To think people can be really snobby/rude about new build houses?

[TheSubtleKnifeAndFork]

Just that really... I know they're not to everyone's taste but since we bought ours we've had some really rude comments about it. One person even asked me outright (with a real sneer) "Why on earth would anyone ever buy a new build?"... We're happy with it, which I know is all that matters, but I'm a bit gobsmacked by some of the outright rudeness about our new home. For example I've never particularly fancied living in a bungalow, but I wouldn't say that to someone who lived in one, or was thinking of buying one!

Don't get me wrong, I love character properties too (our first home was an older house which we renovated) but equally I don't get why buying a new build is so frowned upon? Or is is just my circle of acquaintance where people seem to have an issue with them?

You'll always find someone with an opinion, our house is over 100 years old, we had several colleagues say things like, oh you wouldn't catch me buying a draughty, rickety old house (it's neither), or 'I've never understood the appeal of old houses, just money pits' one even said 'ugh I bet people have died there'. To me it's just each to their own, there are negative things we've dealt with here that we wouldn't have had with a new build and there are advantages we have here we wouldn't get with a new build in our area at least. Just ignore them.

They are notorious for being badly built and having lots of different problems. Maybe the person who said had some experience of how bad they can be? Although she shouldn't have said that to you.

Just shrug and say that you're happy with it.

I always fell that they are for young families really, and on purpose built estates. It seems that the rooms are smaller and gardens tiny too.

I wouldn't buy one as they are really not to my taste, not a snobby thing, I just don't like new builds. Neither would I live in Milton Keynes as it all looks the same.

I grew up in what was at the time a new build (now considered old I suppose as is being renovated for the 2nd time since I sold it) in a section of road of identical looking properties with older ones at either end. The older ones always looked more interesting.

Possibly because of this I am always drawn to old houses with lots of character, large gardens, large rooms, Edwardian, Victorian especially, and not done up with modern shiny kitchens and walls knocked out.

I've had the same as Mrs Strowman

I also think that people in their 20s now expect everything new - including new paint job, new furniture etc. They also aren't prepared to pick up a paint brush.

Whereas I think because I left home and lived in some grotty flats, I don't have the same expectations. A lot of our furniture is second hand, but really good quality and I'm happy with that

I don't think it's snobbiness, and it's not new build versus character. There's plenty of other types eg ex local authority, 60s -70s houses. Unfortunately new builds don't have a good reputation, and that's why many people just wouldn't consider them.
But you're right, a bit rude to say it to your face!

@MrsStrowman ah that's interesting - we never had any unpleasant comments about our old house, which was a bloody wreck when we bought it!

I suppose opinions are like arseholes and everyone has them! I certainly ignore them, but am also a bit gobsmacked by the outright rudeness.

I always think, unless you have almost unlimited funds, any house you buy will likely have some compromises, right?

I'll admit I was definitely wary of buying a new build initially, because I know they can have problems - so I wasn't totally naive in that respect. We had an independent professional snagging survey done for starters and we only went for it as the builder was one of the better ones out there. Interestingly when I was doing my research I stumbled across a website that was very down on new builds - apparently they're all small and dark with low ceilings etc. which I certainly wouldn't say was true of ours (but some of the comments we've had have been along those lines too).

I have a friend who bought off plans on a new estate. She said the amount of comments she got for the first few years were unbelievable and made then feel guilty cos they couldn't afford a detached character house.

But she says 14 years down the line, it's been great for them, the central green has been amazing for their kids for playing with the neighbours and she has no houses at the back at all so she's not overlooked.

New builds aren’t to my taste, always look a bit toy town, often end up with issues becuase they’ve been thrown up, most also have no soul, but then I wouldn’t buy one. Don’t really care what others buy and if a friend moved in to a need build tomorrow I certainly wouldn’t say I can’t stand new builds

These people are presumably your friends and should say nothing other than enjoy your new home or comment on decoration etc

Show them your energy bills, so much cheaper to run. Having spent twenty years living in a 200 year old money pit oil central heating, I cannot believe how many thousands we are saving a year in our late seventies house. A new build would be even cheaper.

Possibly because of this I am always drawn to old houses with lots of character, large gardens, large rooms, Edwardian, Victorian especially, and not done up with modern shiny kitchens and walls knocked out.

I love older properties. I grew up in a very old cottage and it was lovely - although the rooms were tiny and it was dark due to small windows, but lovely nonetheless. Unfortunately no way we could have afforded a character property in the location we wanted (which was more important in this instance) and at the size of property we really needed. And after doing up a very old property from scratch previously, which we found to be a huge commitment, neither of us wanted to start from scratch again with another wreck.

I'll admit that moving into something brand new and totally finished felt like a real treat after our last house, which had no heating or kitchen when we first moved in!

We are in the same boat. We currently have our name down for a plot that will be finished in June and all we have had are people asking why we are going for a new build and not a house with character!

