Pros and Cons to New Construction

If you've been considering buying a new home, the idea of building a home will probably also cross your mind. Is it cheaper to build or buy? Do I have the time to build a house? How much investment and energy do I really need for building a house? What kind of things should I consider? There are a lot of things to consider between buying and building. Obviously, buying a house means it's already built. You won't have to deal with materials, construction crews, builders, and all of the tiny little details that go into building a home. But, that may not be exactly what you want.

Perhaps you've been looking around for weeks or even months and just can't find the right house for you. This is where building might be a better option. If you simply cannot find a design, layout, or location that you love, maybe it's time to build. However, building a house does take a lot more time and energy so let's jump into the pros and cons of buying a new construction home.

Pros to buying new construction:

You get exactly what you want.

No need to tolerate certain layouts, give in or settle for certain finishes or designs, you get exactly what you want. That means the type of flooring, baseboards, wall colors, layout, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, the lot size, and the style of the home are all up to you. You can buy a home that's already in preconstruction so that you can alter just a few things to make exactly what you want or you can start from the ground up literally constructing and designing every detail.

No need for updating.

When you buy an existing home you may want to put in your own personal touches and that might mean updating countertops, floors, appliances and certain materials and finishes. When you build a home from the ground up you choose all of that ahead of time so it will probably be several years before you even think about upgrading or updating the home.

Warranties and incentives.

Buying a new construction home, especially in a development, means you probably have the homebuilders warranty and maybe even financing incentives. Builders give certain perks and incentives to their buyers so that if you go through them, you might get discounts on closing costs, free upgrades, and of course, a warranty on just about everything in the house for several years. But, builders can make mistakes so if you find an error or something is installed improperly, you can simply go back to the builder and have them fix it. You may also save quite a bit on financing if you choose to go to the lender that the builder is using.

Less maintenance.

Obviously, a home that's brand-new will have less maintenance than an older home. This is not to say that you will have no maintenance. Homes still need maintenance even right out of the gate. As I mentioned earlier, builders can make mistakes so you might need to maintain the home sooner than expected such as replacing furnace filters, cleaning chimneys, and cleaning out ducts within a year or two.

Energy-efficient.

Most brand-new homes will have top-of-the-line energy-efficient materials and appliances. You'll probably save quite a bit in your utilities and energy costs simply by going with the new construction home. They are built more energy-efficient, have higher efficiency appliances, and a lot of the materials are very economically and environmentally friendly.

More: How do New Construction Home Loans Work?

Cons to buying new construction:

Expensive.

New constructions can actually be more expensive than an existing home. But, it also depends on how many upgrades you're putting in. One good rule of thumb though is if you are even remotely considering an upgrade, do it now. Adding it in as a cost of the home to be included in your mortgage payment is a lot more achievable than racking up a credit card after the fact by doing the upgrades then. Do all the upgrades you want but make sure it still fits within your budget. Those upgrades can add on fast. You can also negotiate with the builder and see what they will include for free.

Lack of mature landscaping.

If you love trees, a fenced yard, and mature landscaping, you're not going to get that in a new construction home. You're going to have a blank slate and even if you pick the model home with well laid out landscaping, chances are the backyard will not be completed. This is something you'll need to consider and an expense to factor in if you prefer more lush landscaping.

HOA's

Most new construction developments will have homeowner associations at least for several years if not for the life of the community. This may or may not be a deterrent. HOA fees can run anywhere from hundred dollars a month to several hundreds of dollars each year and cover common area maintenance, common landscaping and management. Make sure you're willing to pay that amount or talk about what it really covers.

Time.

If you need to move into a home within the next one or two months, building is probably not for you. It takes time to build a home even ones that are already in preconstruction and you're coming in after the fact with a few extra custom details, it still takes time to finalize a new construction home. Inspections, appraisals, and financing all take time so you might not move in for another six months depending on the builder's timeline. And… This is all relative. Typically when you buy an existing home you have a fairly good idea of when it's closing and when you can move in. Building a home could have unique setbacks and time extensions so it's important to have an existing place to live while this is happening.

Buying new construction may be great for a lot of people but it might not be ideal for some. There are tons of new construction communities and subdivisions all over Celina and the North Dallas area. Start browsing all the new construction homes below or if you have more questions, don't hesitate to reach out to one of our agents.

More Advice:

Buying a New Construction Home in a Market With Low Inventory - This Is Why You Should

Do You Need a Real Estate Agent When Buying New Construction?

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