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Looking to buy your first home? Here's why a new build could be the ideal choice 

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You may have considered a doer-upper as your first home. Bringing fresh life to a second-hand home might sound appealing. You've seen the property programmes and the before and after shots and maybe it's for you. What you might also have seen are the surprise costs when a house needs a retro-fit or when there are unexpected repairs. Buying an older house can work out well, but is it the best option for a first-time buyer?

One of the advantages of making your first home a new build rather than an older home is the element of certainty; something a first-time buyer with a strict budget will appreciate. With a new build you know the price of the home and there are no surprise costs such as window replacement or heating upgrading. Moving into a turn-key newly built home might just be the safest and smartest way for many first-time buyers to purchase. 

We take a look at some great reasons to buy a new build as a first-time buyers, from moving into an A-rated home to living in communities growing together.

New homes are ideal for first-time buyers

Ray Palmer-Smith is the Head of New Homes at Knight Frank, and his years of experience with first-time buyers have led him to believe new homes are perfect to those on the first rung of the housing ladder.

“If you look at buying a second-hand home there are always associated costs you won’t see in the listing price,” he explains. “An older home may not need major renovation work straight away, but eventually it will. Replacing a roof or a boiler, for example, can run into thousands.”

It's much easier to predict costs on a new home, they’re also more geared to a modern lifestyle. This means you won’t have to make modifications to your way of living or your room layout to enjoy a relaxing home. Repairs and maintenance costs are less likely with a new build too.

At Glenveagh, we're now pre-installing fibre optic broadband infrastructure with SIRO to ensure that your home office is ready to go from day one.

Although many of their homes feature smart tech, the best money-saving modern innovations lie below the surface.

Ronan McKenna is Sales Director at Glenveagh. Over his time at the company, he’s seen subtle design changes in the layouts of the homes they build to reflect modern ways of life: more office space as people work from home, spare rooms for guests to stay over, integrated appliances and more.

Recently, people are looking more at houses’ commutability to work,” he says. “As well as the overall space within the house or in the garden. They also consider the lifestyle they're going to have around that home and in the community. So, like what facilities are available, the bank, the post office, the local GP, sports clubs and more. The most efficient, modern insulation is obviously going to help you in terms of the energy rating, which is going to reduce your running costs,” Ray explains. “All your utilities are going to be brand new, no leaks and operating at full performance. And smart meters help you save even more money on a daily basis.”

All newly built homes in Ireland are A-rated. This saves you money, as well as being better for the environment. You won’t have to live with a leaky old roof, draughty windows or noisy pipes. New build homes are future-proofed - meaning you’ll still be able to get a good price if you decide to sell down the line.

When you buy a new build property, it’s likely that most people around you will be first-time buyers as well. This means that  you’ll be moving into a ready-built community of like-minded people.

Sam Gormley and Hannah White have just bought a new build property with Glenveagh, and couldn’t be happier. “There’s a real sense of community here,” says Sam. “A real friendly atmosphere.” “Absolutely,” Hannah agrees. “There’s a lot of dog walkers, and a WhatsApp group and a Facebook group, as well as the residents’ group. It's nice to know who your neighbours are. And to know that if you have a problem, you can just run across the road for help.”

First-time buyers are looking to new builds more and more, and not just to take advantage of the 

. The benefits are well known to new homeowners like Sam and Hannah, who look forward to putting down roots and nurturing a new but very real sense of home.

At Glenveagh, the vast majority our homes are eligible for the Help To Buy scheme, meaning you will pay little or no deposit on your new home.

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