New Construction Home Buying Tips

Buying a newly built home has many advantages. For starters, no one has lived there before you, and everything is new and in pristine condition. You definitely won’t need to worry about renovating for a while. However, buying a house is always fraught with uncertainties. Even when purchasing a new home, you may be feeling like there are so many things that can go wrong. This article will give you some new construction home buying tips to help guide you through the process.

Get an agent to represent you

You can do some things yourself, but don’t try to navigate the entire purchase and navigation alone. We highly recommend that you get an agent. Experienced agents can offer you many new construction home buying tips and even help if you are looking for a lived-in home. Include your agent in the decision-making process from the start. Forward them every email you get from the builder. Have the agent go over every contract before you sign anything. If possible, attend meetings with your builder together and invite your agent for every walk through of the property.

Do a home inspection

Hiring a home inspector is a must if you are not buying a newly built home, but it is also highly advisable to hire an inspector for new construction. Every home will have some issues revealed by an inspection, even the new ones. Having a professional inspector look at the house that you are buying will show its weak points. Even experienced builders can make mistakes, especially if they are rushing to complete the project within the set deadline. By performing a home inspection, you will avoid any nasty surprises that could otherwise sneak up on you well after the paperwork is done.

New homes are easier to maintain

When everything is new and shiny, it’s easier to keep it that way, at least initially.  Expect maintenance costs to stay low for the first couple of years. Knowing you get to relax and not worry about things breaking down is a massive load off your shoulders. If you have hired a professional to do the home inspection, he will probably give you some maintenance tips. You should be able to know what kind of costs to expect, and how to go about keeping your home looking its best.

Builders may not be able to deliver on time

Even if the relocation to your new home implies a local move, don’t plan to relocate on the exact date your builder has promised. Delays happen, and projects get extended. Having a plan about what to do in case of delays is a must, and preparation is advisable even with short-distances. If you are moving a short distance, it will be even easier to judge when the project is near completion since you can visit the site regularly. It is good to plan for about a month’s delay on what the builder initially promised, and if the project gets finished earlier, it will be a pleasant surprise.

Builders are hard to move on the price

Most people have heard that you should try to negotiate a lower price when buying a house. Anyone who has purchased a home before will tell you that negotiation over the price is a long and stressful process. If you are a first-time buyer, you need to be realistic and know that you probably won’t get everything you want. Negotiating with builders is a whole different story. You shouldn’t be approaching negotiations looking for a price drop since builders will not budge much regarding the price. They will want the price to be as high as possible because it will influence future appraisals in the neighborhood. You will be much better off trying to negotiate for concessions instead of price. Ask the builder to include a few upgrades to your home or perhaps lower the cost of upgrades they offer. You can ask about landscaping, carpeting, or maybe even appliances if that is what the builder can include.

New home customization

Having the ability to customize a home while it is in construction is a considerable benefit over buying a house someone has lived in. You can let your imagination run wild and think about all of the little details and exactly how you would like them. It is much simpler to adapt things while under construction than when the house is built. Talk to your builder about possible colors, electrical socket placement, and the position of all the lights. Of course, some of the options are limited; for example, the available range of colors for the walls won’t be infinite. But don’t despair; you can always paint the walls to your liking once the building is over. Certain major changes, like modifying the floor, plan are also probably a no-go. Talk to your builder about your possible options. Also, ask about the possibility of paying more for things that aren’t included in their offer

Get everything in writing

Of course, you are going to look over the contract and have your agent look over it, but don’t forget to include things like customization options. It’s not wise to leave those things at a handshake and a verbal agreement. Out of all the new construction home buying tips, this one is probably the most important. Have a paper trail of all the changes you discuss with the builder and save every email. They might come in handy if things don’t go as planned.

Moving to your new home

Once construction is finished and you are ready to move in, we would advise avoiding DIY solutions. Think about it: the house is new and everything is spotless – the last things you want are scratches on the floor and marks on the walls. By hiring professionals you avoid common mistakes that can occur if you try to do the move yourself. Things about your home won’t stay new forever, but it doesn’t hurt to keep everything looking fresh for as long as possible.

Buying a home is always exciting, but getting something newly built can really feel special. You get to set it up exactly how you want to. Be sure to follow our new construction home buying tips to make sure you haven’t missed anything.