When my husband and I went house hunting eight years ago, I wanted a new home. I liked the idea of having everything brand new and not having to deal with dated décor, like old shag carpeting and wallpaper from the 1970s. I also thought that since my husband and I aren't skilled do-it-yourselfers, buying new would present fewer problems and less maintenance. (I may have been wrong about that. See post, "Faulty Flashing.")

Pros of a new home

When we found a new subdivision of 10 homes being built in the center of an established town (the site was once a nursery), we jumped on it. (Or, rather I went for it and convinced my husband to go for it, too.)

For the most part, I enjoy owning a new (or now, fairly new) home. Although the choices presented to us by the builder were limited, we got to pick out our cabinetry and flooring, and when we moved in, all the walls were white -- a blank canvas for our own changes. Also, I like the open floor plan of our house.

Cons

But there are some drawbacks to buying new -- of course, there's the wait (and delays) associated with waiting for a new home to be completed. Also, there's no way of really knowing what you're home will be like until after it's built -- or how it will be situated on your lot -- until the home is completed. (For example, our home's front yard is more steeply graded than I remembered it being when we viewed the empty lot. Also, I didn't realize just how small our backyard would be once the home was built.)

Home-shopping 411

Confused about whether you should buy a new or "gently used" home? Check out Jen A. Miller's story, "Choosing Between Old and New Houses," on Cyberhomes.com. In it, she details the pros of buying a new home (such as getting a more modern floor plan) and the drawbacks (cookie cutter construction) and the pros and cons of buying an older home (more character, but more maintenance). You may find out that there's more to think about than you thought.—Lauren Baier Kim