New Home Vs Old Home With Character From The Finer Group

Which is better old homes with tonnes of character and a comforting lived in quality or a fresh new build home? It’s a tough question to answer. Whilst many property experts argue that young renters and prospective buyers need new build homes because they suit their modern lifestyle, there are still just as many positives to buying an older, more established home. The only way to decide which one is right for you, is to weigh up which benefits suit you best.

Benefits of an old character home

  1. No long irritating snagging list (a list of defects and problems a builder gives when a new build home is finished) you’re buying a home that is likely up to scratch and so lived in that any minor or major problems will have been dealt with years (decades? centuries even!) ago.
  2. The property is likely to be found in an area with a well-established community and amenities.
  3. The garden will be mature, meaning there’s no recently-laid turf or new trees and plants growing.
  4. If you don’t like certain aspects of the house, you can knock down some walls, repaint and install your own idea of a home. This could potentially add value to your property.
  5. All the services: broadband, gas, electricity etc. will all be easy to re-establish from the previous owner.

Benefits of a new build home

  1. New homes are packed with lots more extra features than older properties. This could include the most efficient boiler, all the mod-cons in the kitchen and other excellent editions like solar power.
  2. New homebuilders will usually offer a range of different benefits (location, quality of amenities etc.) which is something the properties on the second hand market cannot hope to match.
  3. An efficient boiler and the possible addition of solar power means that new build homes are the most energy efficient on the market, which could save you thousands on gas, electricity and water.
  4. All quality new build homes come with a NHBC 10-year warranty, meaning you know you’ve got support if an undetected issue develops with the new building.
  5. The price of new builds are now more in line with those of the second-hand market which means there is a lot less of the ‘brand new’ premium.

There’s certainly no edge to either and it will likely come down to your own preferences and tastes when it comes to what you want your home to look like and contain. Either way it’s nice to know that both types have their own benefits.