Secondhand houses

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Read the mysterious 'service charge' thread and had a Google - I found a thread on another forum where they were discussing council service charges on freehold properties, and there were some really strong opinions about houses which weren't new builds (not necessarily old or character, just not new) e.g.

"...some people don't want someone else's seconds. It's slightly demeaning isn't it? It's second only to renting. The place may never really feel as though it is yours."

and

"...don't like the thought of using secondhand soiled goods"

I've never thought of houses like this - as something which becomes 'used' or 'secondhand'. Not trying to stir up a 'how could you possibly live in a new/old house' barney - it's all about layout and position for me. Just wondered if I'm in the minority re. this 'secondhand' view.

And I second the take on a lot of new builds.
Most of the new builds around my way (apart from independent new builds) are very basic, postage stamp size gardens, box rooms and some are very open plan with kitchen in the lounge.

Iv lived in both throughout my life and I preferred the older houses we lived in, particularly one which was built in 1870, it had lots of nooks and crannies, proper fireplace and thick walls.

All depends on what sort of character you want your house to have.
I chop and change what I like with houses.

I grew up in a 200 year old house. I loved it. My parents had renovated it but there were still odd nooks and crannies. It had real character. Having said that, I prefer new builds. My first house when's I left home was a new build and I was the first resident. I regretted moving when I did but I have since found another new build where I am once again the first resident. I prefer it like this. Not because of any "demeaning" reasons but new houses are just so much easier to bloody clean, and when things go wrong they are generally easier to repair. If I was to move again it would be another new build.

We bought a cheaper older house, and it does indeed have all the problems you mention Zebbie (we currently have no boiler, for instance) buuuut... it has a big garden at the front and the back, and no neighbours at either the front or back - only the sides. We rented a new build before we bought and it was awful - all crammed in with no privacy at all, and paper thin walls to boot.

Which is not to argue with your point but just to say, different strokes etc!

That is a very odd way to look at a house, I don't see how a house could be classed as second hand?

I'm looking to buy my first home and I can't justify the price of a new build! For a decently sized one with a driveway for 2 cars and a plot that has good level of privacy it's way out of my price range!

I'd rather buy an "old" house, to redecorate and have it to my taste, each to their own though.

I've just moved into my second new build house.

Both new builds have been lovely. Not your typical boxy, crammed in type houses. They did build another development around our old place which was why we moved - brick jungle springs to mind.

New one is on lots of land and is huge I love it but it doesn't feel homely.

My Victorian 2 bed terraced house always felt warm and comforting - my current house is more clean and clinical!

Well I've never thought of houses as being second-hand, and certainly can't see how it's demeaning to live in anything other than a new build

That said, we have a new build. It wasn't what we set out looking for, but (perhaps because of the type of house we were looking for in the area we were looking) the only other available houses were all approximately 15 years old and substantially more expensive than a new new build (talking about 25% more). Seemed silly to us to pay more for a house that's out of warranty and has the benefit of 'improvements' made by the previous owner. They also all had smaller bedrooms than the house we ended up buying.

I have to say now though that I can't imagine ever buying anything other than a new build. It would be nice to have a bigger garden but I don't think that would be enough to sway me towards an older property and all the potential problems they have (mostly damp, we have full on Damp Fear...).

I'm yet to find a new build I would want to live in. I would love to build my own house but I wouldn't want to live in any of the new estates that pop up everywhere. They seem to cram too much in, too many ensuites, poky box rooms etc.

My first house was an ex local authority 60's ugly building. We spent a huge number of our weekends stripping wallpaper, the floors, painting & tiling, etc.
Our second house was a new build because we were fed up with spending every single weekend doing DIY.
Our third house was a new build - now had 2 babies, there was no way I was prepared to live in a house that needed tons of work.
Our fourth house was a 70's time warp on a prime site with a huge garden. The rooms are larger but it was the 3/4 acre garden which sold it to us. With primary aged DC, the titchy gardens of newbuild estates no longer had appeal! We have lived on site and poured tons of money on it - I'm not moving unless I'm carried out of it! We can't hear our now teenage DC if we're on the other side of the house and it's great.

