New Study Reveals New Homes Save $25K Over 10 Years

A new study powered by Pearl SCORE™ data and published by Realtor.com® reveals that home performance significantly impacts the true cost of homeownership, with buyers of newly built homes saving an average of $25,335 over the first 10 years compared to buyers of 20-year-old homes. The savings come from fewer surprise repairs, better safety and comfort, and lower operating costs. Pearl, an independent standards and ratings organization, provides the data that enables Realtor.com to offer an interactive total cost-of-ownership experience on new construction listings, giving buyers personalized 10-year savings estimates. The study highlights regional variations, with New England states like Massachusetts leading in savings due to stricter building codes and energy efficiency demands. Sixteen metropolitan areas, including San Diego, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio, show that long-term savings can offset the upfront price premium of new homes. Pearl SCORE rates every U.S. single-family home across five pillars: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, and Energy, and is available free at pearlscore.com. This data helps homebuyers understand what a home will truly cost to own, not just to buy.

Robin LeBaron, Pearl’s President of Standards and Policy, emphasized that Pearl built the dataset making this possible, and Realtor.com is the first major portal to put it in front of consumers. Tim Stanislaus, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pearl, noted that the new-construction tool is one of many ways their data helps buyers understand how home performance matters. The study draws on Pearl SCORE, which incorporates utility costs, climate data, maintenance projections, homeowner input, and home performance benchmarks. Pearl, founded in 2013, is a Certified B Corporation committed to building the national standard for home performance.