The Advantages of New Construction in Retirement Communities

If you are in your 50s, it is possible that you have never lived in a newly-built home. Even if you have, you may have bought new construction some decades earlier.

Today, if you are considering a move to one of the active 55 and over retirement communities in Delaware or elsewhere in the U.S., there are some great advantages of buying into new active retirement communities.

1. Choice and Customization: When buying new construction, you have a voice in what you purchase. You may be able choose the floorplan and living space that best suits you. There are other kinds of customization available too, such as kitchen and bathroom features, flooring, and interior paint colors.

2. Efficient Building Envelope: Newly constructed homes are more energy efficient thanks to a more tightly-sealed building envelope that prevents heat and air conditioning from escaping. New construction also comes with vital features to support this envelope, including higher-efficiency insulation, doors, and windows. This translates into greater comfort and lower utility bills.

3. Green Appliances: Newly-constructed homes are more likely to include green systems and appliances, like high-efficiency stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, furnaces, and air conditioning. Again, this translates into greater comfort and lower utility bills.

4. Warranty Advantages: Since appliances are new, they will also come with new warranties, which should minimize any worry about problems and breakdowns. In current homes, homebuyers almost never have that advantage.

5. Fire Safety: New construction includes fire safety features which are often absent from existing homes. Those new features may include hard-wired smoke detectors, which can provide better protection than battery-operated smoke detectors (since batteries expire), and fire retardants in such important items as insulation and carpeting.

6. Minimal Repairs and Maintenance: Since the features of new construction are precisely that—new—they are more likely to hold up better over time. New homes are engineered to minimize maintenance. The goal is to reduce worry and costs for homeowners, since these factor can significantly detract from the pleasure of owning a home.

Many over 55 communities in Delaware and elsewhere will also offer long-term maintenance plans for their homes and communities, with the goals of minimizing annoyances for homeowners and maximizing their retirement time.

Of course, for those who enjoy home maintenance and gardening, there are always options for homeowners to manage these aspects themselves.

For all these reasons and many others, there are good reasons to check out homeownership opportunities in active retirement communities.