Buying new construction vs. existing home

[BTB]

What are the pros/cons to each? Is one faster? Cheaper? What are reasons people pick one over the other?

[emmjay]

I don't own a home yet, but once we do we will buy an existing home. In fact we will probably buy a home that is at least 50 years old. For us, these are the reasons (and these all apply to OLD homes, so not necessarily all existing homes):


Older homes have more character in terms of architectural details and such
We don't want to live in the suburbs and that limits us to existing homes in an urban area
I believe older homes were built better (for example, most of the new home exteriors in this area are built with some kind of manufactured wood base and a brick facade whereas the older homes are solid brick)
We don't want a huge house and most existing homes in our area are in the 1200 - 1500 sf range (we think that is a really good size)
We don't like sprawl and new homes contribute to that


The downsides would be more repairs, not insulated as well, no input on the floor plan, smaller yard, etc. But for us the pros outweigh the cons.

[andrew&shannah]

We just purchased a new construction home. While we never ruled out existing homes, the new construction just worked better for us. Some of the major pro's:
- input into floor plan
- ability to customize things like cabinets, lighting, carpet
- lower maintenance costs (little in the first few years especially)
- older home=closer in=higher cost (in our area at least)
- fit our timeline better

While it wasn't really a consideration when we first bought, now that we are moved in, I love the fact that we are the first people to live there. We get to discover all of its quirks first.

[lml41981]

The first house we bought was a pre-existing home. It has never felt like "home," though. Probably because it has been a money-pit and never-ending cycle of work...and it is only 10 years old. We did everything short of gutting the house and starting over. Floors were replaced, baseboards were replaced (cats peed on them and rotted them), fixtures and such were replaced, we've had electrical work done, we've painted and decorated, we had to cut down a tree that was about to fall on our house, we have had to figure out some way to do landscaping...just never-ending work.

Now we're looking to sell our house and we're focusing on new construction. We are looking toward builders who really focus on energy efficiency. Plus, with the baby soon to be here and two relatively big dogs, we want more room to run and play. In our current home, we have a concrete backyard with a small grass patch for the dogs' poop area.

One other nuisance that we didn't realize about getting a pre-existing home...despite the previous owners forwarding their mail, we always get their mail. Always. In addition to that, they had a small business that they just decided to stop doing when they moved. We got visits from the IRS about unpaid taxes. Now, I don't know about you...but I don't like the IRS coming to my home, even if it is for someone else (no offense to any IRS employees who may be reading this). We can hardly wait to be the first ones to stake claim on a new address.

New builds do take longer...the houses we're looking at will take about 5 months to build. That's cool...we'll wait that long. It is totally worth it to us.

[tenofcups]

I bought one home with my ex-husband that was a "used" home, from about 1950. We gutted the bathroom completely, did an almost complete kitchen rehab, and did major work to the rest of the house. The house was on Long Island and we had no choice--we had to buy an exiting one since there are very, very few new homes on Long Island that are in commuting distance to NYC and certainly nothing remotely affordable.

I now live in an old home with FH, which he bought before we met. It's a 1906 Victorian. We are in the middle of doing MAJOR work on it--a full kitchen rehab, new porches, stripping and repainting or refinishing throughout, etc.

I HATE living in an old house! If I could, I'd buy a new house in a second! The major disadvantage to me of an old house is that we never seem to be able to get it completely clean, at least not in the way a new house can be. Clean the bathroom? Right, but there is peeling paint in the 100-year-old bathtub and rust spots on the 100-year-old sink so they never sparkle like new ones would. And I haven't been able to bear the thought of cleaning out 100 years worth of accumulation in the vents. And on it goes.

Old houses were also built with different needs in mind, though how different they'll be depend on when it was built. For example, we have a living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor, though no den or rec room (we've made the 3rd floor into a den, but how do you entertain lots of people two floors away from your kitchen?). I love the open flow of new houses, which I believe started in the 70s (the house I grew up in had a pretty open floor plan).

Old houses also seem to need a lot of work, though again that would depend on how old it is. But I think you can pretty much plan on needing to fix plumbing, put in a new roof, replace appliances, etc. faster than in a new house unless that's all been done recently.

