Should You Build or Buy a House? (Pros & Cons)
By HiLine Hal
Deciding to build a home or buy an existing one can drain anyone’s energy. There are many factors to consider, such as the location, property taxes, maintenance, HOA fees, and home features like the yard, floor plan, and style. If we are overwhelming you, read on. We have broken down the pros and cons of building a home vs. buying to help you make the best decision for your family’s lifestyle.
Pros of New Construction
Searching for the “perfect” existing house can be a time consuming endeavor. The house hunt often means touring many houses looking for a wish list of needs and wants. It can be hard to find a home that is what you and your family need. Whereas when you build a new home, all the features you want and need in a home are ready for you to enjoy upon moving in.
With new construction, the latest energy-efficient fixtures, current code requirements, and personal décor details allow you to appreciate your home fully right away. By contrast, older homes may have outdated decor, an undesirable floor plan, older carpets, and worn flooring that require costly and time-consuming renovation.
No Competition
In a hot real estate market, price wars are common. You may find a home that checks all your boxes, but chances are it matches someone else’s too. By building a home on your lot, you don’t have to worry about competition. If you don’t have land already, HiLine Homes can help connect you to the right resource to find your perfect property.
Get What You Want
The biggest advantage of building your own home is getting what you want. Along with picking your floor plan, you can build with the satisfaction of an energy-efficient home that saves on your expenses each month. By starting fresh and new, you have the confidence to know your home meets current building codes. An added benefit is HiLine Home’s 10-5-1 limited warranty to protect your investment.
Additionally, the HiLine Homes on your lot building program is designed to build an affordable home with the potential of equity. We have taken this opportunity further with partnerships with selected lenders that use our building program with the possibility to approve you for 100% financing.
Cons of New Construction
The main advantage of buying an existing home is convenience. A good real estate agent will narrow down the homes that are the best options for your family. There are still a lot of steps to purchase an existing home, such as securing financing, touring houses, making offers, a home inspection, and signing closing papers. However, in the end, you have a home you can move into right away. The convenience of a move-in ready house is an option for those without the time or patience to build a home.
Stress
Building a home comes with a lot of details and decisions. Although this means you get what you want, there is much to consider. You will need to set your expectations to ensure that you can stay the course and finish your dream home. Partnering with a well-established home builder with a proven building program and a good track record is key to a successful project.
Competitive Price
Most people look to negotiate for a better price when buying a home. Your overall cost is affected by the builder chosen, the building program, and the type of contract developed. A traditional custom home builder will pass on material & labor increases during the project. As an “on your lot” home builder, HiLine Homes focuses on providing affordability for every family, so the base price listed is the same for everyone. Further, we lock your home price once your foundation is poured. Additionally, our building program is structure to offer you the opportunity to build instant equity with your new home.
What is Home Equity?
Home equity is an important piece of your financial wealth, so it’s valuable to understand how it works. Your home is one of the biggest investments you will make in your life, and the equity in your home can behave similarly to a savings account. Home equity is the difference between the fair market value of your home minus any mortgages you owe.
How to Build Home Equity
A homeowner can build home equity in a few ways. With an existing home, equity takes time, possibly many years. First, as you pay your mortgage over the years or by making an increased payment towards your principal, you will appreciate the equity in your home. Second, market conditions could work in your favor. As home values increase in your region, your home equity will too, and you can reap the benefits. Whereas, with HiLine Home’s “on your lot” building program, it is a pretty straightforward opportunity for instant equity as your involvement lowers the overall cost of your dream home.
Getting Home Equity to Work for You
Home equity is a valuable asset to have available not only at the sale of your home but to have if you want to utilize it to pay off college, buy an investment property, or consolidate debt. If you can start your homeownership with a higher amount of equity, the sooner you have the option to tap into the financial opportunities it offers.
How to Get Instant Equity with New Construction
You may wonder if new home construction can be that affordable. Building a new home indeed requires the expertise of professionals to do many of the tasks. With HiLine Homes structured building program, certain tasks are the homeowner’s responsibility, allowing you the opportunity to build an affordable home. Whether you chose to take a more hands-on approach or hire someone to do those tasks, you will have the opportunity to build instant equity. Review our Build Timeline to learn more about the HiLine Homes building program.
How HiLine Homes Reduces the Cost of New Construction
HiLine Homes’ building program is a unique solution for new construction, and it starts with keeping overall costs down. Our purchasing department resources high-quality materials and maintains partnerships with our valued trade partners. This unique system allows a streamlined process that benefits the affordability of your home and the efficiency in which it is built.
Through each stage of your building project, you will have a knowledgeable HiLine Homes representative to walk you through your homeowner responsibilities. No matter what level of experience you have, we will be there to help walk you through the DIY home building process. You will have the satisfaction of seeing it all come together — and feel great on the move-in day knowing you have instant equity in your home.
100% Financing
It may be surprising that 100% financing is potentially available to people looking to build a home. HiLine Homes has developed exclusive custom home financing relationships with our approved lenders. Contact an approved lender and find out the financing packages available in your region.
The HiLine Homes Experience
HiLine Homes has assisted hundreds of families in attaining the dream of homeownership while building instant equity. Thousands of families in the PNW have successfully used our “on your lot” construction process to achieve their dream home.
Don’t know where to start? No worries. HiLine Home Consultants can assist whether you want to build on your existing land or need help finding the right property. Connect with a Home Consultant in your area to develop your journey to building your dream home today.
