My husband and I have purchased three houses together, and with each purchase, we swore that the next one would be a newly built house. With our first house, we had SO many problems shortly after we moved in, due to the previous owner hiring a “handyman” who really had no idea what he was doing. We had to make so many major repairs and it was a nightmare. Moving into your newly purchased home is supposed to be fun and exciting – not stressful! We also did our fair share of remodeling to make the home more “us”.
When it was time to move, (our son starting high school and us wanting to relocate to an area with better schools), we were rushed as our home sold the day we put it on the market. The area we wanted to move to had no brand new homes, or land to have a home built. Since we had to find something quickly, we bought an existing home, that was built in 1979. Luckily we didn’t have as many problems the second time around (we still own this home), although after us being there for 9 years, it is in desperate need of some remodeling. Oh, and I have to mention that one thing I hate about this house is the lack of storage! It makes my life so difficult sometimes. We have absolutely no room to build on (which is okay, since the average to add on a room is over $83,00!).
The third house we bought was our retirement home. This house is in a gated community, on a lake. It is paradise! It is much, much newer than our previous homes and what a difference it makes! For now we spend half our time at the new home and half at our other home. We will be there permanently at the end of next year. We have owned it for a little over a year now, but we are rethinking our long term plans, and we are considering moving to Oregon and either buying a brand new home or having a home custom built for us (more than likely, the latter). The good thing about our retirement home is that it has EVERYTHING we are looking for in a home, so when we do build a house we know what features we must have.
Why do we want a brand new home, you might ask? Oh, there are so many reasons!
At the top of my list of reasons to buy a new home: The odds are much less likely that major things are going to go wrong right away, since everything is new. New homes are also much more energy efficient, they are built for today’s busy lifestyles, and when you have a home built, you can oversee the construction to make things are done as they are supposed to be done (I love this!). There are quite a few perks for buying new too, for example you can qualify for a larger loan if you buy a home with “green” features. One thing I would definitely do with a new home is have solar panels installed. This will save us a heap of money on our energy bills!
If you are considering buying a new home, or having a home built, you have to check out the BHI Start Fresh Buy New website! It is full of helpful information for those who are buying a new home. One of the things I like most about this site is the “inspiration” section. Building a new home can be just a bit overwhelming. This section lets you browse several ideas, which you just might choose to implement in your new home, or it might even help your imagine run wild! There is a cost savings calendar too, which is super helpful.
I have a vision of exactly what I want my home to be like. When you walk in, it will look like a mountain lodge, with high wood beams and a large fireplace. It will be open and airy…and just dreamy. Our master suite will be enormous with two gigantic walk-in closets. For outdoor entertaining, I think a built-in kitchen on the patio is a must, as well as a hot tub. Also on our list is an indoor pool, just like we have at our retirement home. We will also have Wifi galore 🙂 *Swoon* – I can’t wait.
While you are on the BHI Start Fresh Buy New website, make sure you enter the BHI Start Fresh Buy New Contest! When you enter, you will be eligible to win a $25 gift card or the grand prize of $10,000!
Have you ever bought a brand new home, or have you had a home built? I would love to hear your thoughts!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
2 Responses
Our current and it will be our last home is one that was built to our specifications and I just love it.
Lucky you!! I am really excited to build a home one day. How long did it take from start to completion?