On the plus side, we have 10' ceilings on the first floor and 9' ceilings on the second, which you won't usually find in a new house. We have interesting architectural features that also wouldn't typically be in a new house (transoms in each doorway, a stained glass transom in our dining room, original pocket doors between the living room and dining room, original wood molding though most of it has decades of paint on it).

I'd move to a new house in a second, but in our area, a nice one would be about 3-4 times what we pay for this one. So we stay here... for now at least.

[Jaycee]

We actually did the perfect compromise this time around, we bought a 6 year old house, so it still feels on the new side, but any quirks or flaws have already been worked out. In addition, the neighborhood has had a chance to grow trees, and it looks a lot more established than say a brand new neighborhood. I do LOVE the older houses with the craftsman style homes, but we just found them to be too small, eg..small closets, bathrooms, ect..and after moving from a small condo in LA, we were really looking foward to having a lot of space and a big yard :)

[kam]

Pros:
You get to have input on counters, flooring, colors, even the location of electric sockets, etc.
It was built, essentially, for you
You feel it's no one's but yours
A lot of the pieces are MUCH easier (like title search - only on land)
Move-in ready (no maintenance needed)
You can demand quality and see when there are issues so they can be corrected in the build

Cons:
Can be a very slow process - waiting months before everything is ready
MUST do research on the builder! Some aren't that great (they don't make homes like they used to)
Sometimes being part of every single thing can add tons of stress

[suzubeane]

FWIW, "input into the floor plan" is a relative term.

If you start with an architect, you have complete control over the plan. the only constraints are your budget, the architect's imagination, the size and composition of your lot, the technology of the materials, and of course, building, life safety and other municipal codes.

If you start with a builder of custom homes (i.e. not in a development) then you do have the constraints I've mentioned, plus the constraints builder has stipulated to ensure he makes money (assuming you've started with a stock plan, as most builders will if there's no architect involved.)

If you decide to buy a home that's being built in a development, you have very little comparative input over the actual lay out. But as I said, it's all relative. For some people, the kinds of choices you have in a development are just the right amount and kind.

eta: You can demand quality and see when there are issues so they can be corrected in the build Again, this is relative. You can only demand as much quality as you have control over up front. If you hire the builder to build YOUR plan, you are in control. Otherwise, you can only demand quality within his parameters. kwim?

[ajb524]

We are in the process of buying a new construction, but right now are living in a house that was built in the 1950's and was built by DH's grandfather.

One of the most aggrevating things I found when we moved in was not ever having enough electrical outlets & sharing the one and only bathroom with DH. A house in the 50's wasn't built with microwaves, cordless phones, computers or TV equipment like Tivo or a DVD player in mind. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've overloaded the circuit breaker and caused the power to cut off just by having too many things plugged up at one time even though I didn't really have much plugged up.

Our bathroom needed major help. Up until about a year ago the original toilet was still in the house and things were much better when we replaced it. Originally the house only had a bath tub- no shower, but we fixed that.

We also don't have central heat or air. I know this could be done, but we have always planned on moving once we have kids and just didn't want to put the $$ in a house that we'll eventually rent.

Our new house is completely ready to move in to. No painting or replacing carpets and everything is new. I wasn't against buying a previously owned home as long as it was no longer than 5 years old. I just don't want anyone else's problems was probably the main reason we went with a new construction.

On the plus side a home that has previous owners usually has upgrades. The yard is probably more established and probably has landscaping.

Hope that helps :)

[Kristen78]

We bought a pre-existing home.

However, I *could* go for building a house, but not in one of those suburb neighborhoods where the entire neighborhood is new and all the houses are going up around the same time. I would buy a few acres of land privately and then hire a builder to build my dream home. :)

At the same time if I found a house I loved in a location I love I would just assume buy that and not go thru the hassle of building. I dont really see the allure of building really. I like older homes just fine.

[MrsSmith]

We considered both of these options but went with an older home. The features that we really liked in the older homes weren't part of any packages offered by builders. We have a fireplace in the master suite and in the living room, 2nd floor laundry, 11 ft. ceilings on the main floor, etc. So, we would have had to pay much more to get those options added. These were all things that the previous owners paid for.

