A simple way to get an estimate on your dream home (or your realistic starter home) by choosing from visuals!

It can be easy to figure out how much an existing home costs. Just hop onto a website like Zillow or Redfin and see how much the homes in your preferred area are going for. But what if you want you want to build something new? This dream home calculator allows you to get a ballpark cost of building a new house in an easy way. The calculator will ask you your preference for things like style of home, fixtures, and outdoor amenities, then you answer by selecting which picture best represents what you would like. Building a brand new home might not be in the cards for everyone, but this could be a great tool for comparing the cost of building new to existing housing inventory.

Check out the Dream Home Calculator.

Please note: The calculator lets you select your answers and get a cost estimate without any other actions. The last screen asks if you would like to input personal information to receive more information about building a house and this is NOT required.

Questions:

• What would be some of the pros and cons of buying an existing house compared to building new?
• Which items from the calculator do you view as needs when it comes to choosing a house? Which items do you view as wants?
• If you had to lower the cost of building a new house to fit your budget, where would you make cuts in your house?
• If you had extra money in your budget, where would you make improvements in your house?
• If you were ready to buy your first house, do you think you would want to buy an existing house or build new? Explain why.

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NGPF's Buying a House mini unit will give your students the confidence they need to approach this intimidating subject!

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Looking for more interactives? Be sure to check out the NGPF Interactive Library. 

About the Author

Ryan Wood

Ryan is the Partnerships and Adoption Manager for Next Gen Personal Finance’s midwest region. He brings his experience as a former teacher, curriculum designer, and sales and marketing professional to state organizations and school districts in supporting the implementation of their personal financial education efforts. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and earned his teaching credential from Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. He proudly taught at two rural high schools in Wisconsin before transitioning to curriculum design at NGPF, and is now excited to be on the front lines in delivering the best possible financial education in the midwest. He and his wife have three beautiful daughters, each of which inspire him to share the impact of being sound financial stewards both at home and as lifelong learners.