With about 43 million people in the U.S. moving every year, you are far from alone if you are weighing your options. So many of us are in the market for a new home. Sometimes that means just a home that new to you, but other times it literally means a newly constructed home.
When it comes time to move, the choice between an existing home and new construction is a huge one. While there are benefits to both, new home benefits can outweigh pre-constructed home benefits for certain buyers.
The ultimate decision will boil down to your specific needs. However, here are seven new home benefits if you are looking at new home construction.
1. The Roof Will Be New Too
When you choose a newly constructed home, everything about that home is fresh and new. This may sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget about, especially when you have all the details of a move to consider.
Still, it’s worth remembering that when you build a new home, that roof will also be brand new. If you buy an existing home, one of the things you will need to know right away is how old the roof is and when it was last repaired or replaced. Homes routinely need new roofs, since roofs take such a beating from weather and time. This can be a major expense for home buyers if a roof is already nearing the end of its life.
One of the biggest new home benefits is that brand new roof. You can construct your home and be secure in the knowledge that having a roof that will serve you for 20 years or more.
Plus, when you get a new house this way you can specify what type of roof you want. Talk with local roofing companies about some options while constructing your home. Things have changed a lot from the days when there were only one or two options for roofing. Now, buyers can choose a whole range of roof types.
Among the newer options are things like solar panels and green roofs. These extremely energy-efficient roof types can save you a ton of money. And because you are investing in these types of materials right from the start, you can start seeing those savings as soon as you move in.
2. You Can Start Off Energy Efficient
Energy efficiency is not only about the roof though. If you are thinking about how you can make your home more energy-efficient, a new home allows you the freedom to customize most of it with an eye toward efficiency.
As already noted, solar panels might be an option if you are looking at new construction. You can ensure your home will be optimized for solar panel usage right from the start. Despite this, you should be aware of the lifespan of your solar panels. It is still entirely possible to need solar energy system repair, especially if that system runs through your entire house and isn’t just isolated panels.
Energy efficiency is one of the most enticing new home benefits for buyers. Aside from the roof, you can get energy-efficient appliances and do things like ensure the insulation of your home is top-notch. Seeing the home get built from the ground up means you won’t have to replace things like outdated insulation that just isn’t up to the task anymore and is letting hot air or air conditioning escape and waste money.
You also might be able to use more eco-friendly building materials during the construction of the home. Talk with your builder to see what options are available. You might discover products that are not only environmentally smart, but can save you money in the long run.
3. No Worrying About the Plumbing and Electric
Similarly to the roof, when you construct a home you can be sure that things like the plumbing and electrical is up to snuff. Older homes can have issues as these systems wear down over time or simply become outdated. With a new home, however, you know that the plumbing and electric is all brand new.
Buyers enjoy the new home benefits that go along with being able to customize their electrical systems during construction. For example, you could ensure that you have a speaker system that runs through the entire home or outlets in a garage.
The same goes for plumbing. You can talk to a plumbing company about what you think you’ll want and need. If you have the desire and funds for it, you might even be able to plan for some upgrades such as an eventual swimming pool or sprinkler system. These are all things you can customize for when you are building a new home. In contrast, if you were purchasing an existing home you would be limited by what plumbing already exists, unless you wanted to spend a lot of time and money redoing the plumbing.
However, even if you have nothing fancy in mind, you can still reap the new home benefits that come with brand new plumbing. For example, you can rest easy knowing your plumbing will be top-notch and unlikely to need repair in the near future. As with a new roof, new plumbing should be something you can depend on for years to come.
Despite all this, it is always a good idea to have some number for local residential plumbing services on hand. You never know when you might need a repair – or want an upgrade.
4. You Can Get Specific About the Details
All of the above hints at one of the most attractive new home benefits: Customization.
When you build a home instead of buying an existing one, you get to customize just about everything. Rather than worrying about window repair, you can think about exactly the types of windows you want throughout your home.