Also, we don't have time to be involved in every single step of building a home. It reguires time to pick doorknobs, cabinets, carpet, etc. We just don't have that kind of time right now. So, we needed something that we could just move into and change as we wanted over time. I love being able to make changes and seeing things eveolve over time. But I'm glad that we didn't have to do it all from the beginning.

[ee_chick]

Both of our houses have been "used", and that was the ideal choice for us. One of the biggest factors was that the neighborhoods are established. We have a better idea what the feel of the place will be -- everything from mature landscaping (it just feels more like home to me) to neighborhood personalities. The schools and traffic patterns are established, etc. In our area (Los Angeles suburbs) older homes have larger lots, which was very important to us. I also think that since the neighborhoods have had time to mature there is a lot more variety and charm there, but that's obviously subjective.

On the other hand, we bought a house that has great bones, but will require a significant amount of fixing up to be our dream home. For us the benefits outweighed that significant downside.

[kindermom]

We have lived in newer construction (8 years old built by a reputable builder0 and older construction. We chose to buy a home built in 1952 after experiencing both.

Our newer home looked great. I never got the feel that it was "used" (even though it was) and it always looked clean. It was great that the walls were straight and little work needed to be done on it. And it was so new looking. People were defintely impressed when they saw it. Larger kitchens are more common in the newer houses in our area, which I love. Finally, the house was far more energy efficient.
BUT
Our newer home was porrly built, even though the builder was reputable. The six panel doors, which look great, were actually falling apart at the seams. The tub was separating from the tile surround (it is elevated). There were plumbing leaks galore. The ceilings had separated from the walls so there were cracks everywhere.

Our older home has alot of character. I love the fact that our hardwoods (original to the house) have the light patina of wear. All of the doors are solid wood six-panels with the original solid brass hardware. The house feels really sturdy.
BUT
Our older home never feels clean. The kitchen is miniscule. So many rooms need updating which gets to be expensive and time consuming. And the house is not energy efficient unless we take steps to make it more so (i.e., new windows and new insulation blown into the walls).

It really depends on your preference. When my DH and I saw the solid brick facade and hardwoods we were sold.

[Jen309]

For the new construction pro list:

Two words: Level Floors

[armadillo]

I think new homes are built more cheaply. We have a 30 year old house and are looking to get the cabinets refinished or replaced. The Sears guy told us that our existing cabinets are great, solid wood and that we could just replace the doors and refinish the rest of the cabinet. He said he'd been in homes that are 5 years old where the builders, in order to save money, used particle board with laminate for all the cabinets and they were already falling apart. Of course, when we bought the house, we gutted it and replaced a lot of stuff...flooring, light fixtures, baseboards, etc. We added electical outlets where needed. FIL had a house built to his specifications and when he showed up on the jobsite, he discovered workers putting things off center, the roof was put on crooked, etc. And he researched his builders! I tend to think that people had a stronger work ethic a few decades ago and it wasn't all about money like it is now.

[ee_chick]

For the new construction pro list:

Two words: Level Floors


LOL, that's very true. DH is very bothered by the random slopes of our second story. He asked how much I thought it would be to rip down to the subfloor and level them. I don't even want to think about it!

[BooeyJ2]

Our current home was new construction and it worked out wonderfully for us. We got to pick flooring, cabinets, countertops, den vs bedroom, ect.

We are currently looking into buying a new home (either used or new) because we would like a little more room, but it seems as though most of the existing homes cost more than brand new homes.....and 90% of the exisiting homes don't have the countertops, cabinet colors, flooring, appliances we prefer.....and it would be a pain in the a** to re-do them all.....especially in a house that isn't cheap to begin with.


So yeah....now we're looking into new construction in different areas. San Diego housing prices are crazy.

[elladee]

I don't own a home yet, but once we do we will buy an existing home. In fact we will probably buy a home that is at least 50 years old. For us, these are the reasons (and these all apply to OLD homes, so not necessarily all existing homes):


Older homes have more character in terms of architectural details and such
We don't want to live in the suburbs and that limits us to existing homes in an urban area
I believe older homes were built better (for example, most of the new home exteriors in this area are built with some kind of manufactured wood base and a brick facade whereas the older homes are solid brick)
We don't want a huge house and most existing homes in our area are in the 1200 - 1500 sf range (we think that is a really good size)
We don't like sprawl and new homes contribute to that


The downsides would be more repairs, not insulated as well, no input on the floor plan, smaller yard, etc. But for us the pros outweigh the cons.

