What Is an Inventory Home? (& Why Should You Consider Buying One)

You probably have an idea what an inventory home is. The words themselves provide a clue: An inventory home is a house that already exists within a builder’s inventory.  Inventory homes are new builds, and may include a builder’s model homes as well as spec homes.  Read on to find out why an inventory or spec home may just offer exactly what you need, when you need it.

What is a Spec Home?

Most of a builder’s inventory homes will consist of spec homes.  When a builder constructs a house in a new home community before they have a buyer, this home is referred to as a spec home. These homes, either completed or under construction, are available for quick move-in, which can be a nice benefit to a buyer who does not wish to wait the six to twelve months required to build a home from the ground up. 

When you buy a spec home most, if not all, of the choices that come with building a home may have already been made.  But this is not always true.  “In some cases, the buyer will be given the option to select some of the features or finishes for the home, if they purchase the home in the middle of construction,” says Ownerly’s consumer advocate Kerry Sherin in an article at Bankrate.com. 

Sometimes, a model home may also be part of a builder’s available home inventory. Unlike spec homes, model homes have been used as a builder’s showcase to display their home designs, upgrades, finish options, and more.  Model homes do not become part of a builder’s inventory until the community is at or near 100% completion. 

At Pecan Square by Hillwood in Northlake, TX, prospective home buyers can purchase inventory homes that are either completed or under construction. Our inventory homes (we call them quick move-in homes) come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, prices and designs. 

Five Great Reasons to Buy an Inventory Home

1. A quick move-in – Maybe your house sold faster than you expected it to.  Or you need to relocate from out of state quickly and don’t want to rent.  Maybe you want to be settled in your new home before school starts.  Buying an inventory home can solve your time crunch.   
2. Less hassle – Not everyone wants to pore over details. If you don’t care if the master bedroom is dove gray or harbor gray, you might find some relief in having a professional designer make choices for you—and you can be assured the results will be beautiful.
3. See it first in real life – Some folks just want to see their house in person before buying. With a completed inventory home, you can tour the house before making your decision. You’ll get a real feel for the rooms, the layout, and the style of your new home.
4. Potential savings on a new construction home – Inventory homes come with the same perks and community amenities as homes built from the ground up—and may come with purchase incentives.
5. Location in a new home community – When you buy an existing home in an established neighborhood, you don’t get the benefits that come with living in a new home community like Pecan Square, such as an amazing suite of amenities, an award-winning lifestyle program, fantastic schools, and so much more. (Read on to learn more about the Pecan Square lifestyle.)

Is an Inventory Home Right for You?

Though inventory homes are a great choice for many, some buyers may prefer to go through the building process instead.  If you have your heart set on making every selection, from the exterior finish to the floor plan to the flooring to the countertops, then a quick move-in home may not be for you.  And though Pecan Square’s inventory homes are sprinkled throughout our community, if you really want a certain location, you might want to choose your lot and go through the new build process.

Inventory Home FAQs

What does “inventory home” mean?

An inventory home is a new, ready-to-move-into house usually located in a new home community. Buyers can choose homes already completed, or under construction and available soon, on existing lots, in a range of sizes, designs, and price points. 

What does spec home stand for?

“Spec home” is short for “speculative home.” When building a spec home, a builder speculates what type of floor plan, square footage, and finishes will be popular with homebuyers, and constructs the house accordingly.

Is it good to buy an inventory home?

Yes. Inventory homes offer a quick move in and are located in new home communities like Pecan Square which has a great location, top schools, and an array of fantastic amenities. Builders may offer special incentives and discounts on their inventory homes, as well.

Find the Best Inventory Homes at Pecan Square

Why do we think our inventory homes are the best? Because we offer:

• Outstanding amenities like Jackson Hall (game room and fitness center), the Arena (event space, sport courts, and indoor/outdoor recreation area) and the Greeting House (coworking space, snack shop, and Amazon hub lockers).
• An award-winning lifestyle program that offers more than 300 events, classes, and activities for residents to enjoy each year with their neighbors.
• A family-friendly environment with playgrounds, swimming pools, a splash area, great nearby schools, and kid-centric events and activities.
• Extras, like our Canopy technology bundle which includes amazing internet coverage and connectivity from the first day you move. 
• New construction homes by DFW’s top homebuilders: energy efficient, beautiful, and quality-built to last.

With an inventory home, you can begin enjoying life at Pecan Square right away. Our builders have available home inventory, and many are offering incentives! Browse for your new home online, then visit the builder’s models to learn more about special offers. Come by the Greeting House today – we’d love to take you on a community tour!