Torn Between Buying New Real Estate And Building A New Custom Home?

By Kevin Harris


Ready to take the reap into home ownership? If you've already saved up the cash, congrats -- you've just completed the hardest part of the journey. This means you're ready to tackle the decision that's been bothering you all along: Should you build a custom home or just buy one? Between Bang Saray real estate agents and financial advisors, you'll constantly hear that the latter's a safer and more sensible option.

In reality though, you'll find that few (if any) available properties for sale are built to cater for your desired living patterns. In particular, purchasing a ready-made home could mean making compromises in your commitment to live sustainably. By contrast, a custom build will allow you to fully adopt the latest concepts.

It's worth highlighting that you don't have to conform to the strictest green standards to develop an eco-friendly home. What's important, rather, is to make the right investments in the key areas. In that regard, it would help to:

Choose the Location Carefully: You can save yourself lots of headaches by choosing a plot that has utilities in close proximity. Just make sure to study its topographic details prior to buying. Ideally, it should allow you to orient the house in such a way that the longest sides face north or south. Also consider how the surrounding landscape will affect construction and vice versa.

Size Your Needs: The bigger a house is, the more it costs to build and maintain. Now, that's not to say that you should keep square footage to a minimum. What really matters is to keep your lifestyle in mind when sizing your home -- this will help you avoid paying for space that ends up sitting unused.

Opt For Green Materials: From the foundation to the attic, you want to use materials that will minimize the impact of construction on the environment. Look for products such as reclaimed wood, plastic, glass, as well as natural products like cork, bamboo and linoleum. It's worth noting that these won't cost you more than their conventional counterparts -- just as long as you purchase them from sources closest to the construction site.

Go Solar: Modern solar setups are a far cry from their predecessors in both form and function. Combined with the tax breaks and grants offered by governments, this has made going solar such a lucrative proposition for homeowners. And there's no better time to do it -- integrating solar from the ground up is a lot cheaper than having the equipment retrofitted later.

Keep it Tight: Or rather, tightly insulated -- it's the most effective way to lower your ongoing heating and cooling costs. The principle works best when applied to a multi-story structure, but what should use for the insulation itself? Closed-cell spray foam is your best bet due to its superior thermal performance and pliability. This means it'll tightly seal all nooks and crannies around your home.

No prizes for guessing that your custom home build will involve a whole lot more elements. With these points in mind, however, you're now in a position to start laying the framework. Although the project won't be as easy as purchasing an already-developed property, you won't have to put up with the headaches of revamping one.




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