A house – is it better to build or buy?

Everyone dreams now and then of moving from a flat to a detached house. Independence and a sense of space are only the most basic advantages of such a "migration". But when you manage to gather the necessary funds, a question arises: is it better to buy a house or build one from scratch? Both solutions have advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a look and assess them!

Live your own way

When you decide to build a new house, you can include individual solutions in its design, both aesthetic and functional. If you buy one on the secondary property market, you unfortunately have to make do with what you find. Admittedly, there is always some choice. The problem is that sometimes it will only be similar to, rather than fully matching, what you expect.

Choose the location carefully

Whether you build or buy, consider whether the location really is attractive. Be sure to check the local zoning plan (MPZP) as well, so that you do not discover a few years later that industrial buildings are going up right behind your fence. This is important, because how comfortably you will live there in future depends on it. At the same time, if you decide to sell the house in future, the zoning plan will affect its value.

Which costs more: building or buying a house?

The question is important, but the answer is not obvious. In theory, one could say that building costs less. What is more, those costs are spread over time. The trouble begins, however, if we end up with the wrong team of builders, the work drags on and some elements need additional corrections.

The conclusion is that when building on your own, it is worth using the help of someone experienced who will advise how to monitor the progress of the work. The builders themselves are best hired on the basis of recommendations. If we meet these two conditions, we can count on greater savings than when buying.

READ ALSO – A READY-MADE OR A CUSTOM HOUSE DESIGN?

Building takes time

The financial benefits may, however, be overshadowed by the time it takes to put up a new building. Meanwhile, you can simply visit local developers and check the houses they have for sale – both those under construction and those already finished. All that remains is to decide what matters more to us: how soon we can move or the potential savings.

Building requires know-how

This issue is similar to the purely financial one. If we know nothing about managing construction work, choosing materials or the structural solutions used, mistakes are easy to make, and they can translate not only into additional costs but also into problems with using the house later.

Pay attention to the documentation

Pitfalls unfortunately also lie in wait for buyers of ready-made properties. If you decide to buy a flat on the secondary market, make sure you receive the full design documentation. Information on the layout of pipes and electrical wiring will be particularly important. The lack of such materials can significantly complicate some renovation work or the remodelling of existing rooms.

READ ALSO – HOW TO OBTAIN A BUILDING PERMIT?

Not too big: what kind of house to build for sale

The last thing worth paying attention to is the size of the investment. Although when building your own house it is easy to think of really large floor areas, remember that you will then have to put them to some use. So before you invest in a really large plot, see what the sale of ready-made houses in Katowice looks like. For those with an area above 200 m2 it is harder to find tenants or buyers. This is not down to their price, but to the fact that it is best to buy a house suited to real needs.

SEE HOUSES FOR SALE IN MYSŁOWICE

To sum up

Is it worth building a house? Yes, if we are not in a hurry and have the right knowledge or can count on the support of experts. On the other hand, where we want to move as quickly as possible or lack the right construction knowledge, it is better to buy a ready-made house.