Things to Remember When Shopping for a New Home

Hundreds of thousands of families can be expected to move into brand new homes this year. If your family is among them, keeping these things in mind can make it a little easier to choose the perfect New Jersey home.

Research Can Save Time

You can waste a lot of time touring new home communities if you don’t make research a priority. Although you may love the style and floor plan of the homes in a particular community, concerns about school districts and commuting distance often trump house preference in the end.

School quality has a significant impact on pricing and resale value, with homes in higher performing districts usually available for a premium. If you choose one of these homes, you’ll pay more initially but realize an excellent return on your investment when you eventually sell your home.

In addition to investigating school district performance, you may also want to consider:

• The Neighborhood: Are streets and sidewalks designed in logical pattern? Is the neighborhood visually appealing? Are there any features that make it stand out, such as playgrounds, walking trails or other amenities? If other homes have already been built, speak to a few potential neighbors and ask them if they enjoy living in the neighborhood.

• The Commute: You won’t have much time to spend enjoying your new house if you must spend hours in the car or on buses or trains every day. It’s important to visit the community at various times, as commuting times can vary drastically between weekdays and weekends in Central New Jersey. Time your visits for morning or afternoon rush hour and pay attention to congestion on local roads and the streets leading into the community. If living in a particular neighborhood will add considerable time to your commute, ask yourself if you think you’ll still be enthusiastic about the house after six months.

• The Location: Do you prefer a secluded location or a community that’s located close to services and amenities? The best communities offer lots that are large enough to offer privacy, yet are still fairly close to services, stores, schools and transportation.

You May Pay More Than the Advertised Price for Your Home

You’ve probably noticed that new home communities use the words “from” or “starting at” when listing new home prices. Although you certainly can buy a price at the minimum listed, most people like to make a few changes to personalize their new homes. Upgrades can be as inexpensive as a few hundred dollars or could potentially increase your costs by thousands.

Typical upgrades include:

• Higher end appliances
• More expensive cabinet or countertop choices
• Additional or upgraded lighting or outlets
• Room expansions or the addition of new rooms
• Additional landscaping
• Upgraded flooring
• Tub and shower upgrades
• Garage expansions
• Additional windows
• Premium lot locations

Although upgrades do add to the price of your home, it’s usually less expensive to add features now than to renovate your home in a few years.

Don’t Forget About the Little Details

Model homes often include features that won’t be standard in your new home. The models are designed to show you what you can do with your new home and may include non-standard paint colors and finishes, upgraded appliances, cabinets and flooring. Before you sign a contract, make sure you understand what will and won’t be included in your home. Check that standard items and those that you’ve paid to upgrade have actually been added to the house when you do a walk through as part of the closing process.

It’s also important to consider other factors that can affect your home buying decision, such as:

• Utility Costs: Although it may not be possible to provide a firm number, your builder should be able to provide estimates of monthly heating and cooling costs.
  
• Additional Expenses: In addition to utility and mortgage payments, you’ll also need to consider how much insurance and property taxes will add to your monthly expenses. You may also want to add a little extra money to your budget to cover the cost of minor changes to your new home after you move in, such as new window coverings.
  
  
• Furniture Placement: You may need to buy a few new pieces of furniture if your existing furniture doesn’t fit or looks a little out of place in your brand new home.

Are you eagerly awaiting the chance to add your personal touches to a brand new home? Continue exploring our website to learn more about new home opportunities at Country Classics!

Sources:

U.S. News and World Report: 10 Things You Must Do Before Buying a New Construction Home

https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/10-things-you-must-do-before-buying-a-new-construction-house

Redfin: How to Buy a New Construction Home

https://www.redfin.com/resources/how-to-buy-a-new-construction-home