When searching for a home to buy, you have so many considerations. Therefore, we wanted to make the venture enjoyable but also successful. For starters, choose a neighborhood appealing to you. In other words, you want a community that fits your lifestyle. For instance, if you have smaller children then perhaps a neighborhood with a park or swimming pool would be nice or if you enjoy going for an evening walk, then sidewalks and street lighting are probably important. You also want to consider the median age for the neighborhood, which would mean more children for your children to play with and choosing a location where most people are in your same age group.
Then, take your time looking at homes. The reason is that with building costs being so low, you would likely get more house for the money when building instead of buying an existing home. Then, if you do not need a large yard, you might think about a zero lot line, which means you still have a yard although small but much more living space for the money. Building your own home or buying a new home also allows you to customize the home with your choice of carpeting, tile, cabinets, countertop, appliances, lighting, and so on.
Another benefit to building your own home is the ability to update if you want to pay a little more. Depending on where you live, you might think about earthquake or flood safety, better insulation, or better security for the home. On the other hand, an older home brings with it character that is often missing in new homes. This means you would have something charming with unique architecture such as hardwood flooring, archways, vaulted ceilings, decorative crown molding, etc.
You should also consider landscaping when buying a new home. If you purchase a new home, you will have to have sod laid and then spend years waiting for trees to mature or pay significant money to have mature trees planted. However, if you purchase an existing home that is in a mature neighborhood, you would have tall trees, beautiful yards, shrubbery, and possibly flowers.
Then there is the consideration of an energy efficient home. Unfortunately, some homes have old windows and doors, cracks in the walls, and poor insulation. In addition to letting in cold or hot air from the outside, you also pay with high monthly energy bills. If you were to build or purchase a new home then you can choose Energy Star appliances, upgrade to quality insulation, and use other technology that would make sure you have a comfortable home for a low monthly free.
Finally, think about the maintenance involved when buying a home. While you would enjoy the charm of an older home, you also find yourself upgrading wiring or plumbing, installing new hot water heaters, putting in a newer breaker box, buying new windows, and so on. This means you typically have ongoing maintenance, which for some people is not a bid deal. However, a new or newer home usually cuts back the time and cost of maintenance but again, you might be missing the charm. Therefore, you need to determine what is most important to you and then buy accordingly.