance prior to and during the time they are trade members.

We provide Builders Risk insurance for our homebuilding projects.

Through our Artisan Cottage Series, we offer new homes that we build in locations within our service area. We maintain a limited land portfolio and we create completed Artisan Cottage Series Homes to showcase our work and to provide opportunities for Homeowners to purchase one of our freshly completed designer homes. Please contact us for a list of available upcoming Artisan Cottage Series Homes.

From time-to-time we have a model home or one or two of our Studio Homes available to preview, but as a custom home builder we may not always have a furnished model home. However, we often invite prospective homeowners on a guided tour of one of our home sites under construction for a preview of a project in process.

Of course! A list of references can be provided after your initial project consultation upon request. This list is continually maintained and updated.

To protect the privacy and safety of our Homeowners, our company policy is to not release the addresses of prior Homeowner projects. We may arrange a guided site visit of a current project under construction or a recently completed home. During the current COVID environment, we have instituted a policy of limiting job site access to those tradespeople working on the project, as well as maintaining a safe work site for trade crews. We ask that potential Homeowners please refrain from entering projects under construction without a Design South Homes team member, for their safety and the safety of our tradespeople. Should you wish to visit one of our projects under construction, please contact our office to request more information.

Many builders own lots in specific communities and only build in those neighborhoods. At Design South Homes, we will build on land within our service area that may or may not be located within a subdivision.

Yes, we would be happy to build on your lot, if it is a suitable homesite and located within our service area. We start the process by conducting a site review in which we analyze the site conditions that would affect the build.

Yes! We can help you search for and assist with your purchase of property if you have not yet acquired property to construct your new home. We have land specialists with extensive knowledge and experience within our service area. We also maintain a limited portfolio of inventory lots to pair with some of our Homeowner projects as well with our Studio Home Program.

Yes, we will evaluate your homesite or assess a property that is currently on the market. We help you understand the necessary site improvement costs and review any subdivision restrictions required for a lot that you are considering.

Either is fine. It’s a common misconception that you are required to purchase property before you come to see a custom home builder. However, if you are currently in the process of purchasing a property for the purpose of building, we highly recommend selecting your design/build firm to evaluate the property for any existing issues that may impact the opportunity and cost to build, prior to closing on a property.

All the time. We can help with all of your needs regarding planning, demolition and a new design/build for a property with an existing structure on the property.

Not at all. However, we love working with Florida Realtors, which means if you have a real estate agent, we will make sure both you and they are satisfied with the experience of building with Design South Homes. If you are not currently working with a real estate agent, we are here to guide you through the process of buying or building your new home. We will take the time to get to know you and will help you select the right community, home site, home plan, and financing program for your needs. Our dedicated team will be there for you for during every step in the process.

Absolutely, that’s what we do. Our company platform contains all of the expertise needed to design, develop, and decorate your new home, making the design/build process of your home smooth and timely.

Yes, we have built an array of custom designs and our team can make your modern dream home a reality.

Yes. Design South Homes has a large portfolio of floor plans in many sizes and architectural styles to select from. As a Design/Build company, we also offer a full custom in-house home design option to meet any of your residential design needs.

Design South Homes offers our clients a complete custom home-buying experience. We believe that you should design the house that best fits your family to ensure that you are pleased with every aspect of your home and that you are effectively using all the space in your home. You may select from our portfolio of home plans or chose to have a unique home plan created in-house by our professional residential designer.

If you’d like to look at different design options, we invite you to look at our Gallery for some inspiration ideas. The Gallery features homes that were constructed according to various project specifications and site conditions. The photos allow Homeowners to preview various architectural styles and finishes. However, there are countless options beyond The Gallery that are available. Please schedule a project consultation to discuss your project.

These services are included in the Design South Homes’ custom design program and are at NO extra cost to you after you decide to build.

We will make personalized changes to a portfolio home plan within the parameters of each design. Our portfolio plans have been architecturally drafted and structurally engineered with low maintenance and high efficiency in mind. Our goal is to provide homes that are practical and comfortable, offering different styles and floor plan types. When you choose one of our portfolio home plans, we can guarantee that each aspect of the home has been reviewed with you in mind, to deliver the best quality home possible. We also offer a full custom home plan design option, should you wish not to select from our portfolio home plan collection.

