Reprinted with permission from the National Association of Home Builders

Home buyers have the choice of two types of houses on the market: resale or new. Home buyers planning to buy a brand new house or condominium often cite energy efficiency, open layout, a warranty and being able to select appliances, flooring, paint colors and other design elements as factors driving their choice. But builders say that buyers can be drawn to a new house for reasons that aren’t so obvious. Here are a few more benefits of a brand new home that you may not see in the sales brochure.

Building a Community Together

A brand new community is one of the built-in benefits of many new homes. When families move into a subdivision at the same time, they often form lasting bonds of friendship and neighborliness right away. Nobody is the “new kid on the block,” and many homebuilders host community parties in new developments to help owners meet and connect. Popular amenities like pools, walking trails and tennis and basketball courts offer additional opportunities for interaction among neighbors of all ages. Often, new communities are comprised of homeowners in the same stage of life, such as young families or active retirees, so neighbors can get to know each other through carpools, PTA meetings, tennis matches or golf games.

Entertaining

Throwing a party in an older home can be a challenge because smaller, distinct rooms make it difficult to entertain guests in one large space. Today, new home layouts feature more open spaces and rooms that flow into each other more easily. While you are preparing dinner, you can still interact with guests enjoying conversation without feeling closed off. The feeling of spaciousness in today’s new home layouts often is enhanced with higher ceilings and additional windows that bring in more light than you would find in an older home.

A Clean Slate

For some buyers, parking the car in a sparkling clean garage or being the first to cook a dinner in a brand new kitchen is part of the appeal of new construction. In addition, you won’t have to spend time stripping dated wallpaper or repainting to suit your own sense of style—creating your own home décor from the get-go! And the advantages of being the first owner extend to the outdoors. Instead of inheriting inconveniently or precariously placed trees or having to tear up overgrown shrubs, you can design and plant the lawn and garden you want.

Outlets, Outlets Everywhere

Homes built in the 1960s and earlier were wired much differently than houses today. Builders had no way of anticipating the invention of the high-definition televisions, DVRs and computers that we enjoy today—and the very different electrical requirements they would introduce. New homes can accommodate advanced technologies like structured wiring, security systems and sophisticated lighting plans and can be tailored to meet the individual homeowner’s needs. And anyone who has ever lived in an older home can also attest to the fact that there are never enough outlets—inside or out! Today, homebuilders plan for the increased number and type of electronics and appliances used by today’s families, so you can safely operate a wine cooler, Christmas lights, your laptop and more.

For more helpful information from the National Association of Home Builders, visit the organization online at nahb.org/Other/Consumer-Resources.