Thinking about relocating to a new neighborhood, city or state? The decision might be made for you thanks to a new job or family circumstances. But regardless, moving means deciding whether to build a new Florida home or buy an existing one.

Building a new home or buying a resale both carry advantages and disadvantages. It’s smart to be open-minded about the possibility that finding your Florida dream home may require building it. And, that building it may provide the best bang for your bucks. Allow us to help you navigate “decision overwhelm.”

Building Inspector Looking At New Property

Customization

It seems simple, but if you want to customize any aspect of a resale home, expect a renovation. Hollywood makes comedies about home-renovation adventures. Seriously, customizing a new home that’s being built for you, as part of the process, often comes at no extra cost. More closets? Incorporate them. Specially-placed electrical outlets in a home office? Done. Granite or marble countertops? Your choice. As are cabinet finishes, paint colors and — in many cases — even tweaks to home plans.

You have control over your exterior and interior appearances. With a resale home, customization often means erasing the previous owner’s vision before installing yours.

Warranty

If you’re a practical type, this aspect may seal the deal. Things break in old and new homes — Murphy’s Law — but most new homes come with a builder’s comprehensive warranty. Someone else is responsible for fixing the gutter downspouts that failed during your new home’s first tropical downpour. It’s also why you choose a well-recommended and experienced builder. One call to that person or company office does it all.

Energy Efficiency

New homes contain the latest technology, environmentally-friendly materials and state-of-the-art appliances. This all has a direct effect on your utility bills. As in, reduces them. Not to mention giving you peace of mind about your carbon footprint.

Buying a resale home rolls the dice with energy efficiency. Most older homes simply don’t have it by today’s standards and at some point, even if you don’t do it immediately, you’ll have to replace appliances, re-roof, add attic insulation, etc. Ugh.

Less Maintenance

See above. But, it extends beyond energy efficiency. New homes are built for minimal maintenance because building materials constantly are being tested and refined. They endure and look great far longer than the exterior paint on that 20-year-old fixer-upper that’s tempting you.

On a new home, you don’t scrape old plywood fascia and repaint it. All you’ll ever do, at most, is occasionally pressure-wash a modern version. And isn’t that what neighborhood kids are for?

Safety

Same concept as energy efficiency and low-maintenance building materials. Except that your household’s safety is priceless.

New construction ensures up-to-date safety features. This includes smoke alarms and GFI (or GFCI, ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets; the latter protects people from shock by shutting off if it detects abnormality in an electrical current. Today’s building materials also slow down a fire rather than accelerate it.

Need we bring up the subject of storms? New homes must adhere to the Florida Building Code, which stipulates materials and building techniques that stand up to Mother Nature. These include impact-resistant window glass and shutters, and wind-and-water-resistant roofs. All of which combine to give you confidence in the sturdiness of your new home.

Still on the cost-savings fence between buying a resale or building new? Total up the customization, warranty, energy-efficiency, low-maintenance and safety attributes of building new, then the potential hassle and angst of renovation. We think the “new” advantages are clear.

If you agree, click here. As Florida’s Custom Home Builder, ICI Homes can make your new-home dream come true.