New Construction or Existing Resale

Searching for your next home? Your head must be spinning! There are so many factors involved when making a choice this big. How do you weigh budget vs. location? What's the balance between bedroom/bath counts and interior/exterior finishes?

When tallying what you're looking for in a home, one important consideration is whether you want to invest in new construction or in a re-sale home. According to Zillow's Consumer Housing Trends Report, 11 percent of homebuyers choose to purchase something brand new over moving into a previously lived-in home.

With 9 years in the U.S. home-building market, MainVue Homes understands how important this choice is for you.

Ultimately, it comes down to which benefits matter most to you. As you assess "wants vs. needs" in your next home, consider these important factors:

Thinking about working with a trusted builder to craft your home from the ground up - instead of buying a move-in-ready re-sale home? New construction choices will likely give you several structural options that can be personalized to fit your needs. MainVue Homes, for example, will offer spaces - like dens and multipurpose rooms - that can be modified into an additional bedroom or home theater.

Also important: not all existing re-sale homes offer modern layouts - but most new construction homes are designed with smart-and-savvy plans in mind. This allows parents in a hub-like kitchen to keep an eye (or ears) on kids who are in main-level common areas. Open plans also appeal to party hosts who keep entertainment humming from the kitchen while staying connected to guests throughout open-flow spaces. Another layout advantage to most new construction homes: they showcase rooms that tend to be larger and bathed in natural light.

Newly built homes almost always require less maintenance because everything - from appliances, central air and heating, and roofs - is cutting edge. This means homebuyers can better predict monthly homeownership costs while saving on the kinds of big replacement and remodeling projects associated with re-sale homes.

The latest in smart technology means today's appliances and home operating systems are naturally more energy efficient. From top to bottom, new home construction from competitive builders showcases attractive energy saving features. The perks? Not only is this great for the environment, but it also decreases monthly homeowner expenses by lowering electricity bills.

If you buy a resale home, keep in mind: you're at the mercy of the seller and an inspector to disclose anything wrong with your purchase. On the flip side, new home builders with solid reputations, like MainVue Homes, offer warranties. Protect your investment. It's important to look for assurances on the home's structural integrity, and for original distributor warranties on appliances and home operating systems.

City planning has evolved over the years. The result? When builders add new housing to most areas, local governments now require that they also provide attractive outdoor and open space amenities for the homebuyers. That means most new communities offer parks, trails and common areas that appeal to families and promote neighborhood connections.

Maybe the most exciting (and underrated) part of moving to a just-completed development: meeting other new kids on the block. Opening the front door to your freshly-finished home gives you the rare opportunity to greet neighbors who are equally eager to meet new people, make new friends and settle into a new community. There aren't any established social circles to navigate. Discover all the first-time things about your neighborhood at the same time as everyone else.

When it comes to comparing the value of construction found in debut homes to buying an existing re-sale home, making a smart "big picture" choice today will pay off in the future.

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