The term "universal design" was coined by the architect Ronald Mace to describe the concept of designing products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life.

Universal design is all about making sure that those who enter your home and live under your roof are able to exist in it without being inconvenienced due to their age, size or ability. Universal design is a method of designing a home so that aesthetics and function coexist. With Baby Boomer Americans -- born between 1946 and 1964 --getting older and expressing a desire to "age in place" (stay put as they age rather than move into nursing homes), universal design has become a popular focus in the construction of new homes.

Aging in place means staying in the home you love for as long as you can — while still being able to take advantage of any services you desire or need, depending on your situation. The term “aging in place” does not mean that the problems associated with growing older are eliminated. Rather, it means that you can age gracefully – maintaining the highest quality of life possible for as long as possible – without having to move out of your home. We offer many one-story homes in our home plan portfolio and we design custom home plans to accommodate Homeowners with special needs family members or for those aging in place in their new home.

Some examples of Universal Design and Aging in Place that we include in our homes are:

Throughout the home:
Lever door handles instead of doorknobsHallways that are 40 inches wide or widerDoorways that are 32 inches wide or moreChanges in floor height are avoided, including entrances to the home and into the garageContrasting non-slip flooring throughout the homeRocker light switches for ease of useTask lighting for specific daily activitiesThe use of LED lighting, including additional recessed lighting in hallways, kitchens and baths, to provide ample lighting for daily tasks

Kitchen
The use of cabinet pulls instead of knobs on cabinet doors and drawersInstalling contrasting countertopsCountertop heights may be varied to accommodate particular tasks, such as bakingEasy access storage, such as cabinet organizers, base cabinet pull-outs and easy-reach corner cabinetsFlexible appliances - for example, an under-the-counter microwave drawer may make a kitchen more accessible for someone in a wheelchair

Baths
In the master shower, we include a tall shower head and an adjustable-height hand-held showerhead, so the showerhead can easily be positioned at a comfortable height for anyone using the showerMaster showers have curb-free shower entrancesWe offset the shower controls to the room side of the enclosure, so that they can easily be reached from outside the showerGrab bars or blocking between the studs in showers, so that grab bars can easily be added in the future.Comfort-height (17” seat height) elongated toilets in all bathsAdult-height bath vanity cabinets in all baths

Each new home location is unique due to factors such as home site dimensions, zoning regulations, HOA covenants, and the overall design of the community. As professional residential designers, we take into consideration the way you live, your style statement, your personal preferences and budget, and make recommendations as to which plan best fits your needs.

Finding a home design that you love is one of the biggest factors in deciding to build your new home rather than purchase a resale home. Our homes incorporate popular features such as open living areas, gourmet kitchens, luxurious owner's suites, built-in storage solutions including kitchen pantries, linen closets, and drop zones, along with front porches and covered lanais providing desirable outdoor living space. Our professional designers will define the perfect design details and living spaces for your family.

Yes. Even though we are a Design/Build company we will build a home designed by another designer. We strongly urge you to consider taking advantage of our in-house design program to assist with defining your style statement and project scope, implement value engineering and to make sure everything is designed to local building codes. Design South Homes builds with you in mind. Everything we do in the design or construction process is ultimately to make your dream home come true.

We have countless design options! The Design South Homes Design Studio, located in Mount Dora, is designed to help you visualize how colors and features will look in your new home. Here you will find everything you need to personalize your new home inside and out. Hundreds of options are available to choose from, including a great selection of cabinetry, countertops, tile, lighting, flooring, paint, home audio, electrical, energy-efficient products, and much more. We build with national brand names you can trust and offer a wide variety of options in each price point in our homeowner goal budget categories.

Once you have entered the Design Phase of your project, we will walk through your goal budget, must-have features, and design style, and help you select products, finishes and a color program that coordinates well with your personal style.

Interested in previewing some of the home design options available to personalize your dream home? Visit our online Inspiration Gallery to browse photos of beautiful homes.

