What to Look for in a New Home
Energy efficiency should be a key concern when considering buying a new home. According to studies of home buyer preferences, energy efficiency was a frequent characteristic on most of their wishlists: 94% of respondents reported they wanted Energy Star-rated appliances. Heating and cooling costs are reported at least somewhat important to 86% of buyers followed by commuting costs being considered at least somewhat important by 70% of buyers. Energy efficiency can help your houses resale potential in the future. A green certification label on a house adds an average of 9% to its selling value.
What to Look for in a Home Builder
Many buyers are looking for custom modern home design. It is reported that over 80% of homeowners indicate a preferences for two or more bathrooms. Many go the route of custom building a new home, but without research it can be more costly than expected.Before you start working with a home builder you may want to keep in mind that a typical builder’s profit can range from 18 to 20% of the total cost of construction and land. On top of that a contractors charge can range between 15% to 25% of the total price for building your house. Custom dream homes can come at high prices to the new homeowner.
What to Look for in a Planned Community
As the old saying goes, location, location, location. A recent survey of nearly 1,000 prospective home buyers showed that 91% said school boundaries were important in their search–about 45% of Americans want to live within school boundaries. One out of five home buyers would give up a bedroom or a garage for a better school. Certain business can also affect the eventual value of your property. After a 15 year period, homes adjacent to Starbucks almost doubled in value by 96%. Those further out appreciated by 65% over the same period.
You can take a great deal of stress from buying a new home by considering the long term factors of not only your home, but also the neighborhood. There will always be compromises to make, but with good planning these choices can be made from an informed standpoint.