While there are certain charms to owning an old house, you will always be buying something designed for someone else, with potentially unseen faults that could not emerge for years to come. One way to avoid these issues, which is becoming increasingly popular, is to go the new build route. A record 240,000 new homes were built in 2018-19, many of them by people inspired by shows like grand designs, which have made the experience less alien and shown what’s possible. However, as well as allowing home personalisation and peace of mind, new builds can often also be cheaper than buying completed homes!
Savings
There are several ways you can save by going the new build route. To start with, you’ll only pay stamp duty on the land you purchase, rather than on the whole house. Next, you’ll be able to claim VAT back on a lot of the costs involved, cutting a significant chunk of the costs by a further 20%. On average, homes which are bought already built cost 20% more than the cost of land, materials and labour – with just these three savings, you’re approaching a 40% saving, forgetting the other benefits!
Other benefits
As well as making significant initial savings, as you’re building the house from scratch, you can spec it out to your exact requirements. Certain things, like excellent insulation, low energy light bulbs, and solar power, can cut running costs to a minimum, meaning you’ll be saving on energy bills for as long as you live there. A good energy rating also makes the house much easier to sell, as more and more people look for eco-friendly and cheap homes to live in and run!
What you buy is what you get. When you go with a new build, you know that there won’t be any costly renovations in the near future – not only will everything be fresh and unused, it’ll be covered by guarantees, meaning it’s highly unlikely any costs will spring up for a long time to come.
In addition to these financial benefits, you can completely personalise the place, from the get-go. It merits a lot of thought, because you can literally have it any way you like it, as long as the design fits within your budget. A sound insulated garage if you think your daughter looks like she might end up playing the drums, underfloor heating in every room if you’re not a big fan of slippers or carpets, it can all be done.
Castle Green Homes
While the prospect may seem a little daunting, it shouldn’t and doesn’t need to be. Castle Green Homes can provide you with a new build, both personalised and built to the highest specifications and with a ten-year warranty service from NHBC, giving you complete peace of mind.
