Homebuyers able to spend more upfront on newly built homes can save an average of $25,335 over the first 10 years of ownership, according to new research from Realtor.com.

The report describes what the real estate listings company calls a “wide geographic divide,” with states in New England featuring the greatest advantage.

The savings associated with new-home purchases relates to lower energy bills and fewer major repairs, compared to expenses faced by buyers of 20-year-old homes, the company stated, referring to its recently released New-Construction Insights report.

According to Realtor.com, “the new construction savings come in two forms: lower utility costs from more energy-efficient construction, and delayed replacement of major systems like HVAC, roofs and water heaters.”

Southern states saw less of a cost advantage.

“The less rigorous building codes in the South allow for more new construction to occur and at lower prices,” the report stated, “but the trade-off comes in less long-term savings for new-construction buyers, resulting from energy bills and system replacement costs.”

According to its quarterly report, Realtor.com observed the nationwide gap between a median-priced new home (just under $450,000) and a median existing home (a little more than $390,000) is about $60,000.

“Homeownership is not a one-time expense, and the ongoing costs of owning a home are where new construction really shines,” stated Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, in a press release sharing the statistics. “Buyers who focus only on the listing price are missing a significant part of the financial picture.”

Berner added that builders have been offering mortgage rate buydowns, which can translate to roughly $30,000 in savings over 10 years.

“The total financial advantage of buying new becomes even more substantial,” he observed.