There’s something undeniably appealing about the phrase custom home. It sounds like a Pinterest board come to life — every nook of your dream house brought into the real world. But here’s the thing no one tells you: that dream? It can come with a side of sticker shock, decision overload, and the kind of stress that makes you question whether stainless or brushed nickel even matters anymore.
We’ve seen it happen more than once. Buyers get deep into a custom build and realize halfway through that “total control” often means “totally on your own.” Suddenly, your Pinterest board has turned into a full-time job, and your budget has sprinted away faster than Taylor Swift tickets during a presale.
At Empire Homes, we’ve built something different — and honestly, a little more grounded. We're not a custom home builder in the traditional sense. But we do build new construction homes across Sioux Falls that give you real choices without turning the process into a part-time design degree.
The Budget Trap Nobody Warns You About
A lot of buyers walk into a custom home project thinking the price they saw on the builder’s website is the price they’ll pay. But much like a base-model car, that number is often just the starting point. Want different countertops? That’ll be extra. Move a wall? Extra. Add anything that wasn’t in the original scope? Yep — you guessed it.
It adds up fast, and not just financially. Custom builds are notorious for running long, dragging out timelines because one sub is backed up or a specialty material is on backorder. It’s not anyone’s fault, really — it’s just the reality of doing something that’s never been done before, on sites that haven’t hosted a home like this before, with tradespeople who are balancing multiple projects.
Does that mean custom homes are bad? Not at all. They’re incredible when everything lines up. But if you’re not prepared for the mental math and mood swings that come with that level of complexity, it can feel less like building your dream and more like surviving an HGTV challenge.
Flexibility Without the Mayhem
Here’s what we do instead: we’ve taken the parts of custom homes that people actually want — personalization, thoughtful details, stylish finishes — and built a process that delivers those without all the chaos.
Our new build homes start with floor plans that have been refined over time — with a team always brainstorming new ideas to make sure our homes keep up with today’s style and needs. Not just for flow and function, but for how people in Sioux Falls actually live. (Yes, that includes mudrooms, walk-in pantries, and open layouts that give you room to spread out without feeling like you’re in separate rooms.)
From there, you get to make the home yours — not from a sad little catalog of three color packages, but from a curated range of materials, finishes, lighting, tile, and flooring that reflect current design trends (and your style).
Fireplaces aren’t standard in our homes, but if you want one, we’re all in. Thinking about swapping a regular door for a pocket door? We’ve done that more than once. We’ve even moved walls or added archways when the timing and layout allow. The key is jumping in early so we can make these thoughtful tweaks together.
It’s a process that gives you real input without throwing you into the deep end of endless decisions. Less time stress-Googling “what backsplash won’t go out of style in five years,” more time picturing your housewarming party.
Quality That Doesn't Waver
The thing about new construction is this: the finishes are only as good as what’s underneath them. That’s why we care just as much about what you don’t see — clean framing, proper insulation, square corners, and mechanicals that meet code without cutting corners.
Because we build in the Sioux Falls area every day, we know the land, the trades, the infrastructure, and the timeline realities. That allows us to create consistency in how our homes are built — and it shows in everything from how your cabinets close to how your floors wear over time.
You won’t be holding your breath through the final walkthrough, hoping everything came together smoothly. Our process includes multiple quality checks throughout construction — making sure the details are right every step of the way.
The Sweet Spot of New Construction
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to get a home that feels like yours. You just need a smart process, a team that listens, and a builder who doesn’t treat your questions like they’re slowing things down.
Custom homes have their place — but if you're looking for something that balances style, substance, and sanity? You might find that the middle ground we’ve built at Empire Homes is actually the sweet spot.
And hey — when you’re kicking back in your new living room, you won’t be thinking about the one trim option you didn’t choose. You’ll be thinking about how great it feels to come home... and maybe how you wish you’d picked a different movie for movie night instead.