Moving House - Better To Buy Or Build?

[Lee]

We're in the process of talking about moving to a larger house in the next few months and was wanting some input from you folks on whether you thought it was better to buy a pre-built home or, build from scratch?

We have had friends in the past that built from scratch and, whilst they had the layout/floorplan they wanted exactly, time wise there have always been delays with construction.

On the other hand, buying a pre-built home can also have its pitfalls and typically when i have purchased a pre-built home in the past i have always ended up having to redo some of the stuff, especially wiring to make sure that outlets are where they need to be etc.

So what are your folks thoughts, is it better to build or buy a pre-built home?

Regards,

Lee

[HunkyLuke]

I have done both and its WAY better to build. If you can spare 3 to 6 months to visit the site daily and have the patience to do a lot of the finishing work yourself, you will also find that you can save a lot of money building it from scratch. And you can get the home of your dreams too.

[Bec]

OK - I'll bite...

All these posts indicating you're swimming in money all of a sudden ... the tax thread, the buy a one word domain thread, the 80 paysites not with an affiliate thread, the buying not one, but 2, new cars, buying a new bar, hiring 2 full time staff, and now you're building a new house ....

what gives? You boys win the lottery, Gary sold a 100 million dollar house ... what?!?!?!

[Lee]

sold a 100 million dollar house ... what?!?!?!

Something like that.

Regards,

Lee

[chadknowslaw]

I've never found a house that was built like I want it. I always wish a wall was moved or door in different location, or something. In my current home I wish I had a cable outlet in the kitchen for the TV I have on the frig. I wish I had outlets in the closets and had to have a new circuit installed in my home office to separate my computer/printer from everything else. I had motion-sensing security lights installed in the RV port and wish the gas line had been extended into the back yard so I could install a gas-heated hottub (just running a 50 amp electrical line will cost me $400 for the wire alone from Lowes and gas is so much more cost-effective). I would have had cable lines run to the patio for a TV there. I would have made better use of the floor space in the master bedroom since two giant walk-in closets are a waste for my use.

If you have the time and patience, I think building gets you the house you really want so long as you can find a location you like. If you can be at the site every day to make sure things are being done to your specifications is even better. Buying a pre-owned home almost always results in compromise.

Right now I think buying a home would be a good deal with the market the way it is and I would expect if you walked into a builder and said you want to build a house they would kiss BOTH your nuts. You should be able to get a good deal either way

[Lee]

Chad,

We just looked at a historic home in one of the better parts of Daytona this afternoon and to be honest, for the price they were asking, we really werent impressed, i actually think seeing the house this afternoon made my point we should buy rather than build.

Regards,

Lee

[chadknowslaw]

Lee, now you just need to find the right lot! Go big. It is better to have extra space and not need it than build the home of your dreams and find out you really want more space in the yard for a garden, pool, cabana, RV storage or just a big green lawn for the kids to play ball (kidding~). Seriously, I love having a big space. I have a cul de sac lot so I have a tiny front yard and huge rear yard and would not want anything else. It is the most efficient use of space, in my opinion. The front yard is wasted on the neighbors; my back yard is all mine.

[chadknowslaw]

That reminds me of a rant I frequently go on about Arizona homes. The builders put up big, comfortable homes on small rectangular lots that had little side yard and tiny back yards. One of the great things about living in a warm climate is enjoying the outdoors when at home -- and putting nice homes on undersized lots is a waste! It resulted in more profits for the builders as they could put more homes on the same land, but it reduced the usability and enjoyment of the completed homes. I have the biggest lot in my subdivision at about 1/4 acre and it is mostly usable space behind the house. Many homes have back yards less than 20 feet deep. What good is that?

Go big. Get a big lot. Build a home that meets your needs and to your standards, but make it flexible enough to change if your needs change.

[Bec]

Chad,

We just looked at a historic home in one of the better parts of Daytona this afternoon and to be honest, for the price they were asking, we really werent impressed, i actually think seeing the house this afternoon made my point we should buy rather than build.

Regards,

Lee

now i'm lost -- did you mean you should BUILD?? and not buy a home already up?

[Lee]

Gary wants to build, i want to buy.

I dont have the patience to wait 3-6 months though, id much rather buy an existing property that has all the rooms we need and move straight in, the fucked up thing is, with Gary being a realtor, he can pretty much find exactly what we want via the MLS and once we find it, we'll pay for it and he'll still get his commission check from the sale LOL

There are some really nice 5 bed/3 bath homes in our area right now but he's being stubborn and wanting to build still for some crazy reason.

Regards,

Lee

[maxx68]

Hey Lee...

My family has been talking about building for awhile now. While doing so I did some research on the web about the best kind of homes to build in Florida, e.g. hurricanes, tornadoes, etc...

Found this site: http://www.icfhomes.com/

It has some great info and the last time I checked the building costs were around $78 per foot, that was two years ago so they might have come down some by now.