Current Topic:
Buying New-Buying Old

New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable resale homes, and buyers are usually willing to spend more on a new home because of lower maintenance costs, plus the fact that they have a choice in the decisions regarding specific colors, decorating, etc. Builders' warranties on new homes, along with a new roof, appliances, and major systems, usually make major repairs unnecessary and help to counter a slower initial rate of appreciation.

A 1991 Census Bureau Housing Survey suggests that operating costs are lowest for brand new homes, slightly higher for relatively new existing homes, but lower on average for older existing homes. Operating costs per square foot of living space, however, are consistently higher for progressively older existing homes. Utility costs represent the largest factor in operating costs. Energy consumption per square foot depends on the size of the home, the insulation and quality of the windows, air leakage and the efficiency of the furnace.

New homes require fewer expenditures for routine maintenance. The cost of maintenance first increases with age, then declines, so you will generally spend less maintaining a home built before 1960 than for a home built between 1970 and 1975.