Why Buy New: Lower Maintenance and Operation Costs

Moving into your new home in Florida should leave you thinking about paint colors, not plumbing repairs! When considering whether you would like to buy a new home or a used home, one of your considerations should be the cost of maintenance.

According to Census data analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) a newer home costs less to maintain than an older home, and the cost for utilities (operating your home) is also considerably lower because of energy-efficient technology and modern building practices. And, a new home will not require the costly renovations needed to personalize and update an older home.

Keeping your homeownership costs low by buying a new home means more of your hard-earned money can go towards fun things like travel and date nights.

Initial Cost + Ongoing Costs

Used homes usually attract first-time home buyers because of their seemingly low prices. However, what most first-time buyers fail to take into consideration is their maintenance budget. The older the home, the more money you’re going to spend on remodeling, routine maintenance, and emergency replacement.

According to the NAHB, newer homes (built after 2008) average $241 a year to maintain, while homes built in the 1980’s average $633 annually to maintain — more than 2.5 times a newer home. Typical routine maintenance includes painting and minor repairs to plumbing, HVAC, fencing, etc.

Buying used can mean replacing an old water heater, rewiring faulty electricity, buying new appliances, fixing the plumbing, resealing the driveway, re-grouting the tile, and even more expensive replacements like a roof. These problems can unexpectedly add to your monthly bills. And, this doesn’t even account for “optional" renovations to update an older home and making it better suited to your modern lifestyle.

Home Repair Costs

Buying new will always win the battle in an ongoing maintenance cost comparison. In addition to the ongoing maintenance costs mentioned above, a used home, you must consider possible repairs needed to worn-out plumbing, electrical, roofing, and appliances. Take into consideration the estimated costs for these common used-home repairs according to Home Advisor.

Compared to buying a new home that already includes brand-new wiring, paint, plumbing, fixtures, and finishes (selected by you and not previous owners, none the less) there is no contest as to which options will save you money and keep you from being stressed about unexpected repairs.

Save On Your Utility Bill

The beautiful summers in Florida are approaching and keeping a house comfortable and cool can really impact your utility bill. The NAHB study found that newer homes cost about $1.04 per square foot for annual utilities while older homes average $1.28-$1.62 per square foot. So, to break that down, a 1,800 square foot home built before 1960 would cost you $2,916 per year for utilities while a newer home of the same size would only cost $1,872 annually. That’s more than $1,000 in savings — every year!

As a company that not only builds new homes in Florida but is based here as well, Highland Homes understands the value of building with energy-efficient products and designs to keep your Florida new home cool, all year long.  Every Highland home is built with:

• Programmable Thermostat — Allows you to program different temperatures for times when you are away from home, which uses less energy than maintaining a cool temperature 24/7.
• 14 SEER Energy-Efficient Heat Pump — SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) refers to the efficiency of your A/C equipment — the higher the SEER, the lower your cooling costs. For example, a 14 SEER unit will save you about 7.2 percent in utility costs compared to a 13 SEER unit, and 50 percent savings over a 7 SEER unit.
• Low E, Double Pane Windows — Reduces heat radiating into your home through the windows (plus, a tilt-in sash makes cleaning the glass a breeze!)
• Insulation — R-30 in living area ceilings, R-4.2 on exterior masonry walls, and R-11 batts between the house and garage provide a barrier against heat entering through the walls or ceiling.
• R-11 Foam Injected Wall Block Insulation — Insulating foam fills the hollow concrete cells of your exterior block walls and provides an additional barrier against heat entering your home
• Rapid Recovery 50-Gallon (min) Hot Water Heater — Uses less energy to maintain water temperature than standard units.
• Fiberglass Insulated Entry Doors — Offer up to four times the insulating value of wood doors, along with excellent durability and style

In addition to these products built into every home, we offer upgrade options you can choose to further increase your home’s efficiency such as Radiant Barrier, an insulating foil shield stapled to your roof trusses which lowers your utility bill by 8 to 12 percent, saving the average household $25 per month!

Save Money and Buy New

Rather than plan to spend future time and money on renovating and repairing a used-up home, why not take that same money and invest in a wiser choice? All costs considered, starting fresh, and buying new is the most affordable option for many home buyers.

In addition to money savings, new homes are built with modern design and the features you are looking for such as open layouts, kitchen islands, built-in storage and organization space, garages, and outdoor living areas. When you build with Highland Homes, your home is truly designed by you and built for you. You choose everything from your home plan and home site to paint colors, fixtures, and finishes throughout your home to truly make it your own.

As the icing on the cake, our new homes in Florida include valuable warranty protection. For your first year of ownership, you are covered by a One Year Builder Warranty protecting your home against material defects. Your home is also covered by a 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty providing two years of systems surety coverage and ten full years of structural warranty coverage — how’s that for peace of mind? On top of these warranties which Highland Homes provides to protect your investment, products in your home are covered by manufacturer warranties on everything from the carpet to the shingles!

New homes in Tampa, Orlando, Lakeland, East Polk County, Manatee County, Ocala, and throughout Central Florida are affordably priced from the mid $100’s to $300’s with a variety of home sizes and layouts to choose from. To find your new home designed for your life, contact our Florida new home specialists at (863) 797-4999 or send us a message online!