Build a New Home or Buy Existing?

“To build or to buy?” That’s the primary question to answer before building a new home. To help you decide, ask yourself these ten important questions. Be very honest. Answer each one carefully. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. You’re simply trying to determine the best course of action at this point in your life.

Questions to consider: (Yes or No)

1. Do I have a hard time making decisions?

2. Once I make decisions, do I struggle with wanting to change them?

3. Am I a perfectionist?

4. Is my schedule so busy it’s difficult to find time to do the things I enjoy?

5. Does uncertainty and lack of control add stress to my life?

6 Am I regularly disappointed by interactions with other people?

7. Do I handle conflict by looking for the win/win solution?

8. Do I have some available time in my life for the next year or so?

9. Am I realistic enough to recognize that things aren’t always perfect?

10. Is our family life stable enough to handle the additional activity? 

If you answered “no” to the first six questions and “yes” to the last four, you’re ready to build! If not, you may want to consider waiting on the building process. If your answers were different on more than three or four questions, I suggest you buy a house that is already built. In a consumer-driven economy, many families have been stretched and stressed because the timing wasn’t right or they weren’t the right profile of person to be building a new home. They would’ve been better off buying an existing home than going through a process that wasn’t suited for their life stage, temperament, or timing.

BOTTOM LINE: Carefully consider the decision to build or to buy before beginning the design/build process.