When searching for a new home, it can be hard deciding whether you should build or buy existing.
We’ve created a short list of ways to determine if you’re ready to go through the building process or if you’d prefer buying existing.
When You Should Build
You Have A Flexible Timeframe For Moving
From waiting for kids to move out of the house to waiting for retirement, building a home can be great when reevaluating your lifestyle. Going through the home design process can take anywhere from weeks to months and is ideal for those who are planning on moving anywhere from 8 to 12 months from starting the home design process.
You’re Comfortable With Making Decisions
As many know, building is not for the faint of heart. Throughout the process, you will be required to make dozens of selections.
You Know What You Want In Your Floor Plan
Deciding how the flow of your home goes is extremely important. When designing a home, you want to be sure that you know what’s most important to you, even creating a list of non-negotiable items.
When You Should Buy
You Have A Short Timeframe For Moving
When relocating or changing jobs, sometimes there’s not much time available to find a new home. Buying an existing home can make the process much shorter, from an 8 month+ to build to 45 days to buy existing.
You’re Not Sure On The Type Of House You Want
From two-story to ranch, walkout to daylight basements, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to your next home. If you’re uncertain about what type of home you’re looking for, buying existing can be easier way to decide.
You’re Not Sure Whether You’ll Be In The Area For The Next Few Years
Building a home can be a large, physical way to put down roots. If your job requires you to travel a lot or has you moving around the country frequently, it may be best to buy existing rather than taking the time to customize an entire home that you may not stay in long term.
Find Yourself Somewhere in the Middle?
An easy way to bridge the gap between building and buying existing is to buy a ‘spec’ home. Spec homes are owned by the builder until completion or until a homeowner decides to purchase it. Spec homes allow homeowners to customize the home to their taste while oftentimes not changing the actual footprint or layout of the home, depending on the time of purchase. These homes usually will have neutral color palettes and neutral flooring or cabinet selections so that homeowners can see their potential.
At Old Town Design Group, we always strive to create unique homes for our clients, even in our spec homes. To see an active listing of spec homes, click the button below.