New Study Shows New Homes Save Buyers Over $25,000 in First Decade

Newly built homes can save buyers an average of $25,335 over the first 10 years of ownership compared to purchasing a 20-year-old home, according to a new study by Realtor.com, powered by data from Pearl, an independent home performance ratings organization. The savings come from fewer surprise repairs, better safety and comfort, and lower operating costs, as detailed in the report published at Realtor.com.

The analysis leverages Pearl SCORE data to highlight how a home's performance shapes its true cost of ownership. Realtor.com is introducing an interactive total cost-of-ownership experience on new construction listings, providing personalized 10-year savings estimates that compare newly built homes to comparable resale properties. This tool gives buyers greater visibility into future utility, maintenance, and replacement costs before making a purchase decision.

“All homeowners want to know what a home will actually cost to live in,” said Robin LeBaron, Pearl’s President of Standards and Policy. “Pearl built the dataset that makes that possible, and we’re glad Realtor.com is the first major portal to put it in front of consumers.”

The financial benefits of new construction vary significantly by geography, climate, and local building standards. New England states led the nation in long-term savings, with Massachusetts ranking highest at nearly $39,000 in estimated savings over 10 years due to stricter building codes and greater energy efficiency demands in colder climates.

The research also identified 16 metropolitan areas where the estimated long-term savings from buying a newly built home fully offset the upfront price premium compared to an existing home. Markets such as San Diego, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio demonstrated that lower operating and maintenance costs can substantially improve the long-term economics of homeownership. For Texas, this means buyers in San Antonio and other growing metros could see significant savings by choosing new construction.

“Our team has built the industry’s richest home performance dataset,” said Tim Stanislaus, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pearl. “We’re thrilled to have Realtor.com introduce Pearl to US homebuyers. Today’s new-construction tool is one of many ways our data helps buyers understand how home performance matters.”

The analysis draws on Pearl SCORE, which rates every U.S. single-family home across five performance pillars: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, and Energy. These ratings are available free to consumers at Pearl Score. Pearl’s ratings incorporate utility costs, climate data, maintenance projections, homeowner input, and home performance benchmarks to provide a comprehensive view of what a home is like to live in.

For more information about Pearl SCORE and home performance, visit pearlscore.com.