Some people prefer to buy a new home that will be built according to their specifications, just for them. Others would rather purchase an existing home, taking something that may not be exactly what they envision so that they can avoid waiting for something to be built. There is no easy answer to the question of whether you should buy an existing home or look at new homes for sale, but there are plenty of advantages and disadvantages that should be carefully considered when weighing either option.
A Beautiful Day in Your Neighborhood New homes for sale in developing neighborhoods offer great potential for you to found a community that shares common interests. However, it can be difficult to predict what kind of character the new neighborhood will ultimately assume, and for that reason existing homes can be attractive with their already-established neighborhoods that offer fewer surprises. The gradual demographic shift and cyclical nature of business development mean that no neighborhood’s character is completely permanent, but the change can be a long, drawn-out process.
Perils of the Unknown When it comes to the possibility of things going wrong, neither new homes nor existing homes have a clear advantage. Although they are infrequent, shipments of bad materials can create problems for a new home that are not apparent for a few years. Existing homes may have already had a chance to identify and repair their weaker design elements, but the advancing age of the structure means that some of the older components may fail unexpectedly. Fortunately, horror stories about new or existing homes that require expensive repairs from either type of circumstance are the exception and not the rule.
Make It Your Own When you work with a builder to create your dream home, you have the ability to direct certain aspects of the construction such as carpeting, wallpaper, and window placement that gives you a chance to build a house that shows of your ability for creative expression. However, some developers limit your input into the construction process, leaving your home very similar to others in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, existing homes may have unique features that you would not have thought of on your own or design elements that are no longer in use by modern builders. This helps give them a unique character, but some ill-considered and inconvenient design elements are uncommon or one-of-a-kind for good reason.
When choosing an existing home over a new home for sale, neither option is completely without drawbacks. As an informed home buyer, you should carefully consider the benefits and potential problems of both new homes and existing structures before deciding which one is right for you.