What she said. Except we'll probably end up in an old farm house on ~10 acres because DH needs his space.

FWIW, my first apartment had sloped floors and crooked walls and I loved it.

[HeatherFL]

I've built two homes and my SO and I will be building a larger one together. It all depends. If you go into a more "cookie cutter" neighborhood with a builder you have to use you won't necessarily get the more customized service a lot of people like about building. That is what a lot of people refer to as the "urban crawl or sprawl". But that is not always the case. Building does not necessarily have to equate to 300 houses all squashed into a small area of land with a zero lot line. As far as the homes being better built, a house can be as well built or as poorly built as you want it to be depending on your choices. The major factor is what you put into it and whether or not you're building on your own lot, using your own builder and how much you keep an eye on things. The law is the law and things do have to be up to code. BUT you want to make sure you're not ending up with people who will cut corners.

With building, I like that I can customize my home. From start to finish it is what I want and I don't have to compromise. And it can have as much character or as little character as I want. And it's MY character. :) No one else's. I don't have to pull up carpet to put down wood flooring b/c that's what the previous owners had. I don't have to paint over the hideous paint. I don't have to remodel.

I also like the idea of creating something myself. The elevation/the paint colors/the flow of the house. I think a lot of times people don't think of building as a start to finish process. They think of building as going into a sales center and choosing one of ten floor plans and one of five elevations. That's not always the case. We'll be designing our place from the landscaping to the layout. We have to find a builder. We had to find the lot. The financing aspect of what we're doing is different than a planned community. So that is a factor to consider too. There are a few different options as far as what the builder spends. There are pros and cons to all, but we have our opinion on what's best. In the end, there are limits. But for me there is no comparison to the obvious limits with a pre-existing home.

My SO lives in a large, beautiful home that was pre-existing (well, I live here too LOL..I just moved in, so I am getting used to say "we live in"). He put A LOT of work and A LOT of money into it. But it's great. I love it here. We just (especially him) want to live on the beach. And while I love this house, I'd rather put money and work into something before I move into it.

I also love the building process for the most part. It definitely has its frustrations. Waiting on permits. Making sure the builders used block for your second floor instead of framing. Placing your can lighting in the right places...Change orders...It can get frustrating. BUT it is so exciting when you drive out to your lot two weeks in a row and NOTHING is going on. Then you drive out the next time and they've poured your slab. You see this progression of something you're creating. I love it.

I also like the idea of it being "mine". No one else has lived there. I know it's silly, but it's so nice to start a life in a home that has only been OURS (SO's and mine).

Like I wrote, there are downsides to it. And it can take long. Living in Florida I know this for sure. Especially in planned communities. The last house I built was almost four months behind because of the hurricanes we had last year. There were cement shortages (that can happen anywhere, though) and when it's rainy season things slow down.

Either way, I think a home is what you make of it. And it just depends on what you want. Building or buying a pre-existing home can be expensive. But if you see a plan you love and find a lot you like in an area you'd want to live that's awesome. But I know the feeling of walking into a house that's 20 years old and loving it too. :)

I just think it's a personal choice and when you find the place or the building plans you love, you'll just know. :)

H.

[BooeyJ2]

Oh and also....

If we lived somewhere like Florida, Michigan, Ohio, ect, ect....sure, we would love to buy an older home with tons of land......BUT the reality is that we live in CA.....where an apartment or condo is the same price as a 3,000+ st ft house in most of those states :( Anything older in CA is usually still more $$ than anything new....and you have to remember that it costs A LOT of money to re-do a house. It's not really realistic to end up paying WAY more to fix up an old house rather than buy a new one here in CA.

[elladee]

I don't have to pull up carpet to put down wood flooring b/c that's what the previous owners had. I don't have to paint over the hideous paint. I don't have to remodel.


I guess this is part of the appeal of older homes to me. Taking something hideous and making it beautiful.

