As recently as 2020, nearly nine in ten home buyers in the U.S. reported that they bought existing property rather than built a new home during their last real estate purchase. But your choice of building a new home or opting for a house that’s already well constructed will depend on a variety of factors, not least of which is your financial situation and the goals you hope to achieve with your new property.
These factors can be especially important to pinpoint if you’re operating in the world of luxury real estate or homes for sale in Winter Garden, FL. That’s why we’ve collected the top seven things to keep in mind if you’re on the fence about whether you want to construct a new home or buy existing property. Read on for more!
Energy efficiency
If living green is one of your top priorities and you plan to employ the use of a lot of smart appliances, it can be a good idea to consider building a new home. Of course, it’s relatively straightforward to install a suite of smart products in an existing home. However, it’s all the more easier if you have control over the floor plan, electrical systems, and overall layout of your home from day one. A new home also allows you more flexibility to choose responsibly sourced building materials, insulation, and windows than homes with previously built foundations and walls.
A personalized touch
Another benefit that comes from a newly constructed home is all the ways you can build the home to suit you and your family’s unique needs. Perhaps you need more accessibility options to reach upper floors or you put a high value on using world class building materials or flooring. A new home gives you much more room to pick and choose the special elements of the house that make it yours.
If you’ve always dreamed of owning a house with a spiral staircase, olympic swimming pool, or hand-made wainscotting, it’s considerably easier to check off those boxes if you start construction from scratch. Since a lot of luxury homes for sale in Winter Garden, FL were built decades ago, it can be difficult to renovate those historical houses to match your personalized needs.
Unique floor plans
Custom-built homes also give you the flexibility to work hand in hand with an architect and contractor to draft a truly one of a kind floor plan. Newly constructed homes generally tend to have larger rooms that allow in more natural light than homes built thirty years ago or more. If you value your independence when it comes to interior design, there’s no better way to ensure you’re in control of the size of your kitchen island, attic home office, spa, or walk-in closet than starting with a fresh construction.
Commute time and location
Speaking generally, new construction homes are built outside of high traffic areas in cities or suburban zones. Where there’s more space to expand and build new homes, that’s where you’re more likely to find the land to construct your own custom house. Of course, this isn’t always the case and you can always find some contractors building fresh real estate closer to the city center.
However, if you hope to live near the lively commercial and cultural heart of urban areas, you’ll probably have to opt for existing homes and condos. This means that you could expect longer commute times to downtown districts and your place of employment if you build a custom home outside those areas and it could take longer to visit museums, shopping centers, hospitals, and major thoroughfares.
Time to move in
If you’re in a time crunch and you and your family are looking for a move-in ready home, it’s clear that an existing property is the way to go. You’re less likely to encounter surprises or delays to your move in schedule with pre-built homes. Plus, the neighborhood that surrounds the house is already going to be well established and your real estate agent will have a much more comprehensive idea of what you can expect moving in.
Architecture and history
Another plus side to buying existing Winter Garden homes for sale is that you’ll have access to all the spectacular historical details that come with luxury real estate built in the past. It’s undeniable: there’s always something special about entering a luxury home with a storied past.
Certainly you can go through the trouble of building these architectural elements in your own custom home. But the effort is considerably more taxing. Owning an existing property means you also own all the history that makes a Winter Garden home unique.
Potential for major home repairs
You’re going to have to deal with home repairs and upgrades regardless of whether you build a new home or purchase property that’s already established. But older homes do come with an added chance that aging appliances, plumbing, or electrical systems will need special attention when you move in. At the same time, a newly constructed home will also come with its fair share of issues that require immediate repair.
If you invest in high quality equipment and appliances in your new home you may never need to make repairs until ten or fifteen years at least. The choice often comes down to timing. Ask yourself: do you have the time to make repairs as soon as they show up, or would you prefer to have more time to make upgrades and repairs at your own pace?
Reach out to a local real estate agent today
If you have any questions about Winter Garden homes for sale, get in touch today! Contact Ebony Jones for more information.