We have one en suite, four double bedrooms (proper doubles, the smallest is 11'x11'). We also have two 'extra' rooms downstairs, one is our music room and one is a study, large kitchen diner, large front room.

It suits us perfectly. Not all new builds are boxy and flimsy. That's like saying all older houses are draughty and damp

I've never lived in a house built later than 1904! Are there really twats people who think like this? Wow!

Personally I find new builds a bit soul less (more so houses than flats for some reason, I guess I just expect houses to have character ) and prefer period properties. That is a strange outlook, but each to their own. Less people wanting the period properties makes them cheaper for me

Even if you live in a boxy flimsy new-build, I can imagine that it is preferable to spending the first two years of living in an old property filling in every biro sized hole so fucking mice don't invade (slight exaggeration) the house every winter. Or looking at the roof, wondering how old is too old and cursing teeny tiny cavities too small to fill with insulation. None of which I really considered in my twenties when I first saw the house and was swooning around big rooms thinking about how nice xmas would look.

I guess I don't really understand why people prioritise the age of a house either way. Have lived in both, and yes the very worst are the 20ish year old ones -I'm thinking of the one where the fuse would trip if the immersion heater and dishwasher were on at the same time due to some ill-advised home-wiring by the previous owner, who also left a 'live' gas pipe folded over at the top instead of capping it off -
But I would buy either new or old if it was the right house/price in the right place at the right time.

Goodness. I live in a house build in 1880! It even has the original Victorian toilet and seat!!! (Although it has been incorporated into the house now!). I used to live in a new build but it wasn't fab. My house now has so much character and I love the steps down to the cellar as they are worn in the middle from endless trips up and down to get the coal.

ours is second hand... in that we are the second owners in nearly 60 years.

I've just realised my mother lives in a real "secondhand" house. it was built in 1925 by the first owner and my father bought it in 1948 from his executors when he came out of the army. My now widowed mother lives there still. 92 years, 2 owners!

Heavens.. our house must be very well soiled then... the main section is circa 1450's with a 1700's extension, then 2 1980's extensions. We renovated the whole house 2 years ago and the Heritage Officer paid many visits and told us a lot of history about the house (hex marks in the fireplace to keep witches at bay, the well in the garden etc). I love the fact my house has seen so much life. And death.. allegedly it's the oldest property in the parish. New, it's not! Personally I find new builds soulless - can't explain it but they don't seem to have the story to tell.

There is a difference between period properties and secondhand new builds.

5moreminutes... I got double glazing (wooden casement windows) in mine when we renovated and it's grade 2 listed.. triple glazed in bifolds.. it is possible in a listed building. But, yes, I can totally see why a new build be a lot less aggravation.

Surely there's some Alan Clark-esque quip to be made to the person who made the original comment along the lines of "heavens, do you people have to buy your houses?"

(And yes, we did buy ours!)

Jeffrey

In the same way that saying older properties are "used" it's just as disrespectful to say that new builds are all "flimsy rabbit hutches" or "noddy houses".

We live a new build. Super new build as it's only 8 weeks old. We have new build as they are the only houses avaliable on help to buy. We scrimped and saved and lived in some God awful places to get here. I absolutely love it and it's home and I do take exception to people saying they're "souless"- they're not. We've filled it with our things and our family and it's beautiful.

I would never call anyone's home "souless"- regardless of the year it's built. How bloody rude.

We once rented a house that was 9 years old, the owner had bought it new but it was in a shocking state and needed the plumbing redoing as well as the roof looking at.
We couldn't hang things on the walls because they were plaster board and although it had good storage, it also had features crammed in.

We now live in an almost 300 year old house with foot thick stone walls, that needs a new boiler and bathroom but the house doesn't feel flimsy. It's still a hassle to hang things on the wall but it's because it needs a hammer drill and rawl plugs to get through the stone rather than be worried about bringing a wall down.

For me it's completely about layout, location and price. Age would only be an issue for me if it was linked to other issues e.g. Listed building, needs rennovation. You can make a house your own very easily through furniture, decoration etc. The house itself is just the shell.