Remodeling a house versus building a house?

[MarkCO]

We bought a 1970s home and remodeled. Literally every surface of the home was changed, bathrooms and kitchens gutted, walls moved new WH/Furnace/AC etc. I did not mind it, but it took me 10 years to do it and we moved out at 9.8 years.

Current house was built and I made 16 structural changes to a floor plan we really like, small neighborhood, good location, no HOA, used 2006 IRC for code, which I think is the best set all things considered. Builder re-did king studs, re-framed windows and walls when I complained. The city inspector and I had a decent relationship too. The builder let me install my own heated driveway, ran the plumbing to my specs, eliminated all roof appliance penetrations, let me install my own AC condensers. There are a few things with the deck I do not like, but i know how to fix them. My home was weekly inspected by friends who were structural, a GC, an electrician and I kept track of the mechanical. We added screws and strike plates in places they were not required, got the garages insulated and for a few six packs and plates of cookies, got extra insulation, hurricane clips, better drains in the window wells and a bunch of other little touches.

The new house has the same utility bills as the old house, and it is almost twice the size, due to more insulation and more efficient appliances. The backyard is a cost that I have not yet undertaken and the wife and kids don't like that, but we have a house that fits us very well. A lot of that is due to finding a builder of semi-custom homes that built them well and was willing to let me make the changes I wanted. NO WAY I would buy a ready-built production home though. The things we had at the old house that are the same at the new house are no HOA and neighbors we know and several that are home during the day.

For the right property and the right price, I still think either option is fine if you know what goes into both. Building a house took about 15 hours a week on top of everything else for 5 months. Re-model is more hours, but spread out. Oh, and closing week, just take it off. Also, do not let them rush you on the punch list walk-through. The poor girl that did our walk through had to go back to the office to get more forms. If it is not perfect, do not sign. The punch list was the most stressful part for us since the Builder was leaving Colorado and had short timers syndrome.