In my country (Poland), the majority of people who are interested in buying a house just buy the lot and contract a company to build the house for them. This way, you get to live in a house that's exactly right for you. Of course, the flip side is that the whole process takes a year or longer - but here most people live in flats, and those who decide (and can afford) to own a house, treat it as a part of settling in the area for a longer period of time.