[HeatherFL]

I can completely understand. I think for me, it's easier to visualize something and build it from nothing than to go in and see something already there that I don't like and then tear it down and build it back up with limitations b/c of floor plans. I really admire those who can do that! (LOL thus my addiction to HGTV.) ;)

~H.

[sbgirl]

I prefer older homes as they have character and mature landscaping. I wouldn't be able to stand being in a cookie cutter home and especially in CA, where you can probably hear your neighbor use the toilet while you're in the kitchen.

You'll have to consider the cost of getting all the window treatments and landscaping if those aren't provided into the cost of a new house.

I know that there wasn't any house that I wouldn't start pulling apart to add my touches, new or not. This way I don't have to worry about voiding a builder's warranty because I touched the tile.

[MarriedaGoalie]

We bought a brand new home. While we didn't get to customize it very much because most was preselected, I definitely prefer a new home right now. We saved on closing costs because we didn't need a realtor and used a bank they selected, so they covered our closing costs.

[amew]

We bought a 60 year old home because:
*we like old houses and the character and charm they provide
*we wanted to live very close to downtown (and my job) and the close-in neighborhoods are largely old houses
*we like old, established neighborhoods with mature trees

We love our old house. It is smaller than many new houses, it lacks certain things most new houses would have (like a laundry room--we have stackables in a closet--and a two-car garage), there are places where our floor boards are a little worn, we have cabinets and drawers that stick, our windows have been painted shut for a zillion years, etc. But we don't really mind any of that too much. It has beautiful original hardwoods the likes of which you just can't get anymore, we have a gigantic pecan tree in our front hard that would be great for future kids to climb, and we have great built-ins and mouldings. It just feels warm and lived in. The trees lining the streets are so big that they practically form a canopy to walk or drive through.

A new house would likely have caused us much less (or, alternatively, we could have bought a much bigger house for our money), but I think that has to do more with the close-in location of old homes vs. the more suburban location of new homes rather than an old vs. new thing per se. Some old houses in my neighborhood are being knocked down and rebuilt, and those new houses go for more than the old houses in the neighborhood.

[eponymous]

We actually did the perfect compromise this time around, we bought a 6 year old house, so it still feels on the new side, but any quirks or flaws have already been worked out.

This was our reasoning as well, plus timing: we were able to move in six weeks after seeing it for the first time, which isn't possible with new construction. We knew exactly what we were getting. It was clear that the floors were even and the walls met at 90 degree angles (unlike some other houses we saw...). Nothing leaked, nothing was wrong, etc. In addition, because it's new, it has maintaince advantages as well as all of the amenities of new construction. In addition, I think that it was less stressful buying a house without having to make the decisions. We might not have chosen to pay an additional $2,000 for X feature, knowing that $2,000 compounded at 5% for 30 years was a rediculous amount of money, but we were willing to pay X amount for a house that included feature X. We're the sort of people who would have been frozen by optional choices with a la carte pricing. Plus, what we paid for the house was the full cost; with an older house, you have to factor in the costs for repairs and remodels into how much you're willing to pay.

Our house has plenty of character (starting with the two of us - we're quite the characters), but none of the drafty windows, antiquated heating systems, etc. of older houses.

One more thought: new houses take less time to maintain and keep up than older houses, and time seems like it will be at an absolute premium for you.

[amorey]

Your choice might depend on your area, too. There’s no way we could afford new construction with reasonable commutes, so we didn’t have a lot of choice but to buy an older home. Our next house will be older too, but hopefully bigger and in a better area.

I do love my 1926 craftsman bungalow. There’s no way we could afford to build a house like ours this kind of woodwork and maple floors. But we did have to put a fair amount of work in, and this house is really freakin’ drafty!

If our situation were different and we could afford to build a new home in a good location, we might do it, especially if it were a situation where we would have a lot of input in the layout and design of the home. But often that’s the most expensive way to go, and around here you pay a premium for new even when you’re just picking out floor plan 1, 2 or 3 with cabinets A, B or C.

[MarriedaGoalie]

I will post more now that I am out of class and can type without having to hide it from the instructor.