Yes! Design South Homes has a wonderful Design Studio located in the beautiful Historic District of Mount Dora, Florida. In 2010, we purchased and restored a 1924 Craftsman bungalow as a comfortable location for our Homeowners to visit and design their new dream home. Please see the link to schedule a project consultation to visit our Design Studio.

Entering the Design Phase of the process begins with a Design Agreement. This provides a nominal retainer for engineering fees, surveys and other resources needed to design your home from an initial concept to a developed design and specifications. The amount of the Design Agreement is fully credited to you at the execution of the Construction Contract. At the completion of the Design Phase, you will have a set of pre-construction drawings that define the home’s developed design concept, including preliminary floor plans, exterior elevations, preliminary site plans and 3D cabinet designs, along with detailed illustrated specifications of all finish and material selections and a fixed-price proposal to build your new home. The next step is executing a fixed-price construction contract based on your plans and selections made during the design phase.

We typically use a fixed-price contract. Your price is derived from the home design and selections you choose during the Design Phase. If the finishes you select during the Design Phase and the structure of the home do not change, neither does the price we’ve agreed to after construction of your home begins.

Absolutely, positively, yes! To help take out the guesswork and provide you with the best financing options and the highest level of service, Design South Homes works with a network of quality construction Preferred Lenders. Please contact us for a Preferred Lender list.

A New Home Construction loan, also known as a Construction-to-Permanent Loan, is a type of loan that allows you to borrow from the bank to pay for the construction of your new home. They are very common and provide greater opportunities than most other types of loans. Our preferred lenders offer competitive interest rates, and operate with prompt clear communication. We highly recommend speaking with one of our preferred lenders so that they can talk you through your financial possibilities. 

In simple terms, payments will be scheduled fairly based upon work completed or materials needed for a specific effort rather than generic fixed lump sums. You can generally expect a deposit ranging from 5-10% to secure your project in our queue. From there, progress payments are aligned to key construction milestones. We reserve the right to adjust payment schedules to account for shifts in the timeline. If a Homeowner is using a construction lender, we will follow the lenders construction progress draw schedule and each construction draw is disbursed after the lender’s inspector evaluates the construction progress in comparison to the draw schedule. Please contact us to review our construction contract progress schedule for an example of construction milestones.

It varies depending on your personal financial situation and the loan program you qualify for, but in general, you may be able to purchase your new home in Florida with less money down than you thought. Construction-to-Permanent loans generally include a down payment of 10%-20% of the completed home’s estimated value. Typically, the value of the land you have purchased for the project is considered a part of the construction loan down payment and interest-only payments are made during the construction process on received construction disbursements. Several of our Preferred Lenders offer single close construction loans that transition to permanent loans at the completion of the construction of the new home, saving our Homeowners thousands of dollars in closing costs. Please see one of our Preferred Lenders to preview current construction loan programs.

You may learn more about the benefits of financing your home construction or purchase with a Design South Preferred Lender and pre-qualify, by clicking here to contact us for a list of Preferred Lenders.

When searching for a new home for you and your family, many home buyers are interested in learning the pros and cons of purchasing a new home vs. purchasing a resale home. There are many benefits to buying new – from lowered utility bills to the desire for a high-quality home. Buying a new home makes a lot of sense for homeowners who are looking for a home that suits their taste and requires low maintenance.

Five key benefits to building new are: 

Personal Preferences. When buying new, you have the option to select floor plans that suit your tastes and your family’s needs. At Design South Homes, we offer countless design options, from flooring to lighting, to build your new home exactly how you want it.

Low Maintenance. New homes are built using cutting-edge building products that are engineered to require less care and maintenance, saving you money.

Warranty. A new home has a warranty that covers the structure, electrical, plumbing and HVAC components, so you don't have to worry about expensive repairs that are common with a previously owned home.  In addition to the home warranty, most appliances and many other components come with warranties for extended periods.

Energy Efficiency. Today’s new home standards mean that energy savings are built into your new home. Walls and ceilings are all well insulated, double-pane Low E windows are included from quality builders and new appliances generally use less energy - saving you money for the life of the home!

