Average Cost of New Construction in Maryville (Knoxville, Johnson City: buying a home, buying)

[monroesarah]

Hey all.

My Fiancé and I might be moving to Maryville later this year, and we've considered buying a lot and having a house built. We would be looking at 1700-2000 square feet, 1 story, single-family home. I've done some research that for 2500-3000 s/f would be $175 per s/f. Are there any experienced contractors in the area that have done smaller homes like this that could give us an idea of what to expect? We're still in the planning phases, so just trying to figure out numbers and at least have a ballpark idea. Ideally, we don't want to spend more than $210,000 for the house. There's just not a lot on the market right now, so we figured that it would be better to just build a house to our liking.

Also, any recommendations on contractors would be greatly appreciated, too!

Thanks in advance!

[DaveinMtAiry]

Looking at Maryville closely I agree there just doesn't seem to be a lot of housing available in a lot of price ranges. We will be downsizing in retirement and we want a house in the $150,000 range. Lots in and around Knoxville, Johnson City too. But not Maryville. Wondering why.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

Looking at Maryville closely I agree there just doesn't seem to be a lot of housing available in a lot of price ranges. We will be downsizing in retirement and we want a house in the $150,000 range. Lots in and around Knoxville, Johnson City too. But not Maryville. Wondering why.

There are eight new construction listings on Trulia in Johnson City. The base price of the cheapest model is $195,000. I'm sure with any upgrades it'll be over $200,000. Most are $250,000+.

There are thirty something new construction listings in Knoxville. There are some duplexes with each side in the mid $160k range. Everything else is close to $200,000 or more.

I don't think you're going to find any new construction in east TN for $150k or less. With the cost of land, labor, materials, running water/sewer/power, permits, etc., it's probably not profitable for builders to even build homes at that price.

My guess is that you're going to see higher prices for new construction in smaller towns because there is so little being built, that demand for the units will cause prices to rise beyond what you might think. Much of the housing stock in these smaller or outlying towns is older, dated, and probably needs a lot of work to be brought up to current trends on the inside. By the time these houses get an overhaul, you're probably getting fairly close to new construction prices.

I have been looking for homes in Knoxville and Johnson City, and in general, the housing stock in and around Knoxville proper is much nicer than what you'll find in Johnson City or other small towns (not that sure on Maryville, but a quick look on Trulia and I'd put it's housing stock behind JC), and often a little less expensive. I have been considering buying a home in a year or so, and I'm actually starting to lean toward buying in Knoxville and either commuting back to Kingsport for work for a bit or staying with my parents some during the week.

[DaveinMtAiry]

I am not looking for new construction, I fully understand it is more profitable for builders to put up $250,000 homes than $150,000 homes

[High Altitude]

Probably around $80/sqft with basic finishes (depends on level of finishes etc...)not including land or bringing in utilities from the street, just building a house, hiring a general contractor to do it etc.....

Smaller the house, more expensive per sqft. Bonus rooms, offices and extra bedrooms are cheap compared to kitchens and bathrooms.

Cost of building has gone up a lot over the last three years.