Buying New Construction
Your own representation when you buy from a builder, with the contract, timelines, and upgrade choices reviewed on your behalf.
The builder's sales team works for the builder
When you're buying new construction, the friendly people in the model home work for the builder. Their job is to sell the builder's homes on the builder's terms. That's not a criticism. It's the arrangement, and it's why having your own agent matters. Your agent is there to review the contract, the timelines, and your upgrade choices on your behalf.
The practical first step: talk with me before you visit a model home or register with a builder. Builders have their own policies on buyer representation, and some depend on when and how your agent is introduced. Before your first visit, we check that builder's policy so your representation is set up the right way.
Tell Me What You're Looking For
What to watch in a builder's contract
Builders typically use their own purchase agreements, and those agreements are written to protect the builder. Before you sign, we look at the parts that affect you most.
- Timelines. What the contract says about the completion date, what happens if that date changes, and what flexibility you have.
- Deposits. How much is due, when, and under what conditions it can be refunded.
- What's included. Which features are standard and which are upgrades, and what each upgrade adds to the price.
- Inspections and the final walkthrough. Whether you can bring in your own inspector at key stages, and how items found at the walkthrough get resolved.
- Community documents and fees. In a community that's still being built, what the association covers today and what is only planned.
Buyers should review the contract, community documents, and current fees before purchasing, and bring in an attorney where legal questions come up.
When the new home and your current home have to line up
New construction timing gets harder when you also have a home to sell, because the two schedules have to line up.
If builder delays push your new closing past the sale of your current home, a rent-back, if the buyer agrees to it, can let you stay in the home you sold for a period after settlement. It depends on the buyer agreeing, so it's one option among several. The better plan is to talk about timing before you sign with the builder. If you're selling a home at the same time, the Next Move Equity Review shows what your current home could net and what that means for your new-home budget.
New construction near Upper Marlboro
In Westphalia, builders including D.R. Horton and Ryan Homes have built townhomes and single-family homes, and the community is still growing, so part of the job is separating what is available today from what is planned. In communities that were developed in phases, homes from earlier phases also compete with newer ones, which is worth knowing whether you buy new or resale.
Wherever you look, the same questions apply: what's included, what's extra, when it will be done, and what the community provides now versus later.
Talk with me before you visit the models
The best time to bring in your own agent is before your first builder visit. Talk with me before your first builder visit, and read how I help buyers from pre-approval through settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my own agent to buy new construction?
The builder's sales team works for the builder. Your own agent works for you, reviewing the contract, the timelines, and your upgrade choices on your behalf.
When should I bring my agent into a new construction purchase?
Before you visit a model home or register with a builder. Each builder has its own policy on buyer representation, so we confirm it first.
What if the builder's timeline doesn't match the sale of my current home?
Plan the sequence before you sign with the builder. A rent-back can help in some situations, but it depends on the other party agreeing.
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Helen Gaynor?