Modern Conveniences. When building new you can select a floorplan that features all of the modern amenities that you desire. His and her closets? Check. Walk in-shower and tub? Check. Not a bath tub person? No worries, we can make your shower even bigger.

Production Home Builders

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),

Most Production-Based Home Builders:

•Offer the home and land as a package in a community controlled by the builder

•Offer a limited number of predesigned house plans to choose from for each community

•Allow buyers to select from predetermined selections in several product categories, but limit customization options due to production volume

•Offer standard features and finishes for the community and house plan price points and bundle or package upgrades for Homeowner selections

A production home involves using the same house plan designs throughout the community. These are typically seen in neighborhoods that are built by large-volume homebuilders. These “tract” homes may appear in suburban locations outside more densely populated areas so that larger tracts of land can be subdivided to support such development. All homes in the community may be built by just one production home builder who owns all of the lots. There are a number of large, national production homebuilders with good reputations, as well as local or regional builders that can fall within this category.

Custom Home Builders

As the name implies, the process of building a custom home is less scripted because there are no pre-defined choices or menus to choose from.

With custom homes:

•The home can be built on land you own or land that you acquire.

•You can supply a floor plan or commission a set of floor plans to be drawn from scratch.

•You can work with a separate architect and builder, or with a design-build company, that manages both the architectural design and the construction process.

•Unlimited customization is available. You can select from nearly any product in a category — within your budget, of course – rather than selecting from a defined menu of choices.

A Custom home is unique and one-of-a-kind, typically designed and built from scratch. This process involves collaboration among the Homeowner, Custom Builder and various other parties involved in the design and logistics. The building lot is often a driving factor in the design and construction. Often the homeowner has found their own lot for sale or may work with a builder’s inventory lot. Custom builders tend to be associated with high quality work and are focused on a smaller local or regional market.

As a full-service design/build company, we take your project from initial concept through the entire process of construction and warranty.

Those services include:

Design: site evaluation, survey evaluation, preliminary designs, construction drawings, finish selections, color consultation, kitchen and bath design, cabinet design in 3D, site plan, drainage plan, lighting design, visual contract specifications, exterior color rendering, landscape design, exterior feature design.

Build: fixed-price construction contract, permitting, construction financing assistance, builder’s risk insurance, site development, site preparation, land clearing, construction supervision, project management, quality materials, experienced tradespeople, construction scheduling, inspections, landscaping, irrigation, and sod, one-year warranty.

As a custom home builder offering almost any available option and home style for our Homeowners, we have refrained from offering a standard feature list, often used by production home builders. We have recently structured a Quality Platform to illustrate the quality construction methods, materials and finishes we consider our starting point for a new custom home project. Certainly, these items can be specified differently on a future or current project for a Homeowner, but we have included a starting off point to provide a framework for Homeowners to use a guideline. Different styles of architecture and the location of the project may influence the construction methods, features and finishes of a custom home project. Please see our Quality Platform page for this description and contact us for more information about your particular project for the many other available options.

Home prices are assembled from a combination of variables such as home size, location, site development costs and additional customizations. Please see “The Cost Components of a Custom Home Project” for a detailed infographic of the items that influence the cost of a custom home project.

Just as no two clients are the same, no two custom home projects are the same. As such, we do not charge per square foot for our custom home projects. We take the time to understand the unique circumstances involved in constructing the home you’re dreaming of, including the location and setting of your new house. At the completion for the Design Phase, we do a true estimate of the costs based on the home plan design, your desired specifications, and the location. We then provide a fixed price-proposal for your new home.

During your initial consultation and included in our Project Worksheet, we inquire about the details of your project, the site location and your goal budget, in order to best understand your desired outcome. At the completion of your initial project consultation, we may provide you with an approximate project cost range for the established project parameters such as home size, architectural style, finish material selections and expected site costs. We’ve found that providing a cost range for a project provides our Homeowners with important information to assist them in moving forward with us toward their new dream home.

We are a fixed-price builder! Design South Homes provides a price promise, which means once your home breaks ground your contract fixed price will not change.

