The day is finally here. You’ve worked hard for your family, cutting back where you can, scrimping and saving to hold on to the nest egg dedicated to buying a home. After a year or two of searching online for the perfect house, and spending Saturday afternoons wandering through open houses that leave you feeling FOMO and frustrated at the same time, you’re ready.
While you may not know exactly what to expect, after countless hours spent digesting real estate trends, testimonials, and tips, it’s time to explore your choices.
Maybe you’ve had conversations with the kids over spaghetti or chocolate sundaes, imagining what will be. Homeownership has been a focal point in your household—and your new home wish list on the refrigerator door is a clue to your family’s excitement.
Before you decide how many bedrooms and bathrooms you’ll need or if a great room concept is better than separate living and dining rooms, think about whether a new build or resale home is what you’re after. Thinking through the differences between the two will help you set realistic expectations, no matter which direction you go.
Newly constructed homes and resale properties both have merits. However, new builds offer multiple benefits that make them attractive to families. From modern amenities to peace of mind, here are some compelling reasons why a new build can be the preferred choice for first-time buyers and repeat owners.
Own the home you’ve always wanted from day 1
One of the most significant advantages of buying a new build is in the personalization it provides. Buying a resale home can force you to compromise on color palettes, appliances, floorplan, or location, just to make the deal work—whereas purchasing a newly constructed home allows you to tailor the design according to your preferences (that wish list on the fridge).
From selecting the floor plan to choosing fixtures and finishes, you have the freedom to create a living space that truly reflects your style and preferred functional flow. By taking some extra time to think through how a new home can better meet the needs of your growing family and evolving lifestyle, it’s easier to pinpoint what defines your ideal home. For working moms and remote business roles, a home office is essential, and with a Work + Space option from Woodside Homes, buyers can maximize their square footage by using multi-function space solutions.
Energy efficient homes reduce costs and carbon footprints
Sustainability is on the minds and hearts of many families. Buyers can make a positive impact on the planet by purchasing a cleaner and more efficient home. Smart programmable technologies in heating and cooling systems, lighting, and appliances make daily life more ecofriendly and efficient. Sensors can send alerts, notifying of system outages and temperature changes.
By downloading an app, you can turn off lights and lower window blinds to use less energy and save on electric bills. With remote access to security systems, homeowners can ensure door locks are set without having to return home.
Additionally, new homes are often built with superior insulation and construction techniques for better temperature regulation and indoor air quality. New energy efficient homes typically exceed the minimum insulation requirements set by local and state building codes. Newly constructed homes are often built with a “whole-house” strategy that improves interior design, major systems, appliances and their interconnectivity. Terms like Energy Star home and Zero Energy Ready may sound familiar, and are some of the greater efficiencies that a new build offers.
Builders and manufacturers warranties deliver peace of mind
The last thing you want to do is buy a home that needs work. You may have family or friends that purchased a resale home that wound up being a “money pit,” and it took their savings account to fix it.
Although purchasing a resale home usually allows buyers to hire third-party inspectors that check on the overall condition of the property, defects can be missed. Inspection findings can also identify the age of equipment. Although they may be in working order at the time, you know the day for replacement will be sooner rather than later, and expensive.
The beauty of owning a newly built home is that it comes with warranty protection. Builders often provide warranties covering structural components, appliances, and systems, as well as manufacturer warranties that can run even longer, giving homeowners peace of mind and protection against unexpected expenses. This warranty coverage can save first-time buyers time and money, essential during the early years of homeownership.
New construction homes minimize the need for repairs
After you’ve purchased a newly built home, and after the builder and manufacturers’ warranties expire, the benefits of owning a newer home remain. Five years after you first buy a new home, everything in it is still newer than most other resale homes on the market. With yearly maintenance checks, HVAC systems, roofing, plumbing, and electrical parts can last beyond their lifespan, lessening the need for costly repairs or replacement.
