Buying a New Construction Home? What You Need to Know First

Buying a new construction home is a unique experience. Even if you've bought a pre-built Sandstone home in the past, you may be surprised by the overall process of building a new construction home because it's so different. Before you get started with buying a new construction home, here's what you need to know about the building and overall experience.

Know Your Goals

Before home buyers can get started with the home building process, they must first know their goals for their new home. Usually, this involves sitting down with a spouse or other members of the household to decide what they're looking for in a house. Home buyers should have questions such as:

• Will we be having children (or more children) in the years to come?
• Do we want to invite a senior relative to live with us someday?
• Do we want any future pets?
• What kind of hobbies will we be engaging in when we're in this house?
• Do we want neighbours who are close, or do we want to live far from the nearest home?
• Is it important to live somewhere quiet?
• Do we need to live close to services like doctors and schools?

Asking (and answering) these questions are important for helping homeowners decide where they'll want to live, how big the lot should be, how many bedrooms the house should have, and so on.

Pick the Right Location

Location is critically important for a newly built home. Home buyers who are trying to decide where they should build their house should visit a variety of potential lots before picking the one that's right for them. When looking at a lot, the home buyers should assess the view, consider traffic on the road, look at the presence of trees on the lot, and should consider proximity to services and work.

Before buying a lot, it's also important to get an inspection of the land. Land inspectors consider factors like the quality of the soil, air, and ground water on the property. If there's something wrong with the land, the inspection will help the home buyer decide whether the problem needs to be remediated, or maybe if the property should not be bought at all.

Choose the Right Builder

The most important thing home buyers can do when trying to buy a new construction home is to choose a builder who is right for them. When vetting contractors, home buyers should consider the following:

• Years of experience
• Style and portfolio
• Proposed price
• Licensure

Home buyers should meet with each potential contractor and ask them questions about the home buying process. In addition, it's important to check references. Checking references helps homeowners determine which contractors have a history of working well with their clients and are likely to produce good quality work.

Work with a Real Estate Professional

Working with a real estate professional can help home buyers decide which home location is right for them. A good real estate professional can help the home buyer negotiate the price of the land, and can also help the home buyer through the step-by-step process of buying land. From the vetting of the different properties to the purchase of the property, a good real estate professional can make the task of purchasing land easier.