This week, Eastbrook Homes will be starting a series of articles on building a new home vs. buying a resale house. Many home buyers may have considered building a new home at least once, but the idea can be overwhelming and intimidating if the building process has never been discussed with a professional, such as one of our Eastbrook team members.  

Join us this week for our first installment which covers considerations and concerns many West Michigan and Greater Lansing home buyers have had before purchasing or building a new home.

Build New or Buy Resale – Be Better-Off by Building!

Most home buyers have considered building a new home instead of buying used while searching for upgraded housing for themselves or their families. To many people, the reasons for building are misunderstood or just unclear, and a brand-new home can appear to be out of reach for the average buyer.

However, the process of building a new home can often be less expensive, can lead to less total cost of ownership, and almost always provides more happiness and overall satisfaction than buying a resale house. New home builders feel a sense of joy similar to that which comes with purchasing a new vehicle. However, building a new home provides a longer lasting, more satisfying sense of accomplishment and joy.

The building process has many advantages over buying a used home, some of which are obvious and others which are often overlooked. Some of the biggest advantages are:

• People love living in a home they helped design
• The desired home design and details can be matched with a desired location
• A new home can be built to match the owner’s lifestyle
• No surprises such as unexpected repairs or failures
• Lower ownership costs due to increased energy efficiency
• Better resale value due to modern construction materials and standards
• The newly built home truly feels like it’s unique to you

There are other advantages as well, many of which are related to the construction quality, new materials, and modern conveniences and comforts included in many new homes. Technological advancements can improve safety and security as well, and internal air quality can even be better due to improved air handling and filtration systems.

However, one of the biggest improvements of all is the increased energy efficiency new homes provide. Studies show that a house just 5 to 7 years old can be 30 percent less energy efficient than one built today. The increased efficiency and decreased costs provided by new appliances, better insulation and windows, and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning can dramatically reduce the cost of ownership.

Other cost savings can come from the reduction in maintenance needs a newly built home provides. For many home buyers, the joy of purchasing their own home can quickly fade when unexpected repairs and failures suddenly create extra expenses once the sale has been completed.

Older homes may also need much more ongoing maintenance as well, depending on the age and upkeep by previous owners. Paint, siding, roofing, and more can often be near the end of their life or maintenance cycle and can dump a lot of work and added expenses in a new owner’s lap a year or two after they’ve moved in.

New home builder’s start fresh with no surprise expenses, no unseen repairs, and a home that’s under warranty from foundation to fascia. The floorplan and options match the owner’s desires, and resale values remain higher for growing families or retiring adults looking to up- or down-size in the coming years.

If you are considering a new home, please contact the team at Eastbrook Homes to discuss your project. At Eastbrook, we always give you more home for your money, making the joy of homeownership last for years to come.  

Please visit our blog again next week for the next installment in the “Build New or Buy Resale” series when we discuss some of the ideas that hold many would-be builders back from creating the brand-new home of their dreams.