My ds and her dh bought an old wreck of a house that needed thousands spending on it to make it liveable and they had lovely comments about how they could make it their own!

Just ignore them, if they hate new builds so much they don't have to come and visit you in your 'vile' new build haha. That's what I will be saying to anybody else who says anything to us.

I would say that all houses were new once and all come with a set of pros and cons.
The houses built on my current estate by Jelson in the 60/70's are now having major structural/internal issues due to poor building practices/shortcuts.
And there is a lot of snobbery about new builds. Much of from NIMBY's that didn't want new estates tacked on to the end of their village.

We love our new build and we're not young (unless you're older ) and neither are our neighbours in their 3/4£mil houses.

Ours is not as big but being spread across 3 floors means all 3 beds are big. We are overlooked though

They were rude to say it to you.

I know 4 couples who bought newly built houses, 3 are complaining and 1 couple absolutely love it and feel that they made the best decision ever. I think that it depends on what your expectations were vs. reality. I'm not from the UK so things might be different there but over here you have to start paying mortgage while they are building. Which means that you have double the costs of living. Some people only then realise that they don't have the financial stretch to get the kitchen, floors or bathroom they desired and have to change their ideas for cheaper versions so it feels like a let down when it is finished. Nothing wrong with the house, just overconfident calculations.

We've had the exact same problem.
Moved into our new build at the beginning of this year. Our last house was a project pre kids and we did it up to sell on. - The idea of the new build was so that we wouldn't have any work to be done and we could enjoy the time spent with our young dc's. I feel like we're constantly justifying ourselves, and the looks we get when we say we're in one of the new houses from locals.
There's always - 'ohh theyre pricey for what you get', or 'well for the money i've seen them going for you could have found somewhere with a bigger garden'.
my answer is always a standard ... 'maybe but we love it.'

I don't like new builds for a variety of reasons, size of rooms, height of ceilings, lack of storage, tiny gardens with a foot of building rubble an inch beneath the soil etc. Obviously not all are like that but far too many are but I would never be snobby or rude enough to say so to someone living in one.

We looked at new builds and obviously the million quid ones are hopefully good but the cheaper ones are often really small.

Living rooms 8 feet wide. A bedroom described as a double when its 7 feet by 8 feet. A third bedroom 6 feet by 6 feet. No corridors. 4 toilets (including one less than 12 inches from your head in bed)!

The smallest I saw was described as a 3 bed house - it was 570 square foot.

We have comments about always buying older character properties.
I think some people feel they have to make snide comments for the sake of it.
I wouldn't buy new because without fail all the family and friends who did this regretted it for all kinds of reasons, but if you are happy and you have no major problems , then it's nothing to do with anyone else.

@ElspethFlashman that's really sad about the negative comments, and how it made them feel, but fantastic that they didn't end up regretting the decision long term. We have a young family, so it is really ideal in a lot of ways. We are overlooked a bit (but so was our old - much smaller - garden!) but the garden is a really lovely size and we've just planted some trees which will give us some additional privacy when they grow.

@PrincessDaff - sorry you have experienced the rudeness too. I hope you're very happy in your new house. We absolutely love ours and feel the compromises we have made are small, and well worth it to have a "forever" home which will last us as our family grows.

@explodingkitten - I think it works a bit differently here, we didn't start paying the mortgage until we moved into the house (we couldn't have afforded it otherwise) and everything (except flooring) was included in the total price, so there were no nasty surprises!

@Crunchie14 - sounds like an almost identical situation. I'm glad you love your house too, that's all that matters at the end of the day.

Ooh and we've also had a couple of (IMO) very snobby comments about the fact we live near affordable housing (it's mixed throughout the development, as it should be), which I was totally at!

I feel your pain, although our comments have been along the lines of "You must be loaded to buy that" in addition to the small house, small garden comments (Neither are though!)

We come from a 100+ year old money-pit and just couldn't face the thought of a potential further 20 years of renovation when we just don't enjoy anything much beyond making pretty!

You'll never please everyone, so just please yourself and let then jog on!

I love our new build!
I always wonder though that the people who are all talking shit about them have actually owned one or are just parroting what other people say?

And we didn’t buy one just so we didn’t have to pick up a paint brush and expect everything new 🙄 - we bought it because it’s in the area we wanted and there was nothing else affordable on the market.

For the vast majority of us houses are a compromise. I used to think the rooms were a bit small generally in new builds. But now I like the idea of a warmer house!

My favourite house ever was one my Bil didn't really like. ( He said this after we'd left it though!)

Enjoy your home op!

If yours is well built then who cares what anyone says!

I was brought up in old country farmhouses which were draughty and stank of damp. Give me my nice clean cosy new build anyday. And for the person who said they have no soul - it is the people who live there that make a house a home. My home has plenty of soul.

The people do give a home it's soul. And some pictures on the wall imo!