The only downfall about buying the new house is the fact that it doesn't have a whole lot of character. It wasn't exactly our dream house, but like I said, it was more practical as far as money down goes. Dang it for me having to be practical these days. :D

[vjel]

I pretty much agree w/ most of what has been posted. We have bought 2 new construction homes in the last 4 years. For us, we prefer new construction b/c we like that no one else has lived in the home, we liked being able to pick things out for the house (cabinets, countertops, floors, etc.) we LOVED watching both homes being built start to finish, we are not fixer uppers though we love home improvement projects. If we weren't able to afford a new construction we would've at least bought something less than 10 years old b/c of the maintenance issues and newer homes tend to have more open floor plans which we like.

But as others have said, new houses can sometimes be very cookie cutter. I think some builders do a better job of not being cookie cutter by not allowing the same house to be built next to each other. In our community, you can have 2 of the same houses next to each other but the facades have to be different. New construction takes months, there could be delays. Existing home you don't have to worry about that.

[suzubeane]

If our situation were different and we could afford to build a new home in a good location, we might do it, especially if it were a situation where we would have a lot of input in the layout and design of the home. But often that’s the most expensive way to go ... Heh - that's ALWAYS the most expensive way to go, which is one major reason I switched to an interior design firm from architecture!

The only way to insure you get exactly what you want is to have a very detailed set of plans and give them to a builder to bid. If there are changes, then you pay for changes. But that way you don't have a builder dictating any of the materials, or any other choices.

But truthfully, this is not what most people mean when they say "new construction" any more. Building a home with an architect has become something that only the very wealthy can afford, and most people who are "building" have actually chosen a home that that builder would have been building anyway, either on that lot or on another one.

But as I said earlier, it's all relative. For some people, having control over the plan, elevation and finish materials is just right; for others, not enough.

Me? I want to live in the city, so it's a good thing I prefer older homes. I moved from one 80 year old home to another, and immediately started to rip this one apart! Which brings up another point: building new is easier than remodeling!

[2kCougar]

We tried to find a house that was less than 15 years old. That didn't happen. Most of the time, the layouts were all wrong, the kitchens had to be gutted, and they just weren't up to my standard of cleaning. The only bonus was that some of them had pools; something that we can't afford right now. I also wanted the back of my house (specifically the kitchen) to have a southern exposure. The exposure was almost impossible to find. Also, I hate the look of worn furnishings. we like hardwood, and a lot of the older homes had "paths" etched into the floors. Some people call this character, I look at it and see lack of care.

When we built we worked with a builder and his architect for about 3 months on designing the layout. We basically took one of the builders plans and changed things around to suit our needs. For example, we have the duet washer/dryer. The laundry room had to be altered to fit them. We made the kitchen 150% larger. Windows were rearranged to fit our furniture. Also, we were able to opt for a walk-out basement. We also worked with the electrician to get a larger box and wiring for our future needs. We also added extra insulation in the wall and roof, insulated the garage, and added an attic fan to help heating and cooling costs.

Everything that I picked out for the house is something that I love. Our builder didn't have anything that was standard. They gave us allowances to spend at each store, or we could take the credit and buy them where we wanted to.

[Sophia]

I wouldn't do new construction here (deep south Texas) unless I were very wealthy and could buy my own land, hire an architect, and have complete control over the entire process. The new development housing around here is very cookie cutter and is set on teeny tiny lots, and costs way too much, IMO, for what you're getting.

Our current house was built in 1989 and has a reasonable lot size along with a layout I prefer to the new open floorplans that are in almost all of the newer developments (I can't stand being able to see from the kitchen to the den/living room/great room). The formal living & dining areas are set off from the kitchen/nook and the den, and there are little "pillars" and soffits to deliniate between them, which I really like. We also paid at least $100,000 less than we would have for a similar looking house on a smaller lot in a new development. We paid half what one of my cousins paid for a teeny lot near a major shopping center, and her floor plan is really icky (aside from being open, it's just weird because it's set up like a curved X as far as all the bedrooms). Obviously, I think we got the much better deal. When her mom heard what we paid for ours, her eyes bugged out because she thought we'd paid much more. And we're no more than a mile from my cousin.

My previous home was built in 1979 and was smaller, but had a bigger lot. I bought it when I was a single mom with two kids, and the small size worked for the three of us. After I got married, DH & I decided a larger house would be in order.

