Once you’ve made the decision to own your first home or move to a new home, you still have another decision to make: whether to buy an existing home or custom build a new one. There are advantages and disadvantages to buying a home for sale, but in some cases it just makes more sense to have a home built.
Advantages of Homes for Sale
When considering homes for sale, Fredericksburg buyers need to have a certain amount of flexibility. In fact, it’s best if they are still in the process of deciding what their “dream home” will be, since it is unlikely that they will find one that perfectly matches whatever they’re picturing in their head. There are dozens of homes for sale at any given time in any given neighborhood, so there is a lot of opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t.
Unlike new construction, these homes are in established neighborhoods that have a sort of personality of their own, so you can scout around and see what your neighbors would be like. An existing home has also likely been around long enough that the “Quirks” it has are well known, whether it’s a flooding basement, a drafty attic, or a problem with roots getting into the sewer pipes.
Disadvantages of Homes for Sale
Existing homes may be as new as a few years old, or as old as a century. Obviously, the older the home, the more problems are likely to exist, from structural problems to roof leaks to ancient heating systems that need replacement. Every home is a “Fixer-upper”, it’s just a question of to what degree.
This problem can be exacerbated by previous owners who may have done quick or non-traditional fixes to major problems, often making true repairs even more difficult. Another disadvantage of existing homes is that they were built to someone else’s specifications, not yours. Chances are you will not find an existing home that has precisely everything you want in it.
About Custom Built Homes
Having a home custom-built can be a good solution if you’re not comfortable with buying an existing home. Whether you are having a home built as part of a community of new homes or having one built in an existing neighborhood, you will have a certain amount of control over the process.
Depending on the situation, you might give the builder a list of things to include and they’ll put it into an existing template, or you might actually be in on the creation of the blueprints. In any case, a custom home provides greater opportunity to make sure that your home has exactly what you want in it. As an added bonus, new homes often come with a warranty, so at least you know you won’t have to incur major repair expenses for a while.
