Purchasing a house

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I am looking to buy a new construction house. When I went to see a potential house, I was told that the builder has been living with his family and dogs in the house for 4 months which was obvious looking at all the rooms, bathrooms and basement. I loved the house but it was bit of a turn off that even though it is a new construction, it was sort of lived in already. My realtor thought that was not a big deal. Am I thinking too much or something like this is common? Can it be used as a leverage for negotiation?

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kudzu9

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Houses are not like cars that deteriorate after someone has it for 10 minutes. Every house I've ever lived in was used, but that means nothing to me unless it was treated badly. Sure, you can try to bargain, but is there any significant damage, or a need to repair nicks in the woodwork, or to paint the walls, etc.? If not, there is not much to negotiate from that standpoint.

When I moved into my current house, it was three years old and the builder had leased it to someone who wanted to buy it, but the occupant could not ultimately come up with the financing, and the lease got terminated. The used house was in great shape, and the tenant was still living in it when we saw it and up until a week before we moved in. The builder had a cleaning crew come in for a day and get it looking spotless again. I was fine with that.

But if you have a need for a "virgin" house that no one else has ever lived in, then walk away from this as it will probably keep bugging you. I'm not making a judgment: I have my own quirks...just not this one :-)

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Comments (13)

Linda
9 years ago
New is new. A house that is lived in is no longer a new house. It is a resale house. I would absolutely use it to negotiate.
Andy Baker thanked Linda
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Babs Fla
9 years ago
I would certainly use that to negotiate. New is new and lived in is lived in...if you love it and can get passed the fact that others have used the fixtures, rooms etc...buy it up. Finding a house you love is not an easy task...and on the plus side you can stop looking and start enjoying!
Andy Baker thanked Babs Fla
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Anglophilia
9 years ago
I've only lived in a new house once - it was one my parents built. I would not consider it "New" where price was concerned, if it had been previously lived in. It IS a "big deal".
Andy Baker thanked Anglophilia
Andy Baker
Original Author
9 years ago
I currently live in a house that has had many previous owners. We are looking to sell our current one and buying a new one with our growing family. Want to get a new construction. Thanks to everyone for their input. It doesn't bother me that other people have lived in the house rather that it is being marketed as new construction which it is except my idea of a new construction is that I will be the first person to live in it. Just bizarre that builder and family living in it for so many months.
Fori
9 years ago
There might actually be a small benefit in having had the builder do a "test run". You'd hope all the little things that always turn up in new construction have been dealt with already.

But it's not new anymore.
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Why do up you attach less value to a home that is four months older than the house next door?

Everyone keeps emphasizing that it is "used," but no rational explanation of why the value should change.

Come back in three years and would you expect the home to be worth any less? How about after four more months?
kudzu9
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I agree with Fori...any newly built house is likely to have a few flaws, and, if the contractor is good, those would have been addressed already in that particular house. I'm still curious, though: have you seen any evidence of wear and tear on the house or damage? For those who think the fact that the builder has lived in it, and that the buyer should be able to negotiate him down because he has lived in it for a few months, the contractor's response will likely be that he has priced it to reflect that.
greg_2015
9 years ago
living with his family and dogs

It's the "and dogs" part that would bother me. I'd insist on a carpet cleaning and I'd take a good look at any hardwood floors to see if they are scratched.
gyr_falcon
9 years ago
I'm thinking there might be some differences in the paperwork in regards to disclosures vs. a new construction that has not been lived in. I agree about the and dogs, too. But it depends more on the reasons you are seeking new construction. If you just want a newer house, it probably matters less than if you wanted to be the first to live in a house. But a house that has been lived in for four months is not a new house; it is a house of newer construction. The price difference comes down to how you, and the seller, feels about such differences.
ncrealestateguy
9 years ago
Is it a big deal?... NO. Would I use it for leverage for my buyer's best interest? YES.
User
9 years ago
Agree that it is not a big deal and will have absolutely no effect on value of the home in, say, a year or two. As realtors are want to say, however, everything is negotiable. lol
kudzu9
9 years ago
SaltIdawg-

Hope you won't be offended, but, as is my wont, I want to correct your Middle English:. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/wont