Searching for a New Construction Home in Seattle? Here’s What You Might *Actually* Be Looking For! 

Like we referenced in this post about new construction, many people moving to the Seattle/Bellevue area are hoping to find a new construction home. 

As it turns out, what they’re searching for might not actually exist in Seattle or Bellevue proper. Many of our Happy Home Buyers are dreaming about a new construction home that offers a large layout, a spacious lot with some privacy, a picturesque neighborhood surrounded by similar homes, and a great location close to city amenities. 

For the many reasons we shared here, this type of home doesn’t really exist in Seattle or Bellevue. However, many of our buyers who originally want new construction find themselves falling in love with homes from the 1980s and 90s! 

1998-built Buchan Home in Bellevue we helped our clients purchase for $2,350,000. Listing courtesy of John L. Scott, Inc.

For example, take a look at this Buchan home in Bellevue’s Lakemont neighborhood. We helped our buyer clients win this 5,151-square-foot beauty for $2,350,000. It was built in 1998 and there’s room for some stylistic updates, but this home is quality through and through. In addition to the sprawling layout, this home boasts a private park-like backyard, breathtaking views of Lake Sammamish and Mt Baker, and the neighborhood setting they were looking for. Oh, and it’s only 4 minutes to the freeway! 

It’s also crucial to know that if you’re buying a house built after 1995/1996, it’s built damn near the same as homes today! In fact, the plumbing is probably better because it’s copper and not plastic. There are all kinds of details like this that go into building a house, so you’ll want to make sure your house is built right (and your realtor needs to know what to look for and warn you about!). But for homes built in the 1990s, just know that as far as built quality goes, things might be in 10/10 condition. 

We helped our seller clients freshen up this 1985-built Buchan home before we listed it for $1,150,000. We were able to sell it for $1,380,000.

This 2,370-square-foot Buchan home in Bellevue is another excellent example of an older home that offers the features many buyers are looking for. It was built in 1985, features a gorgeous, secluded yard, and is nestled along a picturesque street yet just 6 minutes to the freeway. We helped our seller clients freshen up the home before we listed it for $1,150,000, and we were able to sell it for $1,380,000. 

This model home is an example of the new construction home we helped our clients buy at Panorama in Talus & Issaquah for $2 million. 

If you’re still feeling committed to buying a new construction home in a new home development, there are options, you’ll just have to head a little further out. One of our favorite new construction developments in the Seattle/Bellevue area is at Panorama in Talus & Issaquah. We recently helped our clients buy a brand new home in the neighborhood (they even got to pick out finishes and do some of their own customizations!) for $2 million. This particular neighborhood lets you move into a brand new home in a new development filled with similar homes, plus it offers breathtaking views and is only 5 minutes to the freeway. You can expect a much smaller lot and a different neighborhood feel, but if this is all good, then heading to nearby cities like Issaquah or Sammamish might be the right call!

If you’d like to learn more about buying or selling a home in the Seattle or Bellevue area, we’re happy to chat. Get in touch with us here!