Newer homes can offer home buyers several benefits over older homes, most notably energy efficiency improvements and safety upgrades. Energy efficiency has been a common goal in newer construction, and there have been significant improvements in construction standards and equipment requirements to lower energy costs. In addition, there have been a number of safety changes that affect several areas of safety, including fire safety, child safety, and electrical safety.
In Part One of this three part series we covered Energy Efficiency, and Safety Improvements in Part Two. In this final post we’ll take a look at a few more considerations when looking at newer homes.
Other Considerations:
1. Green Building: Newer homes often employ “Green” building practices and materials such as using sustainable materials for siding, decking, floor covering and interior finishes. Higher efficiency appliances and low VOC paints and sealants also help make the home a little more “Green” after construction.
2. “Smart Home Applications”: Many new homes have newer technologies including smart home applications and smart thermostats. These new features can allow the home owner on demand access to various systems throughout the home including climate control, home security, video, date, wireless functions, lighting and other lifestyle factors that affect daily life.
3. Warranties: Most new homes come with a Builder’s Warranty that takes care of issues concerning the construction of the home. Builder warranties are most often for a one year period with many builders offering a longer warranty period for the structure.
4. Customization: Many builders offer the buyer a chance at some level of customization including design options and other changes.
5. Buyer’s Incentives: Builders often have incentives such as special financing, free appliances, or other incentives to generate interest and sales. These can total several thousands of dollars in savings for the buyer.
While older resale homes can offer charm and history, and often value, there are certainly many advantages to purchasing a newer home as we’ve discussed over the last three posts. These are all important considerations to make when looking at the perfect home for your family.
Review all the posts in this series:
- Energy Efficiency of Newer Homes
- Safety Improvements of Newer Homes
- Other Considerations of Newer Homes