[wendalah]

Our dream is to build from the ground up (fat chance in L.A.)--my husband is a midcentury modern freak and has all these original plans and drafts for a future architect to work with. Again, though, this is a pipe dream. It's exceedingly difficult to get a good lot in Los Angeles, and the custom construction would be an arm and a leg.

I have always liked brand-spanking new, what some would call characterless houses. That's what I grew up in. We always had a brand-new house when we moved (and we moved a few times when I was growing up). I HATE hardwood, I hate all the trendy things people like nowadays--give me carpet and white walls. I live in an older rental house now and it's just totally not my thing. My husband is appalled by me :)

[DallasLady]

DH and I had this debate last summer. We had a contract on a new house but backed out before construction began. I really liked how everything would have been new and clean and working, no repairs were needed. But we ended up buying a resale primarily because of location. We would have had to move too far from our jobs to get a new construction that we could afford. That, and we both really wanted a street that's lined with mature trees. We ended up buying a bigger house for less money and with gas prices what they are, I am SOOO glad we didn't move way into the middle of nowhere like we were planning to.

But if money and distance were no object, I would have gone with new. Though I do agree with Sophia on the open floorplans of new constructions. Some are just too open, and I don't want to see into the kitchen from every room in the house. Then again, sometimes I think mine is too closed off. I guess there is no pleasing me :D

[Hangin'in]

I have always loved the *charm* of older construction. Most of the apartments I have lived in were in old homes in the historic areas. DH and I started looking at homes downtown because we wanted to stay downtown, but the homes that had been remodeled were well out of our price range. The homes that needed work were not going to work in our situation because I have terrible allergies, and there is no way I would be able to live in a house with major remodeling going on.

So, DH and I started looking at newer construction... built in the last 10 years. Every house we looked at would have needed serious cosmetic updates. Some we could not wait on, such as replacing carpet with hard surface flooring that can be cleaned well. We started pricing flooring and paints (I know paint is cheap), but the flooring was going to cost an average of 10K. When you add 10K on to the price of homes we were looking at, we could build for that price, and not have to deal with all of the cosmetic changes...

So, DH and I are currently building. It is a planned neighborhood, with the oldest homes being ~5 years old. We are building in the 3rd phase. We are lucky in that we found a floor plan we loved, and only made minor changes to it. Alot of things other builders consider upgrades are standard with our builder. We did our homework on our builder, talked to his contractors, people living in his homes... and he builds a good quality home that is very energy efficient. This probably will not be our forever home, we are already talking about building our next home. But this has been a great learning experience for us, and when we move in, we won't have to change a thing (for a while!).

[bunnybeth]

My parents have built 2 houses now. The first one was with a builder they picked out on a lot they had purchased. The second was with a builder/developer where they purchased the lot and house construction together. The houses did take some time, but at both points my parents were in a situation where the time was not an issue. I completely love the idea of building a house and the customization, but DH has basically forbidden me from a from-the-ground-up-construction new house at any point. He is against all the time and effort of the building.

But, whether you go new or existing, do not ever ever ever buy from Cambridge builders. I don't know if they are outside our area at all, and what area you'll be looking at, but if they're around, avoid them like the plague. :mad:

[Ohana]

Given what new construction looks like (cookie cutter), what it's built on (postage stamp sized lots with drainage problems) and its cost, we chose to purchase a house built in 1978. Sure, it's full of quirks from the 70's (puce vinyl, anyone?), but we felt it was built much more soundly, and we love that it is far off the street with a huge yard.

I would love to have a house with a large master suite and a nicely laid out kitchen, like the new construction we saw has, but I love the location of our house so much that I'm willing to live with a tiny bedroom and somewhat crappy kitchen.

[Dotsie]

Taxes are a big thing around here. If you get a house new or within 5 years of being built, your taxes are sky high. Upwards of $12,000 a year. If you get a house older than that you will save at least $5-7,000 a year on taxes.

[ManteoChik]

I'm a new house kind of girl. I like the fact that you can make the choices, you decide what your house is going to look like. I also like the fact that no one has lived in it. I can't walk into a house and it not feel clean. Older homes just really don't appeal to me because you have to change EVERYTHING (at least in my opinion). I like granite countertops, stainless steele appliances, hardwood floors, dark cabinets, ect....

