Recently, I was able to help my clients Michelle and Darrell close on a new build, or new construction home in Santa Clarita, CA. We began touring the showcase homes of several builders - TriPointe and Pardee - in early May. They ultimately decided upon a Pardee home and were able to select not only the site of their future home, but its features and design as well. My clients broke ground on the construction in the summer, and moved into their new home at the end of November!
Upon moving in, they even made a few updates to their brand new home, including adding adding shiplap as an accent wall in Darrell's home office, adding shiplap and a mantle to their fireplace surround in the living room, and painting select walls around their home. I sat down with them to get their thoughts and perspective on purchasing a home that they got to build from the ground up. And if you're thinking about buying a new construction home, let's chat!
- Why did you choose a new construction home?
D: We decided on new construction because we really enjoy having the ability to pick and choose what options we can have in our home upon move in.
M: You would think it’s the fact that we like the idea of being the first in the home but in reality, we are not handy people. We don’t enjoy fixing up things or living through construction. We want it all set when we move in. - What was your favorite part about the process? What was your least favorite part?
M: My favorite part was picking the little details from the cabinet knobs, to the doors, to what fits our personalities. Also, we were able to go to our site while it was being built and we could watch everything from the cement pouring, to the framing, and dry wall, etc. We appreciated watching it come to fruition. My least favorite: The long, long, construction period. - What's your advice to buyers considering a new construction home?
D: New home construction is not for everyone. There are things to consider before jumping in. Typically when you buy a new home, you’re also buying a new neighborhood. So although you’ll have newer amenities around the community, depending on which phase you purchase, you might not enjoy them for months or years. Buying a new home is also like being in a candy store. There are so many things you can do to upgrade your home, and it is easy to get carried away. It's very important that when you purchase a new construction home, you walk in with a clearly defined game plan and budget. - Why did you decide to make changes to your home upon moving in?
D: We changed our flooring and highlighted some accent walls! We opted to get flooring after the fact because it saved us some money versus having the builder install it. We also wanted a look that is custom to our home, so Joycelynn helped us pick out an accent paint color, decide which walls to add shiplap to, and referred us to great resources that made our dream come true in a matter of weeks. - How did that process go?
D: With anything new, it’s scary, but once we saw the final design, we fell in love. - What's your favorite part of the house?
M: Knowing we picked our lot and every piece of the house to our liking. There is not one part of it we regret.
D: Well, we love the whole house. If I had to pick one area, I would say the kitchen. We have a great open concept with a wonderful view. It feels like a vacation every day!
