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Original poster

New build or old doer upper?

43 replies

Wheresmrlion · 19/05/2019 13:41

4 bed shiny new build with small garden
4 bed liveable but very old fashioned do-er upper with massive garden

What would you choose if you had two pre schoolers, a love of diy and gardening but a budget to only do one major thing (eg bathroom) each year?

OP posts:
Kpo58 · 19/05/2019 14:05

What's the difference in the size of the house? One 4 bed isn't the same size as another one.
How do the locations differ?

TreacherousPissFlap · 19/05/2019 14:06

I would definitely buy the doer upper as, like you, we enjoy diy and gardening.

I'm assuming you mean to stay for the long term?

As far as one project a year, if you're handy then there's ways and means round it. They're time consuming and inconvenient but I'd not let that put me off unduly Wink

GreenStripyGrass · 19/05/2019 14:08

Mmmmm having just had the kitchen done, I'd be voting new build.

Renovations are a nightmare.

Reddedder · 19/05/2019 14:08

New build

DameSylvieKrin · 19/05/2019 14:10

Doer upper.

FlyingMonkeys · 19/05/2019 14:12

How old is old? Are we talking could do with an update? Or will potentially need; new roof, boiler, electrics, windows replacing within a few years?

Justgivemesomepeace · 19/05/2019 14:13

After living in a Victorian terrace I'd try new build next. I'm sick of dealing with odd bits of damp that randomly pop up, slugs getting in and the odd leak in the roof.

Hiphopopotamous · 19/05/2019 14:15

We went for the doer-upper. Spent £50k and have put at least £100k on the value of it.
Depends if you see yourself moving in the next 5y because a new build probably won't make much in a short amount of time.

FlyingMonkeys · 19/05/2019 14:19

Would you be prepared to post links OP? Mostly because I love having a nose 😶

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 19/05/2019 14:24

But the market is very slow anyway, so nothing is going to increase massively in value as it did previously.

If you can live in chaos and dirt, then go for the doer upper and you can choose exactly how you want it to be.

If you don’t want or can’t spend time doing diy, then go for the new build.

It also depends on whether you’re keen gardeners and definitely on the size and layout of the house. Not to mention parking.

Greenfield19 · 19/05/2019 14:24

We bought a do-er upper, neededanextensioner Grin

So glad we did! Haven’t done any of it yet other than planning permission for extension but I’m so excited for all of it.

Chilledout11 · 19/05/2019 14:26

New build- we are renovating and although it's large and a project I think I would prefer a new build if I could chose again. So much time and money.

Greenfield19 · 19/05/2019 14:27

Some people have renovating and some people love being able to get exactly what they want and putting their own stamp on things. You need to work out which you are.

I must admit it’s been hard living here for two years in the state it’s in not being able to have people over etc but it will be worth it in the end.

Pasut · 19/05/2019 14:32

New build. My previous house was one and a long for it now. Our doer upper is turning out to be very expensive and a complete pain.

ShellieEllie · 19/05/2019 14:35

Having been there and done a do-er upper I'd definitely plump for the new build. There will always be time for a do-er upper when they're older. Weekends were swallowed up doing DIY and we missed out visiting places just to get it done - small children in the mix when you're trying to crack on with big jobs is no fun.

FlyingMonkeys · 19/05/2019 14:35

I also effectively paid for everything twice as needed to paint/paper, new carpets to make current house habitable - and then it all needed replacing after new heating system/electrics due to pulling up floorboards and channelling into walls. There's a lot to be said for moving in with no need to update anything. However new builds can come with their own set of problems too.

SoupDragon · 19/05/2019 14:39

Doer upper.

As a sweeping generalisation, I hate new builds. To me their ceilings are too low, they don't have solid walls and they are on the small side. I am, of course, aware they are not all like that!

Original poster
Wheresmrlion · 19/05/2019 14:50

It’s so hard isn’t it!

It’s theoretical at the moment but is what’s available where we want to move next year, new build estate is next to the nicest road in town so no difference in area really and the house/room sizes are pretty compatible. So it’s just a matter of deciding what we want to do, easy life vs dream home. It would hopefully be our forever home so not really looking to make a big profit.

I had half an idea of new build now then doer upper in five years when life has calmed down a bit but do you get a good resale value on a new build? Is it worth the stamp duty and hassle of moving again?

OP posts:
Dora26 · 19/05/2019 14:57

I would love the high energy certification of new build vs energy pit of doer upper - low/no heating bills would be a game changer for me assuming everything else was ok. U have a small garden- enough to potter about in and regularly thank my lucky stars I don’t have a big lawn to maintain at weekends

Original poster
Wheresmrlion · 19/05/2019 14:59

So just as a theoretical example would you choose this older one...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76766084.html

Or this new one...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-68423062.html

OP posts:
YahBasic · 19/05/2019 15:04

We went for the new build but haggled a lot off.

We just didn’t want to hassle of doing something up and constantly having to keep on top of it, coupled with the fact that the new build had the layout that we wanted already, whereas we would be knocking through walls etc to create what we would want in the older house.

FlyingMonkeys · 19/05/2019 15:06

Oh, so currently just house window shopping then? 🙂 - 2nd clicky link doesn't work. But aside from that is not really call the older house a fixer upper. It looks like it just really needs a lick of paint, new carpets and potentially paint kitchen cupboards if preferred.

PinkCrayon · 19/05/2019 15:07

I would buy the doer upper for the bigger garden.

PinkCrayon · 19/05/2019 15:08

The newbuild also has a tiny hob.

MoveOverDustBunny · 19/05/2019 15:11

We’ve been looking at these two options too. New builds have their own issues, they have unregulated service charges, there are cases of it jumping 200% in a year, alongside covenants that state you must pay for permission from the developer to do any work on the property, without a time limit. New build homes are proving difficult to sell on at the moment, most in the market round here have made a loss on the original sale price.

Personally I’d choose a doer upper, if it’s half decent you can take you time to change things.