Thinking about building but hearing mixed opinions? Here’s the truth behind five common misconceptions.
Early in your search, the big questions come quickly: Where do you want to live? How much do you want to spend? Should you build new or buy an existing home? A home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, so it’s worth making sure the decision isn’t based on assumptions that don’t hold up.
Myth: Building costs more
The facts: The purchase price is only part of the picture. With an existing home, look at what you’re likely to spend over the next few years. Will the roof or heating and air system need replacing soon? Do you plan to update the kitchen, bathrooms or flooring? Those costs add up, and so does the time it takes to manage the work yourself.
A new home is built to your plan, with new systems and materials that shouldn’t need major replacement for many years. When you compare total cost of ownership, building often looks much more competitive than it first appears.
Myth: Energy efficiency doesn’t matter much
The facts: Heating and cooling are among the biggest ongoing costs of owning a home, and older homes are often less efficient. Improving an existing home can be expensive, since replacing windows or adding insulation inside finished walls is a major project, and it can take years to recover the cost.
When you build, efficiency is part of the plan from day one: better insulation, a tighter building envelope, efficient windows and properly sized heating and air systems. You’ll feel the difference in comfort and see it on your utility bills, month after month.
Myth: Building takes too long
The facts: A custom home does take time, usually several months to a year depending on size, weather and material availability. Buying an existing home has its own timeline, though: searching, competing offers, closing and often repairs or renovations before it truly feels like yours. When you build, you know the plan from the start and can schedule your move around it, and the finished home is exactly what you wanted.
Myth: You can’t have a new home inspected
The facts: A new home is inspected many times as it’s built. Local building officials and third-party inspectors review the work at key stages, from the foundation through final completion. Homeowners can also hire an independent home inspector for added peace of mind. And every BLDR home is backed by our 12-month “bumper to bumper” warranty.
Myth: Real estate agents can’t be involved
The facts: Many buyers choose to work with a real estate agent who knows the process and represents their interests, and that’s perfectly fine. Others prefer to work directly with their builder on their plans, selections and contract. Either way, the choice is yours.
Get the full picture
The best decision comes from good information. If you’re weighing whether to build, we’re happy to answer your questions and walk you through what building with BLDR looks like.