Let’s get right to the point. Why should you buy a new home? Well, there are many advantages to purchasing a brand new home. For example, new construction homes have the latest and greatest materials, appliances, and wiring. For example, they’ll have the hookups over the fireplace for the TV already installed, they’ll have wiring already setup for special electronic systems within the home, and so many other things as well.

New houses come already equipped with the latest smoke detectors on every floor of the house, as well as back-up batteries in case the power goes out (very important regarding safety). There are no space heaters, because the new house will have extremely efficient central heating and AC systems; the insulation will be new, meaning it won’t need to be replaced any time soon.

Also, the electrical systems in new construction houses are sized correctly in order to meet the demands of the homes today. Wiring systems are far, far less likely to start a major fire. Also, any shower or bath closures will be tempered glass. This is important, because if the glass shatters in a non-tempered glass shower or tub, you can be seriously injured and cut. Tempered glass doors shatter rather than break into shards. See: How to Buy in New Construction – HGTV.

Also, the building industry has begun making homes safer in regards to health. Asbestos will not be present in any cement boards, roofing materials, insulation, or ceiling tiles. Lead, which was once used in all older homes, is no longer available today. This means you won’t be dealing with having to get rid of lead based paint all throughout the home. Lead is a major poison and can pose direct danger to you and your family if you are living in a home with it. Warning2

Also, particle boards and plywood boards no longer contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde was once used on finishes on cabinets and floorboards. Builders now use special systems that get rid of those dangerous emissions. They also use systems that control radon gas. Older homes typically have nothing there to collect the gas. Basically, the techniques in regards to building a house are much better now in terms of safety, than they were back in the time that the older homes were built. Also, new homes consume almost 1/2 of energy when it comes to heating and cooling. Older homes will drain you in this regard. boxwood-clippings-arch-window-dining-room

New homes also require far less maintenance than older houses. New homes can have certain materials installed to make it to where something will never need to be maintained (such as siding and trims). Wooden decks are now made of treated lumber that makes it impossible for the wood to rot, or for bugs to infiltrate it and cause problems.

Basically, its going to depend on how much money you’re willing to spend. If you know that an older home is going to cost you a lot of money, and you want to do it, go ahead. If you don’t want to deal with maintenance, or making any repairs, you’re better off buying new over old. Read: The Pros and Cons of Buying a Newly Built Home – Forbes.

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Should You Buy New Or Old? The Pros and Cons to Buying a New Construction House vs. An Older House

3 thoughts on “Should You Buy New Or Old? The Pros and Cons to Buying a New Construction House vs. An Older House

  • One of more important things to watch out for are the electrical systems.

    – See whether there are three-pronged or two-pronged plugs throughout
    – Look for those little reset buttons on the electrical outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and garages, which minimize shock hazards around water
    – Watch for fuses vs. breakers (a fuse system is an older, almost obsolete method of electricity management and may indicate that an electrical upgrade will be needed in the home’s near-term future)
    – Scorch marks on and near outlets (not good).

  • In my opinion that a property foreclosure can have a major effect on the applicant’s life. Real estate foreclosures can have a Six to a decade negative effects on a debtor’s credit report. A borrower who may have applied for a home loan or any loans even, knows that your worse credit rating is, the more challenging it is for any decent loan. In addition, it could possibly affect a new borrower’s chance to find a decent place to lease or rent, if that will become the alternative real estate solution. Interesting blog post.

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