Why don't They Build Homes In Orlando That Look Like The Ones Up North?

Why don't They Build Homes In Orlando That Look Like The Ones Up North?

Why don't they build homes in Orlando that look like the ones up north, California, Midwest etc.?

That's a question we hear quite a bit in Central Florida. The short answer is, there's most likely a good reason.

One thing I've learned being a Custom Home Builder, there are lots of different weather conditions throughout our Great Country. We have the dry area of the SW with lots of sun but little rain. The north with cold temperatures and snow. Southern states with heat as well as heavy rains. Add to that different soil conditions, building codes, water tables, tornadoes and hurricanes. All of these conditions create a different set of challenges for local home builders.

In Orlando, we build on concrete slabs that are almost at ground level because the water table in many places is just 2' below grade. It's not a likely region for basements and crawl spaces. 

Since we don't have to deal with snow loads our roof trusses are less robust when compared to snow states. Additionally, due to our mild weather we don't have a frost line so freezing ground  is not an issue.

You'll notice we use little wood on the exterior of our homes as it doesn't survive for long. Cedar shutters with rot off our houses in just a year or two. That's why you see lots of stucco.

It rains a great deal in the Orlando Area so we have to build our homes to be more water tight. Hurricanes and tropical storms can produce rain like you wouldn't believe for an entire week. We also build our homes for wind speeds up to 130 MPH!

Below are some other differences:

Tile roofs instead of shingles as they only last about 15 years with our intense sun.

Gutters and downspouts are missing as we don't have a frost line.

Stucco exteriors as we do not experience freezing conditions.

Single glazed aluminum windows instead of thermopane wood ones.

Concrete block exterior walls instead of wood frame and siding.

HVAC supply grills located on the ceiling instead of the floor as we mostly, cool rather than heat. 

Homes are designed for swimming pools and pool views from each room.

A Lanai instead of a wood deck built on the rear of the house.

High ceilings designed for cooling the home instead of heating.

Lots of large windows for light and bright interiors.

Heat pumps for heating and cooling instead of natural gas heating. 

All electric appliances instead of natural gas stoves and ovens.

St Augustine grass that looks like the weeds you normally pull out of northern lawns.

Although, it maybe a bit unsettling to see homes that look different from where you use to live, it's wise to follow advice from the locals. There maybe important reason for why Central Florida homes are different. Reasons that could be quite costly in the long term if you don't follow professional advice.