One of the common questions that prospective house owners face is whether to buy or build a house. Each of the options has its benefits and disadvantages. Knowing about the pros and cons will help you make an informed decision regarding whether to buy or build a house.
Buying a House
Building a house takes a lot of time and effort. Managing the work involved in constructing a house can be stressful. You can buy an already constructed house to save a great deal of time and hassles involved in building a house.
To build a house, you need to get the design approved, select materials, and supervise contractors. You will have to do all this while staying within your budget. You should buy a home if you don’t want to go through these hassles involved in constructing a new home.
However, buying a home can have certain cons.
You will be stuck with the existing design. Making even simple changes to the design can be expensive. Moreover, you will have remorse in case you find quirks in an already built house after purchase.
Building Your Own Home
Building your own home gives you the freedom to design your house. You also have the freedom to choose your own material. You can select durable materials that require minimum maintenance and care.
Everything will be new and you won’t have to worry about replacement or repairs for years after moving into the house. The annual savings will be higher as compared to buying a pre-built house due to lower maintenance and care.
If you are a good negotiator, you can even be able to build a house at a low cost. You can source materials from discount stores to save construction costs.
Everything is in your control when you decide to build your home. You won’t have to redo anything since you can build the house exactly as you want it.
Another great thing about building your own house is that you can pace out the expenses – as well as the loans – over a period of time. This will make house ownership more affordable for you.
Lastly, building your home allows you to avail of tax incentives for different environmentally-friendly options. You can get tax breaks for home insulation, skylights, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and renewable power sources. Certain roofing materials will also give you tax breaks resulting in great savings when constructing a home. The IRS allows a tax credit of up to $500 for energy efficiency improvements and residential energy property costs. Going for energy-efficient solutions during the construction phase is less costly as compared to the modification of the existing home.
Final Words of Advice
Make sure you check house owner association (HOA) rules before buying a home. Some of them are strict and may not allow certain colors, materials or storage options. You should find out about HOA penalties for any infractions before buying a pre-built home.
If the house is under construction, you should find out whether the design map has been approved and all the fees have been paid. Keep in mind that real estate agents who work to sell new homes typically work for the builder. You should not blindly accept the advice of an agent and consider carrying out your own investigation.
You need to run the numbers before deciding whether you should buy or build a house. Find out whether building or buying a house would be more cost-effective for you in the long run. Additionally, you should contact a reliable custom home builder in Huntsville for the construction or renovation of your house.
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