Modern construction materials, techniques and building codes are designed for durability, reducing the need for frequent upkeep. Living in a newly built house gives you more time to enjoy your family, the amenities, and the community without constantly worrying about the hassle and expense of breakdowns and repairs.
Steer clear of the “right neighborhood, wrong house” mindset
A home search will take you through new houses and resales. As you go through them, there’s a lot to take in. Many buyers will have their hearts set on a particular neighborhood. From then on, it’s just a matter of time before something pops up—but it doesn’t mean it’s the right home.
How hard can it be to knock down a wall to create an “open concept” floor plan, or tear out bathroom tile and replace it with mini-hexagon-shaped glass tiles?
Moving can be rough on the family. A move that includes a renovation project… well, you can just imagine the stress—and it’s often more than it’s worth. While popular television shows are guilty of glamourizing home renovations, the part where the celebrity remodelers end up with more than they bargained for is spot on.
Neighborhoods designed for active lifestyles and socializing
Newly built homes are often part of planned communities, meant to support a larger commercial plan revitalizing an existing town or city, or adding luster to a new development. Amenities can include parks, playgrounds, fitness centers, and recreational facilities with volleyball, basketball, tennis or pickleball courts. If you’ve always wanted a swimming pool but don’t want to pay to put one in, maintain it, and deal with the added electricity costs to run the pool pump, a new home build could be the perfect solution. New home communities often include a pool and spa for residents’ use, with lounge chairs and dining tables geared for socializing.
Common areas in the community are usually meticulously cared for and promote a high quality of life. And new developments may also be surrounded by improved roads, schools, and utilities, raising the “livability” score of the area.
Flexible financing makes new home ownership an easier undertaking
Many builders offer financing options that aren’t available when buying a resale home. New home developments can partner with mortgage companies, referred to as preferred lenders, or the builder may have their own in-house lender.
If you’re a first-time buyer interested in a newly constructed home, there may be special programs like low- or no-money-down loans, or special financing that lowers the mortgage interest rate. Many people prefer to put less money into a home purchase, so they have more of a cash cushion to furnish the home or to pay for those unexpected things that always pop when you’re buying a new home.
Special builder incentives could help with interior upgrades
New home communities thrive when they sell out of one phase and begin to promote the next. To help increase sales, new home builders can provide homebuyer incentives, like seller-paid closing cost assistance, appliance upgrades, or credit to use toward lighting or flooring upgrades.
Another benefit? Because new homes follow today’s building standards, insurance premiums may be discounted, and the use of energy efficient systems may also qualify buyers to receive tax incentives otherwise not available with resale home purchase.
Enjoy greater value and appreciation potential down the road
Newly-built homes tend to retain their value better than resale properties, especially in neighborhoods that are developing quickly. The modern design, energy efficiency, and warranty protection available with new homes make them more appealing to buyers like you. These same qualities are just as intriguing to the next buyers, when you decide to sell your new home as a resale. When you do, you’ll experience the financial rewards of home appreciation—equity that grows over time.
When you’re short on time, consider a move-in ready home
You never know when the right opportunity is going to come along. When it does, you’ll know—you’ll feel it, and instantly imagine yourself living there—what you’d do with this room, how you’d like to decorate that one.
Planning for your first home purchase takes a lot of research, patience, and model home tours. If your six-month strategy for a move-in date was sidetracked and your landlord said you have 60 days to be out of the rental, a move-in ready new build fits the bill.
Move-in ready new homes offer a seamless homebuying process. And because you set the closing date with the builder, there’s no guesswork in planning your move. You can schedule that U-Haul truck or Pods delivery, let your boss know when you’ll need to take time off, and coordinate a dog sitter to keep your puppy calm during the big day.
Quality built, offering unique solutions that help modern families do everything from killing the clutter and maximizing square footage to creating soothing, oasis-like spaces that nurture wellbeing (check out Woodside’s Living Well Solutions), a home from Woodside’s designer-curated Move-In Ready Collection offers more than the standard modern conveniences and system warranties that come with any new build house—in a shorter amount of time.
