Renovate an older home or build a new one from scratch? This is the challenge that many home owners struggle with. What older homes offer in period charm, they lack in modern facilities, design and convenience. And renovating an older home to improve your lifestyle can be littered with unforeseen speed bumps and challenges. Before you decide, check out our six reasons why new homes are better.
Reason new homes are best #1: your specifications
Older homes have countless floor plan constraints. The plumbing won’t allow the bathroom to become a bedroom. The wall you want to knock down is loadbearing. These problems can be solved, but it always costs extra and takes more time. With a newly built home, you can position your floor plan exactly how you wish.
If you want a room dedicated solely to your cat or a bed suspended from the ceiling, when building your own a brand new house, it can be all yours! Even if your plans are less extravagant than cat rooms and floaty beds, you can still create that home office, study nook, extra toilet or guest suite to make your new home perfectly suit your needs and lifestyle.
Reason new homes are best #2: modern floor plan
What were architects thinking in the 50s or 70s? So many older homes are built on great big blocks, a quarter of which is wasted on a huge driveway and useless front yard. Older homes often have the living area at the front and bedrooms at the back, whereas the modern preference is the opposite. Renovating an older home means working with a floor plan that doesn’t meet your needs. Knocking down more walls and moving bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms to better locations can provide the modern floor plan you need, but it adds time to your renovation and dollars to your budget. Building your own home from scratch means you can easily have the floor plan you want without any constraints to work around.
Reason new homes are best #3: no surprise problems
Speak to anyone who’s renovated an older home and they’re bound to tell you of unforeseen problems. The wiring doesn’t meet today’s electrical standards. The old fashioned plumbing fittings aren’t compatible with your new bathroom suite. The cornice on your ceiling can’t be replicated, or your lovely old windows are terrible at insulation.
When you purchase a block of land in an estate like Ashbury, you can choose your builder to design your dream home. Your brand new home will be well constructed, adhere to the latest building codes, and you won’t be stuck with expensive and unforeseen restumping or rewiring costs that blow out your new home budget.
Reason new homes are best #4: energy and water efficiency
Say hello to cheaper power bills in when you build your own brand new home! In older homes, insulation was a couple of batts in the roof cavity. But with newly built homes, clever insulation tricks are everywhere – including sealed doorways, insulated walls and floors, energy efficient lighting and appliances, and perhaps also sustainable hot water and solar power, if you choose them. Most new land estates have efficiency requirements such as grey (recycled) water connection to garden taps, too. All those little efficiencies add up to cheaper bills for water, power and gas for your new home, which is better for both you and the planet.
Reasons new homes are best #5: entertaining
Drinks on the deck, pool parties, barbecues and dinners—all made easier in a newly built home. Ashbury Estate offers larger 32 metre deep block sizes that perfectly accommodate homes for families who enjoy entertaining- plenty of space for garden, deck and pool! Modern floor plans have options galore for wannabe hosts and hostesses. You can choose from a butler’s pantry to hide your kitchen mess from your dinner guests, or a large covered deck for outdoor soirees minus the sunburn. A guest suite for out of town relatives to stay is always a winner. Generous open plan living means adults can enjoy a drink in the living area, whilst keeping an eye on kids in the garden. Entertaining at home options are endless with a newly built home. Admittedly, yes, these can all be done with older homes too, but will add considerable expense and time to your renovation budget.
Reasons new homes are best #6: low maintenance living
Owners of older homes are living on the edge of potential surprise. The old plumbing could go at any time. Tree roots might upset your foundations or a strong storm may bring new cracks in the walls – the risks are endless. And it always seems to happen just when you’ve splurged on Christmas or a holiday and your contingency funds are low. Of course newly built homes are not immune to disasters, but you’re much less likely to suffer a broken down hot water service or find your garage door won’t stop opening and closing when you build your own brand new home, made to current building specifications and with new appliances throughout.
So, have you been persuaded that building your own new home is best? There’s so many other things that could be added to the list: faster building turnaround, less time out of your home, dedicated project managers, plus that all-important—the indescribable new home smell!