There are a great number of benefits to owning a new home including open floor plans, spacious closet space, high countertops and ceilings, and luxurious master baths. You can also expect a new home to have the latest advances in energy efficiency, which saves its owners money each and every month.

New home lots available at Bergen Place West.
Given the many advantages of new homes, it’s not surprising they’re one of the most shopped housing styles. Even so, many homebuyers neglect to shop around for new homes because they assume the process is complicated and expensive. Well Bill Beazley Homes can finally lay that myth to rest. With the right steps buying a new home can be simple, cost-effective, and pleasant.

Creek Bend offers walking trails and community parks
4 New Home Buyer Questions
Step 1: How Much Home Can You Afford?
Don’t make the mistake of pre-approving yourself for a mortgage without talking to a financial expert first. If you don’t understand the entire process, you could be way in over your head and either overestimating your income or limiting yourself unnecessarily. We at Bill Beazley Homes suggest getting a grip on how much home you can afford by consulting a financial advisor first thing.

Resort style swimming pool at Gregg’s Mill
STEP 2: What are Your Needs?
As you consider your wish list, it is important to separate your must-haves from your nice-to-haves. This requires thinking about your lifestyle, as well as how your lifestyle will change in the not too distant future. By creating this list of preferences ahead of time, you can begin a more focused search. Aspects to consider are how much floor space you need, your ideal commute time, the quality of the schools in the area, and the distance to various amenities such as shops, restaurants, and hospitals. These factors should help you narrow your search down to a specific part of town.
Next is to define the basic features of the home you desire. These include more than just the number of bedrooms and baths. Think about whether or not you need a two car garage or three, whether you want a home office or a home yoga studio, and whether you would prefer the master bedroom on the first or second floor. Think about every little detail, as well as how your needs may change over the time you spend in your new home.
STEP 3: Where Do You Start?
Start online. With today’s modern innovations and apps, you’ll find photos, floor plans, home and community amenities, videos, virtual tours and more online. An initial online search saves homebuyers loads of time by finding them the homes that most closely match their criteria.
After you have secured a list of possible dream homes, the next step is to visit those homes and communities in person. Buying a home is quite a large investment; of course you need to see it before you buy it. Take a look at the model homes in the community as well as completed projects, and ask around about builder reputation. Don’t be shy! Take a walk around the neighborhood and speak to current residents for an even better perspective.

Hayne’s Station offers basement homes
STEP 4: Custom or Semi-Custom Home
Homebuilding is broken down into two broad categories semi-custom and custom homes. While both can offer a high quality home, the degree of personalization is different.
Semi-custom home builders offer a line of specific models that include several customizable parts such as appliances, cabinets, countertops, faucets and fixtures, flooring, lighting and more. This gives home buyers the ability to personalize their home without the stress of making too many decisions.
On the other hand, if you really wish to design a home from scratch, a custom home is the way to go. Custom homes are one-of-a-kind. Your imagination, your budget, and your local zoning rules are your only limitations. However, because they’re built to order, custom homes require more decision-making, more organization, and more planning on the part of the homebuyer.

Jr. Olympic swimming pool at Highgrove
Builders and consumers agree. Buying and building a new home is fun, exciting, and rewarding. And while at times, the decisions can seem daunting, one key has the power to unlock the secrets of a pleasant home building experience: Questions. Ask a ton of them. Ask, even if you believe you’re sure. As you do so, you will learn which type of home, products, mortgage, and community is right for you, allowing you to make a more informed decision.