By Trisha Harinath
If you are a first-time home owner, there is already a lot to take into consideration when obtaining your dream home, without having to worry about money, and choosing between buying or building a home from scratch can be one of the hardest decisions to make.
Martin Thöle, from Build Aid – a company that specialises in calculating building costs – says that he finds that when buying an existing home, the property costs and improvements together are roughly the same price as the construction of a new home, excluding the costs for the actual land on which you are planning to build.
Mark Begbie, from architectural firm Mark Begbie Design, believes that building a new home is still advantageous, especially in the current economic climate. “With the shortage of work, you will be able to get some very good deals from services and suppliers,” adds Mark.
Charles Quintao, of CQ Builders, says that one of the greatest advantages of building a new home is that you get exactly what you want, a home designed according to your needs. On the other hand, Cobus du Plessis, from AIF Design Architects, believes that it is better to buy an existing house and renovate it, “as your rand will go further than building a new home”. The other benefit that comes with buying an existing home is that you can move in almost immediately, with little disruption to your life.
Some of the other tips offered by industry professionals include using reputable builders, interior decorators, architects and other professionals, and negotiating for a good balance between costs and quality, as purchasing cheaper materials or paying a significantly lower amount for various services can lead to problems in the future.
Finally, shop around and get at least three comparative quotes, and this applies for both building a home and buying an existing one. Although this is a bit of hard work, it is all worth it and, at the end of the day, there are an abundance of professionals and experts willing to help you create the home of your dreams.
