Seven Reasons to Include Existing Homes for Sale in Tri Cities WA on Your House Hunt
While a newly built home may seem tempting, existing homes for sale in Tri Cities WA have distinct advantages for homebuyers.
When you are looking at homes for sale in Tri Cities, WA, the temptation to focus your house hunt on newly constructed house tends to be strong. For instance, most people like the idea of living in a home where no one else has lived. Others may think that moving into a just-constructed home means little to no maintenance, which is rarely the case. For example, the chances are that you will need to dedicate weekends to laying sod, tending to newly planted shrubs and trees, and creating flower beds. While you may opt to hire a professional landscaping company to do this work for you, this option is expensive.
The Advantages of Previously Owned Houses for Sale in Tri Cities WA
If you are house hunting and one or more of these descriptions sound like you and your family, purchasing one of the existing homes for sale in Tri Cities WA may be the best option for you:
• You want to live in a neighborhood where you have access to amenities as soon as you move into your new home. If you move into a new development, you might need to waiting for the developer to install the community pool and build the clubhouse.
• You are relocating to the Tri Cities area so postponing your move-in day due to construction delays is going to cause your family hardship. If you hire a contractor to build a custom home, or if you purchase an upgraded spec home under construction in a new neighborhood, bad weather or problems with the shipment of materials can delay your move-in date for weeks. This may mean you incur the expense of staying in a hotel with your family. In the worst case, you might have to start a new job later than the date your new employers wants you to begin.
• You want to get the most house for your money. According to Zillow, newly built homes cost about 20 percent more at closing than existing homes do. Depending on the builder, you may need to pay extra for certain appliances like a washing and dryer as well as a refrigerator. Even though you have a new and efficient HVAC system, you may have higher energy costs since your property does not have mature trees to block cold winds or the hot sun.
Other benefits to selecting a house from the wide variety of previously owned homes for sale in the Tri Cities WA area include:
• Established neighborhoods tend to cluster around the city center, which gives you and your family easy access to shopping, entertainment, dining, and recreation facilities. New developments are usually in the exurbs, meaning a significant drive to supermarkets and for appointments.
• Older homes tend to have a distinct character that is difficult to find in new homes for sale in the Tri Cities area.
• Many times, the seller will have already replaced worn or outdated appliances, HVAC systems, and other major systems. In addition, the homeowner will have painted and installed new flooring or carpeting in high traffic areas, so the home is “almost like new.”
Even if you select one of the new homes for sales in Tri Cities, WA, remember to arrange a home inspection since even a just-built home may have structural problems or with a major system.