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What are the differences between building and buying a home?
There are pros and cons to both buying or building a house, and deciding really comes down to personal preference. In today’s market, the prices between building and buying a home are comparable.
One major difference is that building a home means no immediate renovations; when you buy an older home, chances are you’ll find something that needs to be repaired, updated, or replaced, and these renovations can really add up.
Many first-time homebuyers are concerned about the amount of time it takes to build a house. While a modular home does take an average of 3-4 months to complete, renovations in an existing home can take just as long (and you’re often forced to live in the house during the renovation process to save money.)
Are you ready to build?
A common mistake that many first-time homebuyers make is taking the maximum home loan available to them. Your bank may offer you more than you can afford, which can lead to extra fees and larger monthly payments. Look past your total loan qualification and instead take a loan with a mortgage you know you’ll be able to afford.
Before you build, ask yourself these questions:
How long do I plan to stay in my next home?
If you plan on staying in your new home long term, having a custom built home which meets all your specifications might be the right choice for you.What are my “must haves” in a home?
Certain house features and customization options are more expensive when they’re added to an existing home.Am I willing to put in the extra work?
Building a home requires more decisions and extra time collaborating with your builder to make sure everything in your home fits exactly what you’re looking for.
Building a house is possible for first-time homebuyers. To learn how to decide how much house you can afford to build, check out our free guide.
Making the decision to build a house is exciting, but it also comes with its fair share of worries. There are so many things to think about and so many decisions to make. That’s why we’ve decided to help get you started with some important reminders!
Quality over Quantity
Don’t build a house that’s too big – you’ll waste space and have less money to spend on the finishes of the house. Use your funds to create focal points in your rooms, like built-in cabinetry or a fireplace, with nice details (but not so much detail that it feels too “busy”).
Unique trim and moldings can really enhance your space, so keep them in mind. You’ll feel more comfortable in a smaller, intimate space with beautiful touches than a large, empty room.
Insulation
To maintain comfortable temperatures in your home, you need to insulate interior walls. Also, pay special attention to plumbing – if you want to avoid unwanted sounds of flushing toilets, for example. Add closets between bedrooms or built-in bookshelves (books will absorb sounds) for further sound insulation. It’s much cheaper/easier to do this now rather than later.
Outlets
Make sure you choose the right locations for your outlets. They should be easily accessible and in a place where furniture can conceal them. It would also be a good idea to have outlets on the outside of the house. Depending on how creative you want to be, you could even opt for outlets inside drawers. There’s nothing more inconvenient than a house with too few outlets.
Ventilation and Light
Never underestimate the power of natural light and ventilation (and the power of building code rules and regulations which will require that you have a specific amount of both for certain rooms). The circulation areas of your homes, like hallways, need natural light as well. Not only is it a necessity, but it makes your space feel much more open and natural. If you’ve ever seen a room with floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll know just how much the light transforms that area. In short, a sufficient amount of windows is a must.
Windows
Let’s talk about these in a little more detail. You’re going to be looking through them all day, so that saying “quality over quantity” is still very relevant here. It’s worth investing in windows that are appealing and reliable. Keep the type of window consistent throughout the house and make sure they’re well-placed. Out of reach windows are going to make opening, closing, or cleaning them a lot more difficult than it should be.
We hope this we’ve answered some of your questions (some you may not have realized you had!) and given you new ideas for your future home. Creating your perfect space takes a great deal of time, planning, and effort, but you’ll get there. And when you do, you’ll see just how much it was worth it.
Would you like to know more about custom homes and the many additions you can include? Contact Carolina Custom Homes of Burlington today, and we can help you create the living space you’ve been wanting!
There’s no greater feeling than having moved into your new home. Everything is fresh and exciting, and it deserves to be shown off! Welcoming guests into your home is a great way to celebrate and settle in, so here are some tips to ensure everything goes smoothly during your housewarming party:
1. Plan It Out
Plan way ahead of time! Decide what type of gathering you’d like to have and who you’d like to invite. You might want something more informal, like guests dropping in throughout the afternoon and staying for casual drinks light snacks, or you can throw a formal dinner party. No matter what you choose or how elaborate you’d like it to be, you won’t regret giving yourself plenty of time to prepare for it.
2. Decide How to Invite Guests
Once you’ve made your guest list, it’s time to get those invites sent out! There are many ways to go about this, such as a simple phone call, a Facebook invite, an online invitation (maybe through Paperless Post), or even a handwritten letter. Whatever you decide to go with, make sure you require your guests to respond to your invitation by a certain date. This way you’ll know exactly who and how many are coming and you can prepare accordingly.
3. Clean Up Your House
A housewarming party is unique in that guests will likely expect to see most of the rooms in the house. This means you’re going to have to go that extra mile to spiff up every room and make sure all your valuables are put away. In particular, focus on prepping your bathrooms – which will likely see more traffic than usual – and make sure the entire house smells great. Candles, diffusers, or air fresheners are essential here.
4. Prepare Seating
You want your guests to feel comfortable, so making sure they have a place to sit – instead of standing around awkwardly – is a must. You may need to pull chairs from other rooms in order to provide enough seating for everyone, but trust us, everyone will feel more at ease.
Pro tip: if you have benches, trunks, or even unpacked boxes, spruce them up with fabric (particularly the boxes) and offer them as seats.
5. Enjoy Yourself
Don’t get too caught up in all the things you have to do to keep the party going. Take the time to talk, eat, and relax with your friends and family. It might be helpful to ask family members or trusted friends beforehand to help you out during the party, so you won’t have to handle everything yourself.
Plus, you’ll want some extra time to document with lots of fun pictures, and you can make an album of them later on. This will be a special event for you, so don’t hesitate to commemorate the occasion. Now is the time when you can genuinely start to enjoy your new living space with people you love!
