"It's a shame you can't get a new build"

I really love this damning with faint praise:

"...they aren’t all thrown up by cowboy builders..."

The most unfortunate thing about buying an older house is the various improvements/bodge jobs carried out over the years that can often be found by merely 'decorating'. And far too late to call in the 'snagger'.

The actual buildings are built to last so at least if the 'shit goes down' your home should still have solid walls.

I’m sorry they’re ruining it for you. They should just be happy you’re buying a house, well done getting this far. Also as others have pointed out new builds and older houses both have their own pros and cons.

So true, I had an utter disaster in my old little terraced house. Unknown to me, the bath developed a slow leak that eventually brought down half the kitchen ceiling. What a dramatic day that was! anyway my insurance covered all the necessary repairs and when the man came out to assess the damage and work out what needed doing, he said that it was minimal due t the old house being so sturdy. The wall is three bricks deep and the joists were so thick and solid there was no damage. He said that if it had been a new build the damage would have been far worse

Near me Beal Homes are the standard for amazing new builds, homes are bespoke, well made, estates are thoughtfully laid out, every detail catered for. But these homes started at 500k. Most new builds in my area are the other end of the spectrum thrown up, packed in, sold quickly on help to buy schemes which are terrible for the purchaser, poor infrastructure. This is the norm in my area. I would only live in one again if I was absolutely desperate.

Unless you are a zillionaire to be able to afford a custom-made new built, new built houses are usually rubbish, so don't listen to them.

Don't bring your mum to viewings.

When I sold my single bed flat, a couple of first-time buyers brought a parent to viewings. For both of them, even though the potential buyers liked it, the parents were complaining about how small it was. I presume you brought your mum because you think 'she's bought a house before, she knows what problems to look out for'. Except it's not helpful and not productive - all she will do is judge your choice.

Go for a second viewing, but go alone. If you must bring anyone, bring an honest, balanced friend.

The definition from most mortgage companies is "built within the last 10 years". Hate to break it to you but the 80s is a little longer ago than that.

And the way new builds were built 40 years ago is different to today.

I live in a new build. It's fine, and does everything we need it to do, but I would choose an older house any day of the week if given the choice. Unfortunately where we live we were very very limited for choice!

Although that said our first house was an older one and it had it's fair shair if problems too!

I would just tell your mum and sister that you don't want a new build!

Christ. The stories I've heard about build quality on new houses, as well as personal preference for old buildings, mean I'd roll my eyes and do what I wanted anyway. Would they shut up if you said something like, "build quality and resale value are important to me and while my budget is limited, I don't want the equivalent of a cheap new car when a second hand but better model would be a more sensible decision". You could add "now fuck off" if you're that way inclined!!

A 1980s house is a new build. Seventies houses - still new builds - are popular, however, since they are the last new builds to Parker Morris standards, before Thatcher said it was ridiculous to want a third bedroom that would contain a bed, and abolished the standard.
70s houses tend to have large rooms for new builds and to have larger gardens. Often on smaller estates, too.

Give me a house with history any day! And maybe send this to your mum and nosy aunt. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-68663984.amp

Don't buy a new build!!! Don't be sucked in by a new cheap kitchen or bathroom or white plastered walls. New build estates are cramped full of houses, roads aren't always wide enough, no green spaces, little amenities, tiny box houses that are all pretty much the same! They throw them up often on brown field sites which have difficulties because they weren't designed for a gazillion houses, or green field sites which shouldn't be built on (for another rant). You pay a premium because it's new and like cars they can depreciate immediately after purchase. I would not buy anything on an estate post 1980s. 60s, 70s and 80s houses are bigger, more spaced out bigger gardens, infrastructure close by.

My partners first house was a new build it had 132 snags with it, over 100 of those were never fixed. The build quality was rubbish, lawn kept flooding and when we pulled it up it was laid on rubbish, kitchen nice but cheap, flooring on the thinnest underlay possible, might as well not of been there, toilet not straight, bath not plumbed in properly so leaked, failed to fix it twice, windows weren't sealed, could feel the wind through them, mould from bathroom in bedroom, tiles from roof not secure, they used weak roof joists so couldn't have a loft or any storage, kitchen do small couldn't fit washer, no where else for a washer so it was in the living room until I insisted on a shed where it couldn't cope with outdoor living.

It got him in the ladder, had to accept 5k less than he paid for it 5 years later when sold. It was horrible.

So if you don't see my point: don't get a new build they are crap!

So much snobbery towards new builds. They completely vary. You can't tar them all with the same brush. I have lived on older houses with high energy bills and maintenance issues, and much prefer my new build. So energy efficient, warm, lovely community of neighbours and actually a very well thought out estate with lots of green space.

"When did new builds become something to aspire to?"

Back in the 1960s and 1970s. I remember many people of my parents generation that were really proud to move into a brand new home.

But, there again, there's probably quite a bit of difference between new builds back than and new builds today.

For example, I remember an episode of the TV series "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads" from 1973. Set in Newcastle, one of the characters was buying a new build house and his friend (James Bolam) was very jealous.

I'd never buy a new build. They have tiny rooms, are pretty shoddily built and have small gardens, esp those supposedly 'affordable'. At least a hundred years old (mine is only a 150, wish was older) with good-sized rooms, a decent garden, solid walls. A terrace is perfect, they are usually bigger than semis, with 3 decent bedrooms, rather than two and a half. Lots of light from big windows.
Don't listen to DM and DS, they are well behind the times. Never buy a new build - unless you want endless trouble.

Bizarre attitude as the most desirable and expensive houses around here are Victorian or Georgian terraces, a new build would cost half as much. Period homes are definitely far more sought after.

i hate the way so many new builds have low ceilings and small windows. The proportions of older houses, particularly older terraces if that is what you are looking at , are usually much better.

I used to think the same till I ended up in a 3 storey Persimmon. It was well built with 3 good sized double bedrooms. Solid concrete floor downstairs not the crappy wooden floating ones you got in 70s/80s houses. Well insulated, very warm, hardly any heating needed. They really aren't all as crap as I used to believe.

It is possible to search only for new builds only on Rightmove.

I've lived in both and give me an old house full of character any day. New builds are small square boxes with no personality in my experience. I would reply 'ew no thanks, I want my house to have some personality' or just 'I cant stand new builds'

IME new builds are generally all quite cheaply done, and it’s a bit like buying a new car, as soon as you drive it off the price depreciaties. I thought most people didn’t want new builds they only bought because often there are inducements around covering stamp duty or 95% mortgages or such like. I wouldn’t buy or live in a a new build if you paid me. Period properties tend to be better built, classier looking and have actual communities and stuff near by

Your mother needs to educate herself in the horrendous problems associated with new builds, plus, is she aware that you could innocently tie yourself in buying a leasehold property in all innocence which you could probably never get out of.
I don’t wish to offend your caperbilities ie buying property but please please make sure you are buying a freehold property.

You just start off with a badly built house. I bet a house built this year won’t even be standing in 40 years time. And the 80s house will probably have had three new kitchens and bathrooms since it was built. It’s also got storage and a bedroom big enough to swing a cat because a quarter of it hasn’t been sacrificed for an unnecessary ensuite.

All houses have their pros and cons, nothing bad about buying a house that someone has already lived in. Ours is 200 years old so definitely not new, pros is it's got character, cons is you have to keep fixing broken stuff. It's the opposite way round for a new build and there have been occasions that I may prefer to live in a new build.

Op your dm and ds are a bit bonkers imo