There are many things to consider when buying a home – should you buy something that has been lived in before or should you splurge and buy something new? New homes are usually more expensive than their resale counterparts, but is it worth it?

Aside from the possibility of being able to customize your new home with the finishes (counters, back-splash, flooring, and sometimes floor plan) and colors you like, buying a new home can actually save you money each month.

According to the National Association of Homebuilders, a home is considered “new construction” if it was built within the last four years.  The NAHB recently cited the 2009 American Housing Survey in evaluating what homeowners spent on maintenance expenses per month. The survey found that 26% of all homeowners spent $100 or more per month on home maintenance expenses. But of the homeowners who owned a home classified as “new construction,” only 11% of owners paid this amount. What is a more startling figure? 73% of new homeowners spent less than $25 per month on maintenance.

So what about utilities? According to the survey, all homeowners spent about $.78 per square foot per year on electricity. This means for a 2000 square foot house, $1560 ($130/month) was spent on electricity. However, compare this with “new” homeowners who spent only $.65 per square foot per year ($1,300 per year or $108.33 per month for the same 2,000 square foot house).

A big difference was seen in homes with natural gas. Homeowners on average spent $.53 per square foot per year (for a total of $1,060 per year or $88.33 per month for a 2,000 square foot house) while owners of new homes paid $.38 per square foot per year ($760 per year or $63.33 per month).

And new homes that are ENERGY STAR® certified strive to be 30% more energy efficient than typical new homes. Using our example “new” 2,000 square foot home which could cost $1,300 per year in electricity, a comparable ENERGY STAR® certified home may cost $910 in electricity per year.

There are currently over 550 listings in the Tri-Cities which were built between 2009-2013 (classified as “new construction”). If you are in the market for a new home, an existing lovingly “used” home, or if you want to start completely from scratch and create something all yours, you owe it to yourself to learn your options and determine the best fit for you – and your budget. We can help! Please call Jessica at (509) 947-2230 or Jennifer at (509) 947-5670. We can show you all the costs and benefits of buying a used home versus buying a new home.