Benefits of Buying a New Construction Home

When you go house hunting, you most likely will start like many home buyers. Looking at properties in your price range, most of them owned by one or more individuals, that are listed on the market.

Some of these homes may be “newer” and some might be downright old.

There may be a time during your search that you decide to check out a new construction home for sale by a builder or developer. Walking into a new home after looking at resale is like walking into a warm cabin from the cold.

There are lots of advantages of looking for new construction. Here are 9 of the best benefits in our experience helping clients.

9 Benefits of Buying a New Construction Home

1. A Clean & Fresh Start

Every home has its quirks. Even a brand new home will not be perfect.

But think of it this way: nobody else has ever used the shower at your home, cooked in the kitchen, dinged their furniture off the walls, had time to neglect any large maintenance items.

You will get to learn everything about your new home and can love it and maintain it as well as you would like.

2. Convenience & Energy Efficiency

Older homes are notoriously hard to heat and cool. Low insulation ratings, leaky windows and other gaps to the exterior mean high energy costs.

A new construction home will be extremely efficient. The technology in windows, insulation and also airflow are far superior. Appliances and lighting are also much more energy efficient.

Technology in general has made homes much smarter and more convenient. And the standard for energy efficiency in homes has grown significantly over the last few decades.

3. A New Community

If you are moving into a development with multiple new homes, everyone will be new to the neighborhood. You can all start together and make the community your own.

4. Functional Floor Plans

Modern floor plans are built for modern lifestyles. A home that is, say, 50 years old, is built for different times, and may need extensive updating.

New construction home builders invest money to hire designers, hire architects and receive lots of homebuyers feedback to make sure that they have either models or options that will be attractive for how you live.

5. Lower Maintenance

An HVAC system, roof, furnace, plumbing, electrical, appliances and more. Replacing or repairing these big ticket items are a part of homeownership.

In a new home, these expenses are pushed way, way down the road. Statistically, it is likely that you will sell the home before needing to replace them.

If well maintained, you can go 15-20+ years before replacing an HVAC system, and 20-30+ years for a roof depending on the material.

New construction offers big time upfront savings on maintenance.

6. Warranties & Repairs

Even new homes can have defects. Builders offer warranties that go well above and beyond what you can find in a resale home (if you even get any kind of warranty).

Builder warranties cover the structure, systems and other facets of your new home for varying periods of time. Knowing that if something big goes wrong you are covered gives an added layer of piece of mind.

7. Customization

Unless you are buying an already finished new home, you will have some level of control over how your new home looks.

This can be as much as designing the home from scratch on a fully custom build. It could also just be picking counters and appliances. Or somewhere in between.

Building new gives you the chance to put your finishing touches on your home. Without having to find your own contractors and being inconvenienced by fixing up an older home.

Many buyers also find this a fun part of the process.

8. Easier Transaction

Builder contracts are favorable to the builder. And you likely will have to put down a bigger deposit, commonly non-refundable.

So how is the transaction easier? Builders want you to be happy with the final product and the process, so you will go and tell all your friends how great they are to buy a home from.

Builders will do everything they can to make the process of buying, building and closing easier.

This can take many forms. Many times you will get large incentives to use in house lenders/title companies, such as a credit towards higher level finishes or closing costs.

The best builders also will be as flexible as possible to make sure to make repairs and cure any blemishes to the home before your final walkthrough.

Builders also have an array of contractors that know your home and are held to a high standard.

9. Location and Amenities

New homes commonly are built around new amenities, from within the community (pools, gyms, etc.) to the surrounding location.

Builders are constantly looking for prime land to build on, and this is one of the benefits of buying a new home.

More Resources

• This guide has more resources and tips on new construction in Northern VA.

• To maximize these benefits or buying a new construction home, consider using a real estate agent who specializes in representing buyers of new homes.

• Here is why you should never skip home inspections for new homes.

• Learn more about the home building process here.

• Learn about why and when a home builder can increase your contract price.

Have questions? Reach out below.