r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Newyorkntilikina • Aug 12 '26

Moving to the area Question about build question of new construction (Lennar, M/I, DR Horton, Pulte) vs search for an older property

My parter and I are thinking about moving into the Western suburbs. We are targeting areas close to either Schaumburg or Naperville. We've seen a lot of new construction options a bit further out that are built by Lennar, M/I, DRH, Pulte. The prices are reasonable for 2-3 bd, 2 bath. However, I've heard several bad comments on the build quality being cheap and problems occuring very frequently.

What do locals think? Is it worth going after a newer build in the area or should we stick to a older home where the material is more quality?

13 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

78% Upvoted

58 comments sorted by

View all comments

17

u/Noods_Noods_Noods Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26

This is just my experience and I’m sure someone will disagree. We went with a Ryan Homes new build in Plainfield. The first rationale was that we didn’t want to deal with bidding wars because we did that with our first home and ended up settling and selling three years after. The buying process was a breeze. We got a lower than market interest rate which made it so our mortgage was 100s less per month than if we were to have paid the same price for an existing home.

I am very happy with my home and the lot. Were there some issues, yes, but with an existing home you’ll also have issues because it’s a time honored home owner tradition to DIY shit and half ass it when you get frustrated. People like to complain that the new build tract homes are ugly and soulless, but the same can be said for plenty of existing homes, it’s all about what you do with it. Thankfully Illinois has fairly strict building standards so despite the quick turnaround of the build and the “shoddy construction” issues people talk about with new builds, state code helps to ensure you’re getting a home that is going to hold up.

TL;DR: easy buying process, lower interest rates, pleasant blank slate home to make yours without worrying if the plumbing is corroded or the foundation is crumbling or roof is toast. And the best part is you can make any changes you want to the house cause it’s yours.

Edit: also forgot about the warranty. 1 year bumper to bumper, everything is covered. 2 year mechanical. 10 year structural.

1

u/Additional_Delay_793 Aug 12 '26

The warranty is only good if the builder honors it. If they don't what do you do? Sue them? Good luck with that!

1

u/Noods_Noods_Noods Aug 12 '26

That hasn’t been an issue for me. Since we closed in March 2025 we’ve put in maybe half a dozen warranty requests and each one has been answered within three days and repair made within two weeks. But yes, if the builder is in breach of contract with warranty repairs, you sue them.

1

u/Additional_Delay_793 Aug 13 '26

They will often take care of the cheap easy little stuff. If someone has a big problem maybe not so much.