Stone Martin Builders builds neighborhoods that will last for generations. The following paragraphs touch on the many advantages of buying a new home with SMB!
Here are many perks when deciding to purchase a new home versus an older one. Whether you’re looking to be a new homeowner or on house number five, imagine yourself in your dream home. This dream home probably includes the newest in home technology, is customized specifically for you and most importantly is safe and cost efficient.
CUSTOMIZATION
When choosing to buy a new house, or build your own, customization is typically the number one influencer. Depending on how far along the builder is, owners can participate in both the exterior design such as brick color and the interior design such as floor-plan, wall coloring, appliances, and other elements. When looking at older homes, what you see is what you get. There is the option to remodel, although, cost and time can become an issue. There are some things like ceiling height, room size, and layout that are typically unchangeable and hard to alter even by the most highly qualified person. Depending on how old the home is, wiring can also become an issue when remodeling and if done incorrectly could become costly and a safety hazard.
BUILDING ENVELOPE AND GREEN APPLIANCES
Nobody enjoys having to pay an outrageous monthly utility bill. Over the years, codes for building homes have become more strict and has thus led new homes to become more energy-efficient. Having a tighter building envelope, higher-efficiency insulation, doors and windows mean your home will remain cool in the summer and warm during the winter.
Green appliances and energy efficiency was typically an afterthought for most home builder 15 years ago. Today, builders are able to include energy efficient appliances in homes such as air conditioning units, water heaters refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves, etc. that can save homeowners loads of money. Although homeowners are still able to retrofit green appliances into their older home, the expense can become costly.
LESS MAINTENANCE
As stated above, when buying an older home the owner has the option to remodel. Be aware though that the cost can quickly add up and possibly exceed the price of a new home. For instance…
- You’ll likely want to repaint before moving in. To have a professional painter come in and repaint can have a costly range between $1,500-$3,000.
- To change old appliances or remodel your kitchen can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000.
- If you were interested in changing out the flooring in your home, depending on the square footage and product chosen, new flooring could cost anywhere from $1,000-$15,000.
- When a house gets between 15 and 20 years old, the roofing and the air conditioning unit can start to get weathered and could become faulty. To replace your shingles, the cost can range from $5,000 and up. Air conditioning unit can cost between $1,5000- $5,000.
- The cost of tearing down a wall is another project that many homeowners are unaware of. Much more goes into it then grabbing a sledgehammer and going to town, especially if there is special wiring. To have a paid professional tear down a wall can cost you $2,500 up to $30,000 depending on wiring and the floor-plan.
WARRANTY
When buying a new home, the builder can offer a 1, 2, 5 or 1o year home warranty that begins on the closing day. Each warranty plan covers different appliances, but the idea is that any damages that happen within that time period will be repaired and covered by the builder. This can save homeowners tremendous amounts of money depending on the appliance needing to be repaired.
COMMUNITY
If a house has been recently built, chances are that the neighborhood is fairly new itself. For homeowners, this can be appealing because it means that your chances of getting to know your neighbors and build relationships with them are stronger. Many new neighborhoods have monthly get-togethers where community members can meet new homeowners and get to know each other. There are also more opportunities for involvement with the Homeowners Association (HOA) along with community clubs and organizations.
FLEXIBILITY
When it comes to the negotiation portion of the house buying process, buyers are more likely to reach a consensus with the home builder than an individual seller. Individual sellers tend to have an emotional attachment and thus believe their home is worth more than it actually is. Since a home builder can have multiple lots available at one time, the loss is less likely to hurt than an individual owner.
I relocated to Auburn from the Huntsville area earlier this year. Before deciding where to establish my new home, I combed the Auburn/ Opelika area searching for the ideal location. After an introduction to the Oaks at Cotswold, I fell in love with what Stone Martin was building there – top quality new homes iin Auburn with an incredible number of standard features that are not common in the housing industry. The layers of extras without getting hit with exorbitant extra costs are impressive. Add Rick Coffin to the mix, the sales agent who I dealt with, and you have an unbeatable combination of quality construction, quality service, and very reasonable price. Rick was thorough in explaining all aspects of what is covered in purchasing the home and very timely with his response whenever I had a question. Even now, six months later, when I have questions about my home or the developing community, Rick is responsive and courteous. I have bought numerous homes throughout my lifetime but the experience with Rick Coffin guiding me to buy a Stone Martin home takes the top prize. I am very grateful to have made this discovery and I am loving my new home in Auburn at the Oaks at Cotswold.