House hunting can be fun, it can also be frustrating. From trying to find the safest area, to seeking out the perfect curb appeal, all while searching for a floor plan that fits your needs. It can get complicated, especially when you’re faced with the decision between a new and used home.
Here are some helpful tips that will hopefully help you make an educated decision.
1. PRICE
There are definitely still some great deals on existing homes but with the right builder, the advantages of a new home may out weigh the perks of an older home. Most people think that you can ‘get more house’ buying used, but in today’s market that’s not always the case. Obviously, it varies as to where in the country you live, but for the most part the economy nose-dive drove down the prices of new and used homes enough to make it a pretty comparable decision when talking price per square foot. Yes, an older home can give you the quaint feel, charm, and character that you just can’t quite pull off in a new home, but buying a new home outweighs some of those things- it just depends on what’s important to you.
2. EFFICIENCY
Having said that, apples to apples (new to used), if you look at energy efficiency differences, a new home is always better; that is, unless you can find a house that was built by an insulation specialist, rocket-engineer inventor. Hmmm, not likely. With the current efficiency standards as strict as they are in this green, energy conscious world we live in, every appliance, window, door, and air conditioning/heating unit in a new home will far exceed that of an older home. And if you’re comparing the monthly utility bills you WILL see a difference in a new home, and that adds up!
3. CHOICES
Lastly, here are the obvious reasons for going new. You get to pick your floor plan, one that will meet all your quirky needs. You also get to pick your location (did you ever fall I love with a floor plan but just wish it was in a different part of town? Well there ya go). It’s also fun to pick your carpet, tile, and paint colors, not to mention appliances. Also, if there’s something important to you that can’t be done later, say, 2×6 exterior walls instead of 2×4 walls, pre wire for sound or alarm…all these things are done up front, with no need for renovations later.
So, new verses used, I always nudge for new. At least, in a new home you know no one’s stinky feet have been on your new carpet, your back splash matches perfectly to that page you ripped out of a magazine, your floor plan fits you like a glove, and everything is squeaky clean and in working order. With prices of new and used slowly but steadily going back up you’re sure to find a wise investment in buying new.
