What's different about a habitat home?

By Charlie Allis, Habitat Lakeside marketing intern

For many people, a home is more than just walls and a roof. It’s often the foundation for security, opportunity, and community. However, not all homes are built the same.

You might wonder why Habitat home buyers don’t just find a real-estate agent and buy a house. That’s because there are several crucial differences between a home bought in the conventional way and a home bought the Habitat way.

Cost and Affordability
Conventional homes are purchased at market price and ideally sold for a profit. To make purchasing a home possible, most families need a mortgage, which can carry a relatively high interest rate with the average being 6.77 percent for a 30-year mortgage in Wisconsin, according to Forbes.com Advisor data. This can be a long-term financial burden to a family, especially if its financial situation changes, due to loss of a job, for instance.

In comparison, Habitat homes are appraised and sold at a fair market value and appraised value to ensure that the home does not negatively impact other houses in the neighborhood. An affordable mortgage keyed to the family’s income makes monthly payments manageable. Habitat for Humanity also provides financial classes to help homeowners learn to budget and manage their finances. This allows homeowners to have a stable, decent, and affordable home without causing the stress of excessive debt.

The Building Process
New homes are fully built by paid contractors and laborers and are customizable in any way the buyer would like, if their budget is large enough. Buyers are rarely involved in the building process, other than choosing paint colors and finishes.

Habitat homes are built by the construction team and volunteers. The family must contribute 250 to 400 volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity, which typically encompasses onsite work or work in the ReStore. Being directly involved with the organization allows home buyers to make a connection to many members of our team and community and helps them feel a sense of pride in and connection to their new home.

Community Involvement
Prospective owners of conventional homes often have limited interaction with other members of the neighborhood or community due to the limited amount of involvement in the building process. Habitat homes, however, emphasize community engagement. Families work closely with the organization, volunteers, and local supporters throughout the building process. Habitat for Humanity also offers guidance and education, which helps homeowners maintain their homes and manage their finances long-term, contributing to stronger community bonds and creating greater stability.

Long-Term Impact
Conventional home buyers are often left on their own to figure out details such the mortgage process and budgeting. For some, this can cause a financial catastrophe: According to data from Realtor.com, as of October 2025, foreclosure rates have increased almost 20 percent since this time last year.

In comparison, Habitat for Humanity helps home buyers throughout the buying process, limiting confusion and purchases that strain budgets. Habitat homes are built to be a stable, decent, and affordable home for the family to live in, and a way for a family to create generation wealth, just as buyers of traditional homes do.
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Having a Habitat home is more than just having a place to live. It is a chance to build a future in a safe, stable environment where a family can thrive.

Habitat Lakeside Construction Supervisor Derek Schultz and a volunteer construct the walls for Habitat Lakeside’s 53rd home.