If you are in the market to buy a home, chances are that you thought about whether you should buy an existing home or build a new one. You aren’t alone. Most buyers go back and forth on this decision. While building a new home seems like the ‘best’ way to do it, there are pros and cons you should consider before making your decision.
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The Pros of Building a Home
There’s nothing like building a new home. Walking in and knowing that everything is brand new and built just for you is a feeling you can’t replicate. But, there are other benefits too:
- Customization – Unless you buy a spec home, you can typically choose all of the features of the new home. You’ll choose things like the type of flooring, cabinetry, and trim. You’ll even choose the colors of the countertops, carpentry, and door handles. You’ll make so many decisions that you’ll probably want to avoid decision making for a while afterward.
- Energy efficiency – Building a new home means using today’s latest technology. This often means more efficient insulation, HVAC systems, windows, and doors. According to the EIA, new homes are 30% larger than old homes, yet only use 2% more energy.
- Less maintenance – New homes often come with a warranty for up to 10 years. If there’s a defect or something breaks down within that time, you may get it fixed for nothing. This will vary by warranty, though. Even without the warranty, everything in the home is new and should last without needing repairs or maintenance for at least a few years.
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The Cons of Building a New Home
The new home smell only lasts for so long and then reality occurs. Knowing the downsides of building a home can help you make the right decision. The downsides include:
- Longer time to move in – According to the Census Bureau, it takes 7.5 months to build a home. If you were to buy an existing home, you may be able to move in as little as 30 days. If you have a home to sell or your lease is up on your rental, you may have to find somewhere to live in the meantime.
- Little room for negotiation – Home builders typically don’t negotiate the sales price of the home. You may have some wiggle room on negotiating upgrades or other incentives, but the actual price of the home will likely remain the same.
- Everything costs money – That beautiful model you walked into and fell in love with isn’t what you’ll get with the base price of the house. Ask the representative what’s included in the base price and you may be unpleasantly surprised. Each upgrade adds to the price of the home, which can make it harder to get a mortgage.
Keep in mind too, that just because a home is new doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Humans build it and they can make errors. Things can go wrong or they could just get lazy. We highly recommend that you still pay for a home inspection if you decide to build a new home. The inspector can make sure that everything is built to last and identify any problems up front.
What Can You Afford?
Putting the pros and cons aside, it really comes down to what you can afford. Know how much mortgage you qualify to receive. Then compare that to the prices of the homes in the area. Again, because all upgrades are extra on a new home, you need to know what you can afford. You may find out that after putting all of the options on the new home that you want that it’s out of your price range.
Comparing the cost of new homes to existing homes in the area will give you a ballpark idea of where you stand. If the new homes are completely outside of what you pre-qualify for on a mortgage, you may want to stick to the pre-existing homes. If the prices are about the same or the new home prices are less than what you qualify for, then it’s up to your personal preference.
Choosing a new home or an existing home is a big decision. Look at the big picture and remember that this is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Think of your goals for the home and how long you plan to live there. Combine that with the amount of mortgage you can afford and you should be able to make a solid decision.