We may include some allowance categories with our projects, based on each project and the homeowner’s preferences, which are reviewed in your fixed-price contract proposal. As those items are addressed during the construction process, we cover those with you for approval prior to the items installation and communicate an ongoing reconciled balance for allowances to you throughout the process.

Should a Homeowner request a change order for an item not included in their fixed-price contract, we address those items as they arise. In the case of a requested change, items that are a possible change are addressed at the time of a request.

In meeting with prospective Homeowners, we discuss the cost components of a custom home project to help define the project’s goals and parameters. We classify the cost components of a custom home into four categories: Land, Site Development, House and Outdoor Features. We look at the cost components and the cost ratios for an entire project and define which items in each category may impact the cost of the project during the initial consultation with a prospective Homeowner.

Cost Components of a Custom Home:

Site Development.
Property location dependant items.
Examples include: site requirements, HOA requirements, land clearing & fill dirt, stem wall foundations and retraining walls, survey and impact fees, driveways & sidewalks, wells & septic systems, utility connection fees, landscaping, sod & irrigation.

Outdoor features
Examples include: swimming pools, screen cage enclosures, pool cabanas, patios & terraces, outdoor fire pits, fencing, outbuildings, pergolas, boat docks, sports courts, and riding stables.

House

Costs include items connected to the construction of the new home, including the primary structure and attached finishes, features, fixtures and appliances. Including items such as Outdoor Kitchens, Cabinentry, and Window Treatments.

Property

Property acquisition costs

We are always delighted to go over these items with you in greater detail and how they may influence your home project. Please contact us for an appointment for more information.

View cost component infographic

Quality is always our main priority; therefore, we calculate the build time for a custom home of our level of complexity and quality typically from nine to eighteen months from receiving a building permit, including financing. Once we evaluate the details of your home and home site, we will provide you with an approximate build time for your project. On occasion, there are circumstances (i.e. financing, final approvals, weather) that can alter the timeline, but we will provide clear communication and support throughout the entire process.

Each new home starts with an introduction and initial project consultation. We generally spend an hour or two with you during an initial consultation to be sure we’ve allotted plenty of time for your questions and to properly go over your Project Worksheet.

Please review and submit our Project Worksheet to provide information to our team, so that we may prepare for your initial meeting. Please answer as many items as you can, but do not be concerned if there are items you cannot answer. Information about your wish list and new home requirements provide us with invaluable insights into how we may best assist you in your journey to a new dream home.

Ready to make an appointment? Contact Us!

We want the experience of building your home to be enjoyable which is why we developed a customer contact process to help keep you informed throughout the construction of your new home. As your general contractor, we supervise and oversee every aspect of your project. Our owner personally oversees all the details of your new home construction and is available throughout the building process to answer questions and keep you updated.

We have spent years vetting subcontractor partners prior to any on site work. You can expect the same level of care and professionalism from our trade partners as you do with our in-house team. It is our obligation to ensure everyone we work with holds all necessary licenses and insurance, which we manage with precision. Design South Homes works with a team of trusted trade partners, many of whom have been building homes with us for more than a decade. We do not trust the quality of your new home to the lowest bidder; instead, we build relationships with partners to ensure a quality and enduring home for your family.

Certainly! We know the purchase of a home is one of the single largest investments most families will ever make. To help protect your investment, we include quality warranty coverage on every home that we build. You are covered with a whole-home warranty for one year from the date you receive a Certificate of Occupancy. Additionally, the majority of products we use to build your home carry warranties, as well. We are happy to talk you through the specifics should you decide to work with us.

The short answer is no. To deliver the caliber of work that we include, offer the experience that we can, and ensure an efficient and enjoyable build process for all, everything hinges on a well-oiled team with a tried-and-true working model. Introducing risk to this structure is a risk we are unwilling to take. In addition, we must comply with our insurance carrier’s requirements for jobsite safety and in order to offer a full warranty on our homes, we must control the materials and workmanship for each project. We respect our Homeowner’s interest in participating in their project and strive to provide other more effective avenues to involve them during the design/build process.

Please fill out our Project Worksheet and we will be in contact with you to schedule an appointment for an initial project meeting.

Click Here to schedule an appointment to start building the new home of your dreams today.