Should You Buy an Existing Home or New Construction?

Finding the Right Home in the Roseville Sacramento Area

Finding the right home to purchase today is one of the biggest challenges for potential buyers. With so few homes for sale and new construction homes in Roseville and the surrounding area ramping up, you may be wondering if you should consider new construction in your search process. It’s a great question to ask, and one to look at from the pros and cons of what it means to buy a brand new home versus an existing one. Here are a few things to consider when making the best decision for your family.

New Construction Often Means Energy Efficient Options

When buying a brand new home in Roseville, Rocklin, Sacramento, etc., you can often choose more energy-efficient options. New appliances, new windows, a new roof, etc. These can all help lower your energy costs, which can add up to significant savings over time. With programs like ENERGY STAR, your home also helps protect the environment and reduces your carbon footprint.

Brand New Homes Can Mean Lower Maintenance

Lower maintenance that comes with a newer home is another great benefit. When you have a new home, you likely won’t have as many little repairs to tackle, like leaky faucets, shutters to paint, and other odd jobs around the house. With new construction, you’ll also have warranty options that may cover portions of your investment for the first few years. The home builder usually provides you with a 1 year “bumper to bumper” warranty meaning they should fix anything that breaks for that first year – unless, of course, it’s something you caused. They generally also offer a multi-year (often 10) major structural defect warranty. AND MY REAL ESTATE CLIENTS also receive a gift from me of an upgraded home warranty for FOUR YEARS that begins AFTER THE FIRST YEAR when the builder’s warranty has usually ended. 🙂 

Brand New Construction Bought Early Can Include Customization

Another solid benefit to new construction is customization. Do you want a mudroom, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, hardwood floors, an office, or a multipurpose room to homeschool your children? These items can be customized to your specific needs during the design phase. With an existing home, you’re buying something that’s already completed, so if you want to make changes, you may need to hire a contractor to help get your home ready for your family.

The main exception to this is when the builder has a brand new home that is completed but isn’t yet sold. They then market these new homes to agents directly and/or through the MLS as “ready to move in” homes. The nice thing then is that, while you can’t customize it, you can often get a discount on the house – a rarity with most new homes. Here in the Roseville Sacramento area, I get a list of these weekly. If you’re interested, email me for details – [email protected]

Existing Home For Sale in Roseville Offers Negotiation Options

When buying an existing home, you can negotiate with the current homeowner on price, which is something you generally don’t get to do with a builder. Builders know their material and construction costs, and they have a price set for the model you’re buying. So, if you want to negotiate, then maybe an existing home will be best. (Though right now, in our current seller’s market, that is also a rarity!!!

Established Neighborhoods

For many families, having an established neighborhood and mature landscaping is also important. Some buyers like to know the neighbors, if it’s family-friendly, and traffic patterns before making a commitment. They want to see what, if any shade trees, flowers, fruit trees, etc. are growing there. When you buy new construction, you won’t have a full view of some of those details until the lots around you are sold. And NO mature landscaping!

Established Houses Mean Fairly Established Escrow Timing

Finally, timing comes into play. With an existing home, you can move in based on the timeline you agree to with the sellers (barring delays due to lender issues, coronavirus and quarantine issues, etc. But NORMALLY 😉 ). With new construction, you need to wait for the house to be built. Depending on the time of the year you’re buying and the region you’re in, the weather can also be a factor in the timeframe. This is something really important to keep in mind, especially if you need to move sooner rather than later. Over the past few months with COVID-19 and social distancing regulations, some areas for new construction have been delayed.

Bottom Line

Whether you want to buy a brand new construction home in Roseville or the surrounding area or if you prefer one that’s already established, both are great options. They each have their pros and cons, and every family will have different circumstances driving their decision. And here in our area we have good choices for both including some lovely 55 plus communities Roseville CA. If you have questions and want to know more about the options in our area, let’s connect today so you can feel confident making a decision about your next home.