If you want to own a home, there are plenty of ways to go about it. You can build a new home, buy an existing one or do a knockdown-rebuild. Whichever way you choose, it’s going to be an exciting time for you and your family, but if you chose to buy an existing home, you need to beware of potential issues. Here are some of the benefits of new home builds, as opposed to buying an existing home.
Customise to suit your needs
Perhaps the most exciting thing for new homeowners is the opportunity to build a home that really suits their lifestyle. The entire layout of the home can be designed according to how you spend your time. Do you entertain guests a lot? No problem, you can include guest bedrooms, outdoor entertaining areas and larger living spaces. If you want something low-maintenance, you can choose a simple house design that gives you the comfort you need.
Practically everything about a new home is customisable within reason. Of course, you need planning approval for anything you build, but as long as it meets all the required standards, you can build your dream home today.
Ready to live in
Any time you move to a new home is going to be exciting. Even buying an existing home is great fun, because once you unpack, you can sit back and enjoy your new (existing) home. However, the gloss comes off this experience when you identify a range of things you’d like to change about the house. Many home buyers assume they can easily renovate to suit their needs, but the financial reality of that is often very different.
With a new home, you can move in and everything is exactly how you want it already because you helped to design it. There’s no work to do, no stressing about hiring contractors or buying materials. Just kick back and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard for.
Modern inclusions
Inclusions refer to any permanent (or at least semi-permanent) fixtures of the home. This can include carpet, blinds, rangehood, oven, dishwasher, light fittings and even the smaller details such as cabinet handles and door knobs. When you build a new home, all of these inclusions are modern. And in fact, you’ve got the final say on what inclusions appear in your home.
In an existing home, however, you’ve got to take what you’re given to an extent. Of course, you can renovate, but this is expensive and time-consuming. So, if you want the luxury of walking into your new home with inclusions that are technologically up-to-date and also consistent with modern trends, a new home build is definitely the way to go.
Eco-friendly designs
Even as far back as 20 years ago, sustainability was a reasonably foreign word in the building industry. Today, however, building practices are becoming much more eco-friendly, meaning new homes are, too. If you’re interested in owning a home that’s eco-friendly and supports sustainable living, you should definitely consider a new home build.
The other aspect of this is fire safety. There’s a common misconception that eco-friendly homes can’t possibly be fire safe, but the opposite is true. Advancements in the way homes are built today mean that the use of non-combustible, eco-friendly materials is more popular than ever.
Low maintenance
We’ve already touched on the fact that moving into a home and starting renovations straight away isn’t much fun. The same goes for all other types of maintenance. Imagine spending the first night in your new home and light bulbs start blowing because the wiring is too old. Or the taps are noisy, or the shower is leaking.
There are so many minor annoyances when you buy an existing home, and while you go in with the best intentions to fix everything up, it doesn’t always work like that. New homes offer a low-maintenance way of life, so if you’re busy with other things and don’t want to be tightening cupboard door hinges all the time, consider a new home build.
Better resale value
Finally, when it comes time to sell your home, you’re likely to get more for it than a much older house. Newer homes are generally built with better materials, better construction practices and more modern inclusions. So, as a result, the home is automatically more attractive than one that was built, say, 30 years prior.
Construction standards and techniques evolve, materials get better and even parts of the home like wiring and plumbing should, in theory, be of better quality in a new home. Even if you don’t intend to sell for another 30 years, consider that if you buy an existing home today that was built 30 years ago, it’s going to be 60 years old by the time you want to sell.
Looking for new home builds in New Zealand?
Stonewood Homes is committed to building new homes that suit the Kiwi lifestyle. But it’s more than that. It’s about adapting a new home build to suit your lifestyle. Everybody is different, and that’s why we work closely with you to determine your needs now and in the future. Whether you’re building your first home or you’re an investor, there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense to consider a new home build. If you’d like to find out how we can help, check out our range of stunning home designs today or contact us to discuss your needs.
