1) You choose all the details. When you build your own home, you get to choose all of the finishes, from flooring to cabinets to lighting fixtures. If you know what you like, why rely on someone else’s tastes?
2) Design a floor plan to meet your needs. Have you ever looked at the layout of your existing home wished it were more efficient? Maybe you’d like the children’s bedrooms closer (or farther away from) your own, or wish the laundry room weren’t so far from the master suite. Or maybe you’ve just always wanted a fireplace in an upstairs library, or have dreamed of a private balcony overlooking a pool. When you build your own home, you get to make layout choices that make sense for you.
3) Everything’s under warranty. When you start off in a new home, you don’t have to wonder how old your appliances are or how your roof’s going to hold up. Everything’s brand new and if there is a problem, chances are it’s covered under warranty.
4) Better energy efficiency. Home energy efficiency has come a long way, even in just the past five years. When you buy a new home, you can make sure that you have the most advanced and cost-saving features, such as windows with special coatings and/or double or triple panes to prevent drafts.
5) Better air quality. New building codes not only create better energy efficiency, but they ensure better ventilation with better-quality air filtration systems. You can breathe easier with fewer pollutants and allergens indoors.
6) Better building materials. Today’s building systems are more efficient, and the building materials themselves are often lower maintenance than those in older homes.
7) Community perks. Newly built homes are often part of well-planned communities that offer more than just a clubhouse or pool. Today’s new communities may include hiking trails, mini-nature preserves or a community vegetable garden, and they’re often placed in the county’s best school districts.
8) Avoid the costs of upgrading. When you buy an older home, chances are you’ll need to replace aging appliances. And if you want energy efficiency that matches today’s standards, you may need to install insulation or replace most or all of your windows. And if you never liked those cabinets and countertops? That’s another major project. Buying a new home will save you on a lot of these expensive upgrades by getting things just right when you start out.
9) Better safety features. Many newly built homes include health and safety advancements such as safer circuit breakers and carpeting, cooling units, and paints without potentially dangerous chemicals.
10) A home that matches your dream. When you build your own home, the house can reflect your tastes and personality that an older home simply can’t. Older homes reflect someone else’s dreams and memories—why not start with something that fits yours?