Renovate or Reinvent? 7 Reasons Why Building a New Home May Be Your Best Choice

Are you wondering whether you are better off going out and building your dream home from scratch, or buying an existing house and renovating it to suit your needs? Everyone's situation is unique, but here are 7 powerful reasons why building a new home may serve you better than trying to re-create a house that already exists.

1. It's your own dream! When you build from scratch, you can design the home of your dreams. You create the house the way you want it, to suit your family's individual needs and priorities.
2. No skeletons in the closet. The existing housing stock is invariably old, and in need of renovation, requiring more money. Often, when you buy an existing home, you will need to replace plumbing, and install a new kitchen, and and and. These costs add up fast.
3. Location location location. Many people believe that they can't afford to build new in the location of their choice, and can only choose from the existing housing stock. In reality, there are many small to medium builders who can build you a new home in the location you desire at a competitive price. Their building techniques differ from Volume Builders which allows them to access more challenging blocks, without charging the Earth.
4. New homes, well built, require little maintenance. The older the existing home, the greater the maintenance that is needed, whether you tackle these jobs yourself, or hire someone to do them for you. This includes attending to hot water systems that may be antiquated, spouting, roofing and decking. When a good builder puts it in place new, then you will have no headaches about any of these areas.
5. Orientation. You can design the orientation of your home specifically to suit your land, maximizing your particular location both for view and for sunlight.
6. Save money. Lots of money. When you maximize your orientation to North, and build accordingly, you save enormously in your ongoing costs of living, both for heating and cooling.
7. Last but not least, New Houses are better built. Much better. Building standards have improved enormously in recent years, now incorporating 6 star energy efficiency, and double glazed windows. Double glazed windows will make a house more comfortable, far beyond most people's expectations.

So while you will have your own check list to consider, take some time to look beyond any apparent differences in cost and feasibility. Building new does not have to be a financial nightmare, if you find the right builder. And in terms of comfort, quality, ongoing expenses, and your freedom to bring your own dreams to life, building your own home will often prove to be by far the most satisfying solution.