An existing brick home beside blueprints and a model house

Build & Design

Existing Home, New Construction, or Custom Build?

Each path trades time, cost certainty, and control differently. Use the planner to frame the decision with your own numbers.

The Tradeoffs

Existing home — fastest, most certain price, least control.
Existing home plus renovation — good location, moderate control, renovation risk.
New construction — modern systems, limited customization, builder timeline.
Custom build — most control, longest timeline, least cost certainty.

Build vs. buy vs. renovate

Illustrative only. Defaults are placeholders, not local quotes — replace them with your own figures.

Existing home price ($)Renovation budget ($)New construction price ($)Land price ($)Custom home size (sq ft)Assumed build cost per sq ft ($)Site work, septic, utilities ($)Contingency (%)

Buy existing$600,000

Fastest; least control.

Buy + renovate$732,000

Includes contingency on renovation.

New construction$750,000

Builder-set plan and timeline.

Custom build$1,166,000

Land + build + site work + contingency.

Not an appraisal, quote, or forecast. Totals exclude financing, taxes, and carrying costs.

Last reviewed October 2026

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