Buying New Construction in Western New York, With Someone Beside You
Finding the builders and communities that fit your price point, touring them with you and timing the sale of your current home.
What buying new construction involves
If you are thinking about building, you are choosing a floor plan, a lot and a set of options, and working with a builder's team instead of a seller. For many of the people I work with, it comes up alongside an existing home. They are ready for more space or less maintenance, they are open to a home that is already built, and they want to know what building something that fits them exactly would look like.
Both paths are worth seeing. An existing home gives you a finished house, a known neighborhood and a shorter wait. A new build gives you the layout you chose and the specifications you picked. I help you compare them fairly before you decide which one is right for you.
Map out your next move before you need to make it.
What to settle before you tour a community
Before you tour, it helps to settle four things: the most you want to spend, counting the monthly cost and not only the price; the features you will not give up; when you want to be in the home; and what has to happen with the home you live in now. The answers keep you from falling for a community that does not fit.
Start with a conversation before you visit a builder
Builders in this area pay close attention to how a buyer first comes to them, and many decide how they will work with an agent at the very first contact. So the best time to talk with me is before you visit a model home or a sales office, not after.
You do not need to choose a builder before asking for help. Tell me whether you are comparing a build with an existing home or deciding where to begin. I help you identify which questions to take to a builder.
If you decide you want to work with me, I tell you how to handle the first contact with a builder so the way you come in is clear from the start. You are not bothering me with a question, and nothing has to be decided in a first conversation.
Finding the builders and communities that fit your price point
I help you compare builders and communities around your complete budget and the home you need. The floor plan, lot and included specifications matter more than whether a model home looks appealing.
I take you to tour the different communities, so you can see the lots, the model homes and the surroundings with your own eyes. If a community is a fit, you and I narrow to the builders working in it. Touring is how most people learn what they actually want, and it is much cheaper to learn it on a Saturday than after a contract.
The first meeting with the builder
When you like an area, I coordinate an initial meeting with the builder. At that meeting you look at their floor plans, their options and their pricing, and you ask the questions that matter to you. I attend so you have someone who has seen how this works before, and who can tell you what to ask.
You do not need to commit to anything at the first meeting. It is how you learn what the builder offers, what it costs and how they work, so that you can compare it with the other builders and with an existing home.
How involved I am
I can be as involved as you want me to be, or as involved as the builder allows. Some buyers prefer to hand off to the builder's team and their process once they have chosen. Others want me beside them through the contract and the build. Either way is fine, and I tell you what the builder permits.
I am always available to help you review the contract, and your attorney advises you on it as well. I am not an attorney, and the contract is a legal document, so I read it with you and your attorney does the legal part.
Compare the complete home, not the base price
Ask the builder for a written explanation of what is included and what changes the price. A model home shows possibilities; it does not establish what comes with the home you would buy.
- Which lot, floor plan and structural choices does the quote cover?
- Which finishes are included, and which selections add cost?
- Are landscaping, driveway, appliances and other exterior work included?
- What deposits and payments are due, and when do selections become binding?
- How are changes, completion estimates, walkthroughs and warranty questions handled?
Use the same monthly-cost comparison for new and existing homes: financing, taxes, insurance, any association fee and work still left to do. Your lender confirms the financing and your attorney reviews the contract terms. I help you gather the answers so the comparison is based on the home you would receive.
Timing the sale of your current home
A builder's estimated completion date can change. Before choosing a listing date for your current home, identify which construction milestones support that estimate and what would happen if the build takes longer.
Work through the cost of carrying both homes, temporary housing and storage with your lender and the people handling the move. Ask your attorney how the contract handles delays and possession. I coordinate the sale plan with the information available; I cannot guarantee simultaneous closings or a fixed construction schedule.
I plan it around two strategies, selling first or buying first, and I show you what each one asks of your finances before you sign anything. You can read how that works on the page about moving up to your next home, and how I run the sale on my selling process page.
New construction in Lancaster and across Western New York
I am based in Lancaster and can help you compare a local build with options elsewhere in Western New York. The address and completion schedule need to fit your move as well as the floor plan.
I check current builder availability when you are ready to compare. An older community page or proposed subdivision is not evidence of an available lot. The area guide helps place the search, and a review of your current home's value can help establish the sale side of the budget.
This describes general planning, not legal, tax or lending advice. If you are wondering whether building is right for you, talk with me about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I look at existing homes as well as new construction?
Yes, and many of the people I work with do. I help you compare a new build with existing homes at your price point, so you decide with both in front of you.
Can I contact a builder or visit a model home on my own?
You can look at communities on your own. If you think you may want my help, talk with me first, because many builders decide how they will work with an agent at the first contact, and I can tell you how to handle it. If you decide to work with me, I make the first contact for you.
Do I need to have my agent come with me to the builder's sales office?
No, you do not have to, but I highly encourage you to have me attend the initial meeting. There is a lot involved with new construction, and many buyers feel overwhelmed at the first one. I know which questions to ask for your specific situation, and I am a second set of eyes and ears if something needs clarifying afterward.
What if construction is delayed after I sell my home?
Plan that possibility before listing. Compare temporary housing, storage and moving costs, and have your attorney explain the builder contract's delay provisions. I coordinate around the builder's current milestones, without treating an estimated completion as guaranteed.
Can you help me review the builder's contract?
Yes, I am available to help you review it. I am not an attorney, so your attorney advises you on the contract as well.
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Ready to make your move with Merritt Kreutzer Real Estate?