With a quicker closing date, you’ll be able to lock in your home loan interest rate—so you won’t have to spend six to eight months waiting for a new construction home to be finished (from lot selection to completion), and wondering where your mortgage payment will land.
Lean on the experts for answers
If you’re a mom, chances are you know you need help, but it may not be easy to admit. A home from Woodside’s Move-In Ready Collection comes with “help” included as standard. The construction is already complete and major design elements are in place, but you still have the option to personalize your home with a wide variety of options (see preceding paragraph)—which means you’ll have fewer, but more fun, decisions to make.
In general, and Woodside Homes is no exception, new home builders are knowledgeable professionals, with tried and true resources to help you with the after-closing final touches—from landscaping, pool and spa additions, to outdoor misting and surround sound systems.
Bidding wars and negotiations are overrated
In competitive real estate markets, resale and new homes often receive multiple offers, leading to bidding wars that drive up the purchase price, and long negotiations that test your willingness to stay in the game.
By opting for a move-in ready new build home, you can sidestep these challenges altogether. Since these homes are sold directly by builders, the process saves buyers time and effort.
Predetermine the financing and closing process
Builders typically have established relationships with preferred lenders and title companies. When businesses work in cooperation, there is a familiarity in processes and expectations. The result for buyers is greater efficiency and clear communication throughout the new home purchase experience.
Move-in ready new build homes come with many of the financing choices available with resale homes, but with fewer hoops to jump through. With less contingencies to deal with compared to a resale under contract, potential delays fall away. Move-in ready homebuyers are left with a hassle-free closing process for a quicker transition into their new home.
Immediate gratification for the whole family
After months or years of saving, planning, and wanting, a move-in ready new build home gets you and your family into the house you all really want, creating a whole new level of happiness in your household.
With a resale, the seller may not always leave the home as move-in ready as you’d like. Imagine driving up to that home with your furniture and belongings in the moving truck, only to open the front door and find a filthy house. With a move-in ready newly constructed home, you won’t walk into the empty promise of a clean house. Before the closing date, your new home will be cleaned by professionals, so you can rest easy, knowing your new home will be livable from day one.
Avoid the double-move move
First-time homebuyers can be taken off-guard when purchasing a resale home, but when you haven’t done it before, a surprise or two is bound to happen. During contract negotiations, one of those surprises is what sales agents call “the domino effect.”
When an owner lists their home for sale, their next move can also affect the buyer. For example, if a buyer wants to close on a resale home in 30 days, but the seller’s next home won’t be available for 45 days, that’s a problem. This is the domino effect.
By deciding on a move-in ready new home instead, a first-time buyer won’t have that added layer of stress and inconvenience. Since the house is vacant and ready for occupants, buyers can schedule their move in confidence. Relocation is now a one-step process between buyer and seller, and dominos are left to the game room.
Evolve into a modern lifestyle with a Woodside Home
The decision to buy a home shouldn’t be taken lightly. The time and energy you already spent searching neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, and community amenities will help remove any doubts once you choose “the one.”
Now that you know what to weigh when considering whether to buy a resale home or a newly built one, you can move forward from a place of knowledge, and knowledge is empowering.
A new home truly gives buyers a fresh start and minimizes the risks of unexpected hiccups that can cause delays to move-in plans. From personalization options and energy efficiency solutions to warranty protection and community amenities, new homes have a lot of leverage in the homebuying experience. Ready-equipped with the modern amenities you want and features that add to the comfort and convenience of family life, a new Woodside Home could be one of the best investment decisions you’ll ever make.
Upgrade your life with an upgraded home that complements your good taste with quality through and through. And the benefits of a new Woodside home extend beyond your new address—they live in the neighborhoods and wonderful people you’re about to meet. To get started, come tour a Woodside Homes community or schedule an onsite visit or virtual appointment with one of our sales consultants.
