Central Keystone Living - Fall 2017 - 26

NEW CONSTRUCTION VS. AN EXISTING HOME
The Choice is Yours

any a prospective homeowner has struggled with the question
of whether to build a brand-new home or buy one that's already
been lived in. Clearly, there are arguments for both sides.

Building the home you've always wanted can be a dream come
true, and it's a sure bet that the 2017 Harrisburg Parade of Homes,
set for Saturday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 1, will get a lot of
prospective homeowners dreaming.
Having a home built for you, however, also means that you'll need
to spend a lot of time and energy making decisions about what the
home will look like. While some people find those decisions to be
exciting, others view them as stressful.
There also are financial considerations when deciding whether to
build or buy. Generally, it's considered less expensive per square
foot to buy an existing home, but older homes can cost more to
maintain than a new home.
In the end, whether to build or buy is a decision that must be made
by the person or family who will live in the house.
Central Keystone Living asked some area home builders to weigh in on
the rewards and possible challenges of building and moving into a
brand-new home. Mark S. McNaughton of McNaughton Homes in
Harrisburg made the case for new construction, and offered some
advice for new homeowners.

CKL ASKED: What is the difference between moving into a newly
constructed home and one that was previously lived in?
MCNAUGHTON HOMES ANSWERED: There are any number of benefits
to buying a new home over a pre-existing home. The most readily
apparent is that EVERYTHING in the new home is just that;
new. A buyer is not purchasing someone else's appliances, flooring,
faucets, tubs and showers, and the list goes on and on.
A new home allows a buyer to personalize both the interior and
exterior colors of the home. If you want stainless steel appliances,
you simply choose them. That's not an option on a pre-existing
home. If you want ceramic in the bathroom for your flooring,
that too can be done in a new home. Not so easy in a pre-existing
home. How about wanting gray siding and white mortar in the stone
veneer? Easily accomplished with a new home over a pre-existing
home, and the number of choices and combinations are seemingly
endless on a newly built home.
If you buy an older home, the insulation standards are different,
the wall construction of the exterior of the home is different,
the operation and comfort of the heating system is different, the
electrical wiring used is different and the structural strength of the
home is different. All of these differences are due to changes that
have taken place since 2009.
Q: Is there typically an inspection prior to when homeowners
move into their brand-new home?
A: Not just one inspection but FIVE during the construction of
the home. Footer, foundation, framing, insulation and final inspection all take place prior to a buyer moving in. Not only that,
but there are two electrical inspections and on every single-family
McNaughton Home, a blower door test is completed to record
how energy efficiently the home was constructed and what could
be the percentage of savings on utility bills each month compared
to existing homes and other new homes on the market.

Central Keystone Living // FALL 2017

franckito / 123RF

Prior to settlement, a walk-through is performed and a McNaughton
Homes representative explains all the features and benefits of the
new home to the buyer. And it's also an opportunity to once again
perform a thorough inspection of all the newly installed items in
the home to correct any imperfections which may be noted.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Keystone Living - Fall 2017