Ponte Vedra Beach New Homes vs Resale (Exisiting) Homes
New Construction: To Be or Not To Be?
One of the first decision you need to make is how old of a home you want. This is true no matter the location. We have many parts of town to choose from for new construction:
- Ponte Vedra Beach
- Nocatee
- Jacksonville Beach
- Jacksonville
- Atlantic Beach
- St. Augustine
- Duval County
- St. Johns County
What makes our area in Northeast Florida unique is the affordability of the new homes. Most places show a huge difference in prices in new vs existing homes. In Northeast Florida that is not the case. So you should definitely check out the new homes in the part of town you are looking.
The Advantages of New Construction Homes are Plenty
- You design your own home or choose the floor plan. With an existing home you won't be making significant changes. So new construction is for you if you have unusual requirements. This would be features that you won't find normally in a resale home:
- Extra large rooms, closets or bathroom
- 4 Car or more garage
- Separate entrance for office or guest apartment
- 2nd Kitchen
- You choose the lot. You can choose your view. You can choose how big your back yard is. You can choose how much yard work you are going to have. Think about it...
- You choose the interior. Not only do you choose the floor plan but you choose the colors, the flooring and the counter top. It's rare to find an existing home that doesn't need some updating. Skip the cost, time and effort with a new home.
- An energy efficient home with low utility bills. It's amazing what is happening in construction technology. You have smart appliances that only use energy when needed and better insulation systems. You can update an existing home but not to the extent of energy efficiency in a new home.
- The builder will stand behind his product with a new home warranty. Yes you can get a 1 year warranty on an existing home. And you will need to renew it every year for $400 - $500 each year if you want to keep it. The builder usually has a 1 year "I will fix anything warranty" and then a 10 year structural warranty. On an existing home you will be working on the roof, hvac or a kitchen appliance before you move again. It's guaranteed to happen unless those items are new in your resale home.
There Are Also Advantages to Buying An Existing Home
Here are the reasons buyers gave for each purchase. Which category do you fall in?
Can't find a new home that works for you? That's ok there are still plenty of advantages for buying an existing home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee or Jacksonville.
- You are going to save money. There are more resales available. This means more options at more prices. Your same size resale is going to be less than the brand new home.
- You want an established neighborhood. This might mean having mature landscaping or larger lots found in older neighborhoods. It might mean being closer to grocery stores, restaurants and highway access. Newer homes are usually located further from the infrastructure (where the vacant land is).
- You can't wait for a new home to be built. A resale home can be available as soon as your financing is ready and the seller has moved out.
- You are handy. You will get a better deal on a home that you need to do work on.
- The neighborhood you want doesn't have new construction. Or doesn't have new construction in your price range. If you are looking at areas that are built out then new construction will be at a premium price. In our area this would be the Beaches including Ponte Vedra Beach and Atlantic Beach. In town it would be San Marco, Riverside and areas south along the St. Johns River. Gated, golf communities are built out except for:
Buying New vs Old Home Decision
Ready to start looking at homes? Need to sell your current home? Have questions? Let us know...