New build homes in the UK are a bit depressing

[Glasgoow]

I want to move somewhere with better insulation than my 1930s house. Looked around a few new build places and they are just depressing.

They pretend to be all unique by craming different designed houses all on top of each other but its just a ploy to allow them to pack loads in.

The gardens are tiny and either back onto a road or are overlooked.

Looked at one this morning and for a 4 bedroom house they had crammed in 5 toilets, bathroom and two ensuites. I guess if it was a mansion that would be handy, but it wasn't and the bedrooms were tiny with little wardrobe space. It had its own gauarge but this was as part of a "coach house" where they build 4 garages and then a flat on top for someone else to live in. If I was coming back late at night I wouldn't want to use my garage as someone is living on top of it. Drive space for just one car and parking would probably be a nightmare when people come round. Its just cramming all they can in and presenting it with small beds and tables to make it loom bigger. The pictures were very deceiving, they must of sunk the camera into the wall to make it look as big as they did. The windows were all on the small side too.

Just a shame, I want a new home, but a quality one designed to be good to live in not to just maximise their profits.

We love our new build. The room sizes are reasonable, as is the garden size. It wasn't expensive either. It's very well insulated too.

No complaints here

YANBU op.

We've looked at a few new builds and they're all awful IMO, even the pricy ones.

They all look the same, all have tiny gardens and 2cm of space between houses...not for me.

The density of housing on developments and the deliberate under provision of parking is a deliberate policy by planners to encourage the use of public transport and not to waste land. Most planners would have a fit if presented with the stocking density of a typical 70s estate versus more modern ones built in the past 15 years.

We moved into our new build (a Persimmon home) when it was built nearly ten years ago. We chose it because my health issues and DH being away a lot for work meant we wanted something low maintenance. The house is lovely, with a big kitchen, spacious utility room and lovely sitting room plus separate dining room (these two rooms can be opened up if we are having party or similar). Bedrooms are not palatial but a decent size - there's an ensuite to our bedroom which is great plus the main family bathroom. This makes having guests so easy. Garden is not huge but a reasonable size and since we've lived here, the pond, various trees and lots of shrubs mean it is secluded and a wonderful haven for wildlife.

Interestingly, CABE commissioned a report on New Builds a few years back and many of the things loved by planners are not necessarily those loved by residents! It made very interesting reading. Apparently, nobody even tries to use their garage for a car - it's recognised as very much an extra storage facility.

The estate we're on hasn't crammed us in like sardines and there's a nice mix of detached, some low rise flats, and some townhouses. There's also a well used green very near the houses where kids can play and because the estate is away from through routes, traffic is light and parking is mostly pretty good. In a perfect world I'd like a slightly bigger garden (and my dream bedroom would be ginormous with attached dressing room and a little boudouir) but the house itself is spacious, warm and easy to look after.

They seem to think that the only quality residents value in a property is ensuite bloody bathrooms. Perhaps it's some sort of fetish.

lots of ensuite bathrooms are good if the house is being bought by house sharers or someone planning to let rooms.

Perhaps it reflects who the majority of buyers are?

Our house is 20 years old. It's got more storage than an equivalent new build today, the garden is mature, but it had got a bit scruffy, so it was an absolute steal (247k for big 4 bed with decent garden and parking for 4 cars in a naice Derbyshire village). I think 20-30 year old houses are much better value on the whole.

They are well designed - and fit a lot of rooms into a very small space. But those rooms are tiny. They look like legoland houses! And look like they'd fall over if a bit of wind hit them. I lived in one for about 4 years - it was a lovely little house with the emphasis on little.

I have friends in Germany and they have so much space in their houses in comparison.

(by the way I am not new but have had to reregister with a new email, username and password after Hackergate!)

to encourage the use of public transport and not to waste land.

The layout of new estates is horrendous, though. All the curvy narrow pavements and narrow roads make them pedestrian unfriendly & dangerous to cyclists (difficult to use as a cyclist, too, argh).

Can someone link to a nice 4 bed? I fail to find any.

The layout of new estates is horrendous, though. All the curvy narrow pavements and narrow roads make them pedestrian unfriendly

To say nothing of a mobility scooter.

Interesting comments on the house I linked further up, I have to say I'm not 100% sure about it although my other half loves it. I like the idea of a close knit community of young families that all move in at the same time, in reality we'll probably all hate each other but I'm not sure the rooms are big enough. Maybe scope to extend in the future though, particularly into the loft.

Price wise it seems to be pretty competitive compared to other 4 beds in the area. It's 20 minute bus from the city centre (buses every 10 minutes), 10 minute walk from good primary & secondary school, close to nearby retail park, local shops and pubs, and it has a lovely green space, footpath and pond to the front of the house which would be great for the kids. Don't fancy living on a building site for 18 months though.

I wonder if I'm living on an estate where developers have listened to what people want.

It's straight roads, green areas and large rooms.

The only thing that annoys me is a few of the semi detached don't have windows which is ridiculous. There is still this Insistance on making corner ones thus losing the light. Apparently they sell first as people prefer the element of privacy they feel this design gives

And even more gobsmacking is people ASK for windows not to be put in downstairs bathrooms at all of their are windows in the plan.

Nowt so queer as folk.

i love our 3-bed new build. but we rent it from a HA and i think HA's have stricter regulations on room sizes so it is quite big, for a new build. We can fit a double bed, bookcase and wardrobe in the 3rd bedroom! no en-suite though but 2 toilets in a 3 bed home is enough!
We are looking to move though and buy on of those 4/5 bed townhouses (about 4 years old) and convert the 2nd bedroom into 2 to create a 6 bed home. I know some people would prefer less but bigger bedrooms but as we are soon to have 5 children (blended family!) I think the kids would rather have their own, small, bedroom then a large one which they have to share.
Parking on new estates, however, is awful! Where we are at the moment, each house (privately owned) gets one space on the drive and a garage that is too small to fit a family car in. which means they have to park on the road which are designed narrow and twisty to 'prevent cars driving too fast'.

They'll get theirs, Honey. A bathroom without a window is a recipe for spending lots on bathroom mould-resistant paint, grout revival pens, new grout, and lots and lots of Dettol mould spray. And the occasional new shower curtain.

I would almost say the opposite. Near where i live all the new builds that are being erected by small/medium size developers are beautiful. Most of them match the character of the area better than anything built in the last 70 years. The brick or stonework pretty much exactly matches the street the only difference is internally they are a more modern design.

This is a nice 4 bed. www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/find-your-home/scotland/east-lothian/musselburgh/almond-park/the-macintosh

I couldn't buy a home that had plasterboard walls and a lot of these do.

I rented a new build house a few years ago. There was a problem with the bath so the plumber had to take it out to have a look, and behind the bath panel were the builders' empty crisp packets and coke cans. That just about summed up the level of craftsmanship for me!

squoosh

Tempted to look behind the bath panel now, just in case!

Yanbu especially about the totally unnecessary bathrooms & en suites.

I can't be the only one to be thinking of this Not the Nine O'Clock news sketch?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=S2OmmcsAZnw

I had that Sindy bathroom set

Me too!

Interesting thread though. I've looked at lots of new builds and have yet to understand why so many bathrooms. But then my three dc are only primary/baby age.

Lack of cupboards - no decent cupboards, nowhere big enough for floor mop, bucket, ironing board etc

Also nowhere for the myriad of wheelie bins, they are under you nose in the small backgarden.