Build or Buy? Why We decided to Buy our First House

Last month my husband and I purchased our very first home! We searched for over a year before finally finding the perfect place for us and our future family. While we were in the market for a house, we considered building. In fact, we met with two different builders and planned out two different houses before we decided to purchase a house. If you are struggling to decide whether to Build or Buy a house. And you’d like to know why we ultimately decided to buy a home instead of building a home, keep reading.

The Cost : One major reason why we purchased a house is because we had a budget and we wanted to stick to it. When we met with builders they were able to give us estimates for the price of a house. BUT those estimates were base prices for the basic structure of the home. There was a whole design process which would have resulted in additional costs. Additionally, we knew that unexpected costs could spring up. Buying a house allowed us to avoid all (well most) of the unexpected.

The Features : When we were house hunting we didn’t have too many things on our wish list. We wanted a house that was less than 10 years old and a specific number bedrooms. We preferred a house with modern fixtures but, we knew we could change those on our own. Other than that we were pretty open minded. If you’re laid back by us, your dream home is out there somewhere waiting for you to buy it. If you are the type of person who wants very specific or unique features building that house may make more sense.

The Neighborhood : Before we found the perfect house we found the perfect neighborhood. There were tons of young kids, lots of diversity, and it seems like the perfect place to live. One great thing about buying a house was that it allowed us to become part of an already existing community. When you build you may be the first or one of the first houses in the neighborhood. And, it may take a while for those same community feelings to develop. While I don’t think the number of houses in your neighborhood should be a deal breaker, it is something to consider.

The Timeline : The biggest reason we decided to buy instead of build was that we wanted to move ASAP. After over 2 years of apartment living we were ready to have a place of our own. When we met with builders we were given timelines of 7 – 12 months. But even that time wasn’t set in stone. Building a home comes with so much uncertainty and anything can result in delay. If you’re on a tight timeline, like we were, it might be better to buy a house.

I’m super excited to finally have a place to call our own. I’m also excited to take you on this journey to turn our new house into a home! If you have any questions on our house purchasing experience,  let me know below.

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