With the buyers' market in Edmonton, now is a great time to begin searching for your first home. But with so many options out there, where do you even begin? New home builds offer home buyers many great benefits not found in the resale market.

Let's explore eight great reasons why it makes sense to build your first home from the ground up - made just for you, and with all the features you want!

1) More Control of Your Bottom Line

If you go tour a resale home, the current owners are looking to sell it at as high a price as someone is willing to pay. This is because they've invested a large sum of money and several hours of labour over the years into renovations and/or improvements, and they want to see a return on their investment.

Even in a buyers' market, they will wait it out as long as they can - in the hopes someone will pay their asking price.

With a newly built home, that same pressure doesn’t exist because the home hasn’t been built yet. Each home builder will sell a home at a base price, with the price adjusting as you add upgrades or features. This gives you the control over how much money you want to spend on the home, while still getting what you’ve always wanted.

If you have room in your budget to swap out the base toilet and sink in the ensuite for something a little fancier, then go for it! Want specific cabinets installed in your kitchen? That’s an option too.

Home builders also run great promotions when inventory is high, making it even more enticing to buy new. Whether it’s a rebate on the price of your lot, a discount on the price of your home, or free or discounted landscaping, there are more opportunities to save money - a benefit you won't find with a resale home.

2. You Get to Choose Everything About Your Home

When you purchase a resale home, what you see is what you get, and often times you’re settling on the personal tastes of the original owner. Buying a new home allows you to invest in a home that fits your tastes and needs from the moment you move in. You don't have to worry about expensive renovations to truly be happy with the layout of your home.

When you build new, you’ll be able to choose everything from the type of home, the model, colour scheme, and to some degree, the layout as well. Customization options will vary from builder to builder, but they are willing to work with you to create what you want. You'll find some models have an alternate blueprint so you can develop the basement for more living space, while others have slightly different main and upper floor plans so you can choose the one that makes sense for your needs. It's great to have choices and be able to pick your perfect layout from the very beginning.

After you've decided which model and floor plan are right for you, you’ll be able to add your personal touch by selecting all the finishes and fixtures you want. The end result is not a house you’ve settled for and will inevitably want to make changes to, but a home that fits your needs and personality perfectly.

3. The Comfort of Knowing Exactly What You’re Buying

While resale homes can come with a lot of history, this isn’t really a benefit. When a homeowner sells their home they are obligated to disclose all information including recent renovations, deficiencies in heating and electrical systems, and anything else the new homeowner would need to know.

However, problems could exist that the current homeowner isn’t aware of, such as asbestos in the attic, faulty wiring or illegal renovations. Generally, an inspection will find most deficiencies but this is not always a guarantee.

With a newly built home, you know everything is brand new and built to the latest building code standards. The home’s major systems, such as the furnace, water heater, plumbing and electrical are all new and won’t need to be replaced for a very long time. This will give you more time to enjoy your home instead of working to keep it going.

4. You're Protected By a Great New Home Warranty

You'll be pleased to know that every newly built home in Alberta comes with a new home warranty to protect you from costly repairs. While this won’t cover repairs required due to the misuse of components or basic wear and tear, it will cover you for deficiencies outside your control.

This will give you peace of mind knowing that should something go wrong with your new home, your builder will be there to fix the problem.

5. You Get to Choose What Community You Want

So, yes... whether you choose to buy resale or build new, you're going to choose the community you want to live in.

But!

Resale homes aren't located in fantastic new, developing, thriving communities. New communities with amazing potential. Beautifully planned communities full of walking trails and green spaces and parks, like the Dino park in Meadowview! Plus, there are some great advantages to getting into a new community early.

Did we mention amenities? No? Oh, well that brings us to our next point!

6. Great Nearby Amenities

Building a new home doesn’t mean you have to live in the middle of nowhere and compromise on access to great amenities. Home builders want you to buy one of their homes, and land developers want you to live in their community. This is why new communities are located close to first-class amenities, including retail districts, recreation centres, schools, hospitals and so much more.

7. You Get to Choose Exactly Where You Want to Live

When you purchase a resale home, you are lucky if you find a home you like in the community you want to live in - generally, it’s a compromise. But what if you could not only find a home you love in your ideal community but be able to select the actual lot on which your home will be built?! This is the reality when you choose a new build home.

Want a corner lot? Would you like to walk out of your backyard and into a park, playground or natural area? While lots are zoned for certain types of homes, you will have quite a bit of flexibility choosing where to build your home. Depending on the community, there may even be public lots available, meaning you can pick your ideal lot first, then choose which builder you want to work with.

8. Select Your Own Builder

If choosing where your home will be built is not incentive enough to consider building a new home, you also get to choose your home builder.

In most cases, you will be able to choose from a number of builders in a community. This will provide you with numerous options, including various types of homes, floor plans, and options for finishes and fixtures.

If you’ve fallen in love with a home model from a particular builder, consider finding out which communities they are building in to see if this would fit your needs.

Whether you are just starting your home search or have been at it for a while, give serious consideration to building a new home. Not only will you have more options provided to you, but you will have peace of mind knowing your builder will be there to support you long after you move in.

*Originally posted August 19, 2016, updated January 15, 2019.