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As someone currently looking for a home, no doubt you’ve done just a little bit of internet research on what you should look into and the steps you should take. Time and time again, you’re going to come across dire warnings to do your “due diligence” and investigate a house thoroughly even after you fall in love with everything on the surface. However, beyond the basic inspection and appraisal required by most mortgage lenders, these warnings only apply to homes that have had previous owners and have seen a lot of “mileage.” When you’re considering a brand new home freshly completed by professional homebuilders, these warnings don’t apply. In fact, there are a lot of things you don’t have to worry about when buying a brand new home. Here are our favorite five:

1) Stuff in the Attic

When a homeowner decides to move out and sell, naturally they pack up, clear out and have the place cleaned from top to bottom. However, all too often a homeowner will only remember to pack the things they can see and interact with regularly. Items that were put out of sight and mind in the attic are all too often forgotten and left behind when the house is sold. If you’ve ever gone to stow your holiday decorations only to find an attic already full of knickknacks and old appliances, you know what we’re talking about.

With a new house, not only is your attic guaranteed to be clear and open for your own old knickknacks, you can also be certain the light switch works and that the beams are rot and bug free.

2) Lingering Smells

Over time, the steady effusion of cooking, people and pet smells infuses a house. Particles sink into the carpets, hide in the crevices and lodge in the air ducts. It is surprisingly difficult to clear out the smells of previous occupants from a house, which is why there are so many homes on the market with lowered prices due to a lingering dog or cigarette smell.

However, a brand new home only smells like fresh wood, paint and local breezes. You can walk from end to end of the house, stick your head in the attic and even open up the air ducts and still find no signs of life other than your own. Now you’re free to fill this house, your very own house, with the smells of your cooking and pets!

3) Old Pipes and Fixtures

One of the biggest risks that comes with buying a ‘used’ house is old building materials. Even if the house officially passes inspection because there are no current leaks or electrical shortages, you could still potentially be dealing with old rusting pipes and ancient wiring infrastructure. All too often, a family buys a beautiful home only to realize that as soon as you put any pressure on the pipes, they start to leak, clog or burst.

Of course, with a new home this issue couldn’t be further from your mind. The pipes are not only sparkling new, they’re also made of modern materials less likely to rust and corrode compared to pipes in older homes. The wiring and fixtures are also new with safe plastic sheathing around all wires and each fixture installed by professionals. No risk of an old DIY-installed chandelier falling on your dining table in a new home because there has been no previous DIY-enthusiast resident.

4) Ancient Appliances

Have you ever investigated or moved into a place with a stove that appears to have been (and probably was) purchased in the 1960s? And if the stove is that old, what does that say about the water heater? In a brand new home, you never have to worry about how old the appliances are or if they’ll make it to the end of the year without rattling to their final end. Every new home comes with shining new appliances where they are included and certified safe new outlets for appliances that aren’t like the washer and dryer.

5) Surprise Maintenance Costs

Finally, there are a dozen or more possible secret maintenance money pits associated with buying a house. Usually, these are associated with maintenance neglect of a previous homeowner like foundation sinking problems or a roof that hasn’t been repaired or replaced in over a decade. In fact, being left holding the bag on the maintenance tasks of previous homeowners is by far one of the biggest expenses associated with buying used homes.

A new home will never have secret or surprise maintenance costs, put you at risk with amateur repaired wiring or even leave you with a pile of attic junk to get rid of. Rather than having to deal with a slew of problems left by previous owners, a new home is entirely your own when you move in. You get to be the first homeowner ever to sleep in the bedrooms, cook in the kitchen and lounge on the deck. A new home isn’t just safer and cleaner than a used house, it’s 100% yours.

Are you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is currently selling 167 estate homes and townhomes and is planning on opening three new communities this year offering a combined total of 90 single-family homes and townhomes. If you would like more information, sign up for our interest list here.