We *almost* bought a house that was already built. It was two years old and built by a builder for himeself and his family to live in. The only reason we would have bought it was because they were giving us a great deal (they are family friends) and we knew it was a good solid construction with lots of upgrades b/c of the fact that he was a builder. In the end we didn't do it because although it was a great house and only 2 years old, the outside wasn't the style we always thought our home would be. We are more into two-story traditional homes with dormers and a huge wrap around portch and garage, ect...

I'm glad we waited and I think we'll buy a lot and build. What's nice is that in our area (OBX, NC) there really aren't cookie cutter neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods but you buy your lot and pick your own builder so you can do whatever you want as long as they are within the convanences of the neighborhood.

[Wrighty26]

When we lived in Tallahassee we bought a house and fixed it up. It was fun, but a lot of work and we spent a lot of money doing it. It wasn't that old, but there was a lot of superficial damage done by renters (though, we definitely got the house for a great price!).

When we moved to Orlando-- we immediately decided to do new construction. The prices here are insane- it's actually LESS money to build, then it is to by a resale. Yes, we have had to wait-- by the time we close it will probably be close to a year from when we started researching neighborhoods, but we will also be starting off with @ $50k in equity.

We are still going to have to paint, redo the kitchen countertops, and worry about window treatments-- but I won't have to replace the flooring, worry about the toilet coming up, redo the landscaping, AND Dan won't have to hear me bitch about how much I hate the kitchen cabinets :D That's good enough for me!

[rileyandfredsmom]

I've lived in older homes all my life and my husband and I just moved into a brand new home.

One of the things people always say about older homes is that they have 'character'. Personally, I have found this to mean the home is worn out, needs lots of work and has a funny smell. Sorry, that has just been my experience.

The builder we went with does wonderful work, and while there are several homes in our community that look like ours, it is the customizing we are doing on the inside that makes it stand apart. Our builder includes arched entrances, large windows and ledges, beautiful baseboards standard. Most people I know that live in older homes always say that part of the character of an older home is things like arched doorways, large windows.

I think that if you want to build new and not go through the headache of constantly going to Home Depot and Lowes looking for ideas on your next project, find a builder with features that you like. They are out there. We built with D.R. Horton and are nothing but happy with the results.

[cheeky chica]

DH and I will be moving from northern CA to near Pontiac MI next summer and we've noticed in our on-line searches that a lot of the new construction communities lack fencing. This is something that is really important to us, for privacy and to keep our doggies safe. So even though we'd like to buy new, for the percieved ease/security of buying months ahead and having it ready (I know - yeah right) when we get there, we will probably have to go with an older home.

[ellybelle]

Here in No. Ca., you can get an older house on more land (or near a downtown area) or a newer house on less.

New homes are nice, but the value around here is in the land. You can remodel or demo and rebuild if need be. We plan to add on to our 50 year old house (which has already been upgraded and added on to). We also have a daughter, and it's important for us that she have room to play in the back.

[Heidi9771]

I've lived in older and brand new...here are my own thoughts..

older...pros: has landscaping/ cons: LOTS of work/money to renovate and maintain
new: pros: everything is in your choice (cabinets, wall color, floors) and clean and brand new!/ pros: start from scratch in your landscaping

[craftgenius]

Although the older homes do usually have larger lots, often larger bedrooms, and mature landscaping, I prefer new homes. We bought our home when it had just been built. We didn't get to pick out any of the colors or ammenities since it was already completed when we found it, but we LOVE it! It is 1865 sq. feet living area, has 11-foot ceilings in the family room and foyer, 10 and 9 foot ceilings in other parts of the house, crown molding thoughout, jetted tub in the master bath, his and hers vanities in the master bath, 14-foot vaulted ceiling in the master bath, his and hers walk-in closets in the master suite, custom cypress cabinets in the kitchen and a custom cypress front door. It is VERY energy efficient and the neighborhood is nice and quite. After living in this new home, I could NEVER live in a previously owned home! I love the fact that we are the first people to live in our home. DH and I are planning on building a larger home sometime in the next 3 - 4 years.