Buying a newly constructed home in
the St. Louis or St. Charles County areas can be an exciting adventure. New
house smell? Check. Custom to your
design and function needs? Check. The
latest in home building technologies? Check. What about where to begin? Or which home builder
to trust? Um… This is why contacting a
Realtor with experience in new construction homes is the first step of the
journey to owning a new home. We help new homebuyers understand the process and
check off every single box for the project.
When you contact a Realtor or home builder about buying new construction the conversation will likely begin with a variety of questions about your needs. So before you even make that first call, determine your answers to the following questions.
When you contact a Realtor or home builder about buying new construction the conversation will likely begin with a variety of questions about your needs. So before you even make that first call, determine your answers to the following questions.
Buying New Construction? Start By Answering These Questions
What is your budget?
Knowing how much home you can afford will help you choose the best new construction home for you. To help you determine budget, you can use our handy mortgage calculator to calculate approximate monthly payments. Also, you’ll want to reach out to a mortgage professional to give you the best mortgage rates based on your credit score. Keep in mind if you are purchasing a property that includes a monthly fee, that fee must be considered in the amount of home you qualify to buy.
Need a good mortgage professional? Contact The Boehmer Team and we’ll give you some names of trusted local professionals.
Selling a current home can be a big part of paying for a new home. If you have a home to sell, tell your Realtor so that they can create a competitive market analysis for your home to determine its current market value. A qualified Realtor can tell you what to expect on the sale price of your home, how long it has taken to sell comparable homes and what concessions may have been made to sell comparable homes. This will give you an idea of how much you will have toward your new home.
Do you have a time frame for when you must be moved into your new home?
If you have a deadline by which you must be moved into your new home, it is important to tell your Realtor. This will help determine whether you have the time to completely build a home from scratch or if you would be better off looking at other great options for buying new construction like buying a home currently being constructed or buying a builder inventory home.
Where do you want your new home to be located?
Determine the area where you want to live. Some good things to consider are school district and commute time. If you already have property where you want your new home built this may change your options for which builders you can use. Some builders create custom homes at any location, while others work within communities that they are building.
How involved do you want to be in the home design process?
The amount that you customize a home will affect your time frame and price. While builders allow choice of materials for the interior and exterior of a home, some materials cost more than others so these choices will affect your overall price. Design choices may also affect price as well as move-in timelines as it takes time to choose and order materials.
What are your must-have features and amenities?
Know the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and garage spaces you require. Think of the other amenities that you’ve been dreaming of too, like a fireplace, main floor laundry, additional separate office space, deck, mudroom with dog wash or something else. Make a list and be prepared to give it to your Realtor.
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