The question comes up a lot: do we buy an existing home or build one from scratch? If you are building a house in Fort Collins, you have probably asked yourself that question many times. Likely friends and family have given you their opinions and you have done some research. Let’s look at the basics: cost, time, customizability.

Building a house in Fort Collins

Building a house in Fort Collins versus buying an existing home means asking those three questions. First, look at cost. Honestly, this one goes both ways. Many people say you can get more for your money building a new home than if you buy an existing home. That is often true. Existing homes come with the sometimes-inflated prices of a settled, established neighborhood, which can drive the price up. The only drawback to building is that you might find yourself adding “just a little more” here and there until you have a more expensive home than you originally intended.

For time, buying an existing home is clearly the winner. You can often close and move in within a month. Building takes time. The issue to remember here, however, is whether you are buying an existing home with the idea of doing extensive remodeling, because that option loses you the time advantage.

The final issue—customizing—is the one where building a house in Fort Collins has the clear advantage. Many people buy existing homes with the plan to change what doesn’t suit them. If you build your own custom home, you start with what suits you, making the bathroom and closet the size you want right from the start. The little details that you love are yours to add anytime during the building process, which makes for a dream home that you never want to leave.