The same goes for other areas of the house, from whether or not there’s a basement to what kinds of doors you will have inside and out.
For some, this extreme amount of customization can become overwhelming, but if you are the type who is excited to choose between wood windows and vinyl clad windows, this should be one of the biggest new home benefits for you. This is truly about getting the home of your dreams and specifying how every inch of it will look and feel for you.
5. You Don’t Need to Worry About Hidden Repairs
The flipside of this is that you will also likely avoid a lot of trouble. When it comes to buying an existing home, there are walkthroughs and inspections, but even these steps don’t always catch everything. It is all too common for something to slip through the cracks. You as the buyer might not realize until weeks, months, or even years later that there was some issue with the home. Now, it is entirely your responsibility to clean it up.
Among the new home benefits is the assurance that you won’t find any issues like this. If you work with a good, reliable builder who you can trust then you should get a home that is in pristine condition when you move in. You can even watch the process and see along the way that things are going according to plan.
If you are thinking that this one doesn’t seem like one of the biggest new home benefits, consider the kinds of problems you can run into with an existing home. You could find you need new electrical wiring, an asbestos abatement or pest control services before you even get to move in. All of these can be a big cost and major damper on your excitement for your new home.
6. You Can Make the Home Fit You
When it comes to customizing a new home, another one of the new home benefits is that you can ensure the space is right for you and your family. When you are constructing a house yourself, you will know that it is right for you and, importantly, that it is the right size for you.
Often, people living in apartments or homes that simply don’t fit them need to rely on storage facilities to handle some of their belongings. You shouldn’t have to worry about this with a newly constructed house as long as you plan well.
One of the biggest new home benefits is simply that you can decide on things like including a garage and basement. These are two areas with huge storage potential. If you think you might need either or both of these spaces for storing you and your family’s things, you can be sure to include them during the building process.
In contrast, with an existing home you are limited by whatever architecture already exists. While it is possible you could still add a basement or garage later, these would be major additions and very large construction projects that may be difficult depending on the existing house’s condition and location. You might even run into problems adding these kinds of features down the road and find that they are impossible. Basements are especially unlikely to be added to a pre-existing home so if that is something you really want you should seriously consider new construction.
7. You Can Avoid or Opt-in to Replacements
It is, of course, possible to customize an existing home when you purchase it. You can get replacement windows or change out all the doors if you like. However, one of the new home benefits buyers enjoy most is that these kinds of replacements are unnecessary with a home under construction.
The doors and windows and other features of any home will wear down over time, but when you buy a newly constructed home, you can customize these features before they go in, ensuring you have what you want right from the start. In contrast, if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty with an existing home, you might be limited when you look at replacing existing fixtures.
For example, you might hope to change out the doors but have limited options due to the dimensions of doorways. New construction doors can be whatever you want them to be, allowing for complete customization of your home right from the start.
There are many areas beyond windows and doors that you can customize when you buy a newly constructed home. Consider things like the kitchen cabinets, the appliance, the landscaping, the flooring and the lighting throughout the home.
This can mean you have a lot of decisions before you, but this all goes toward making your dream home a reality. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of choice, try to take things step by step. Customization is one of the biggest new home benefits, but it can also be a source of stress. Give yourself ample time to make decisions and understand that you are in control of this process.
Design Your Dream Home
One of the biggest new home benefits is the opportunity to truly create your dream home from start to finish. When you get a say in all the details throughout the process, you can make a home that not only fits you and your family, but also becomes the home of your dreams.
If you are still unsure, start by making a list of what you need in a home. Then, create a list of what you don’t necessarily need, but would like to have. See where there is overlap. Where might you need full control to customize your home? Where would new home benefits make the “like to have” list more likely to come true?
After that, it is time to see what it would really require to make your dreams of your new home into a reality. The new home benefits described here may open up a pathway for you to get exactly the kind of home you want and need. That is not only a boon in the short term. It can mean you and your family are happy, secure, and comfortable for years and years to come.