Brand-new housing stock comes with a number of advantages over older homes

Buying a newly -built home has always had advantages over buying second hand, but currently there are more reasons than ever to consider purchasing brand new.

At this time of year, perhaps the most obvious is the energy efficiency and warmth offered by modern properties compared to draughty, older, homes.

New homes in the UK emit 70 per cent less carbon compared even to those built in 1990.

By law they have to be well insulated and have heating systems that comply with rigid regulations, making them not only greener and cheaper to run but much more comfortable and convenient to live in.

Research by NHBC and Zero Carbon Hub has found families who live in new homes could save more than £1,400 a year on their energy bills when has sometimes been the only way to step on to the property ladder for buyers without a huge stash of savings to put towards the deal or wealthy family members to help.

For those already on the housing ladder, part-exchange deals offered by developers have also allowed people to move when they wanted or needed to, whether or not they could find a buyer in a slow market.

The luxury of being able to plump for a new home without having to market your old one — just hand over the keys — is still a very tempting offer to stressed-out sellers.

Developers can bend over backwards to facilitate a deal and the flexibility available on details such as entry dates is a real plus.

Add to this incentives such asincludingafurniturepackage for first time buyers, or offering cash back or help with stamp duty payments for those who need it and you can understand why buying a new home, particularly for those on a budget, has become an easier option.

Choiceisanotherpluspoint. Viewing a new build development allows you to compare different house styles or apartment sizes and prices, and choose one which suits your circumstances exactly.

Buying early on in the construction phase usually means you get the pick of the bunch and you may be offered the chance to customise your new home, upgrading the kitchen units or converting an integral garage into a study by adding windows, for instance, to create a bespoke home.

Of course, whatever you decide upon, you can be assured that the fixtures and fittings in a new house carry a ten year guarantee.

You are unlikely to have to replace roof tiles or fix a boiler and so outgoings on maintenance are likely to be minimal.

In contrast, the cost of bringing an old home up to the standard of finish in a new property has recently been estimated at £22,000.

Which begs the question; if you like all mod cons, wouldn’t you be better buying a new property where they come as standard?