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?

It's down to what you can afford a lot of the time. I live in a new build because I cannot afford an old house full of character. I presume a lot of other people are in the same boat. And others, of course, prefer the lightness and brightness of a new build and there's nothing wrong with that.

It's rude to make direct comments about anyone's home. I agree that any home has its compromises. Few people can afford to get things to perfection!

I live on an 80s housing estate. It's improving with age as trees and gardens mature and homes have customised over time. There's a difference in the 15 odd years that I've lived here, and the community is maturing. I'm surprised at how much I love it as it wasn't the dream home of my youth.

There are new build estates in construction on the edges. There is a definite difference in the space of the plots, and the 4-5 bed houses are 2.5 stories on a 3 bed footprint of land compared to the original estate. That does make the new housing feel much more cramped. They are more segregated from services, and goodness knows where the kids would go to school as provision was already over subscribed... ditto for the GP.

Designs can be conceptual rather than realistic, small rooms, lack of storage, over use of unnecessary ensuites. The designers will clearly never live in them. Build quality can be an unknown. If it's done well, that's years of minimal maintainence. Done badly and it can be years of aggro if having to extort repairs from a reluctant developer. An older home, you'd expect some degree of issues and in any home a fresh look can mask significant issues.

Hopefully you've got a good'un. Enjoy your new home

The only reason why people think that houses were built to much better standards in years gone by, is that most of the crappily built houses have fallen down or been demolished. Some new builds are great, some are rubbish, same as with any house.

I know exactly what you mean, I've also heard horror stories but we've had very little with ours and the tiny things we've found have been fixed at no cost to us. I like old and new houses, but people don't need to be rude, especially when they are often commenting based on generalisations, e.g. new houses have no storage (ours has loads!) or old houses are draught (my grandma's 200 year old house was lovely and cosy). Some people just seem to enjoy trying to take the shine off the happiness of others.

Love my new build. It's a 2 bedroom, both rooms are huge and the gardens are a really good size too, it has bathroom, downstairs toilet and plenty of storage. Stays nice and warm, cheap to run and it was built just for us so it's our perfect home.

I find old buildings look very run down and lifeless. I wouldn't want to buy a house and then have to rip out skirting boards, windows, doors, carpets etc just to replace it with things to make it look cleaner and homely.

Let them sneer. A home is what you make of it, old, new or points in between! For what it’s worth our house is c400 years old. When I go to new builds I have a brief jealous pang at their high ceilings, light and underfloor heating!

I have siblings and friends' who live in new build houses. The new builds that are part of developments of 2-10 houses tend to be better designed and built.

Like me most of them where brought up in houses over 100 years old and seeing their parents having the hassle and expense of maintaining them went for properties that were under 100 years old. While a couple delibrately went for a new build property most just ended up with one as it suits their family size and lifestyle.

My DH rants about never buying a new build because he is a handyman and spends a fair portion of his time fixing 'little problems' with people's new builds.

(they're never 'little problems' in the end)

Some people just seem to enjoy trying to take the shine off the happiness of others.

I do think sometimes that's what it amounts to, sadly. I didn't volunteer details about the new house to people unless they asked (I'm generally quite a private person!) so it's not like I've been making a fuss about it myself IYWSIM?

It's interesting as new builds clearly divide opinion as a lot of people on here have said things that are often used against them (souless, small gardens, etc). Probably if you'd asked me 10 years ago if I'd ever buy one I'd have said no myself, but my attitude has definitely changed with time and experience. Also our old house (despite being lovely in many ways) had lots of negative points - on a busy main road, no proper parking, noisy neighbours one side, cold and drafty in the winter, etc and quite a small property overall... so that has probably skewed my perspective of how much of an upgrade the new house is too!

I'm glad I posted this though as nice to hear people's good experiences of new builds and know I'm not alone in having people be arses about it!

I don’t think it’s about “ new builds” so much as “estates” - well for me it is anyway. Nobody would complain about living in an architect designed “ grand design “ worthy house would they? Personally I’ve been in some more modern houses that have offered really good space for the money and could be made to look really cool ( ex local authority flats). but living on an estate where every house looks the same or similar is very unappealing and feels very “ stepford wives. I would feel that whatever the age of the property and was the reason we didn’t buy a house on a private estate of 1930s houses near us.

Oh and one of my siblings "new build" is 25 years old. During the time they have reconfigured rooms and landscaped the garden.

My sister has a modern house though and I have complete utility room envy.

It's personal taste, they're not for me (although not ruling it out in the future) but I'd never make comments to anyone, that's so rude!

We di look at some but they had small bedrooms, small gardens, limited storage and more bathrooms that needed at the compromise of space (who needs 3 showers in a 3-bed house?!). I'd also be worried about build quality but equally you find some real bodge jobs in old houses! I think you need a pay a premium for a quality new build. One my friend lives in is lovely and spacious and their garden is big as she's on the corner plot.

I do confess to not liking the whole estate thing though, to me they look like toy town and it makes me think of houses decorated like the inside of the Next catalogue with those signs like "home" and "cook" (again just personal taste but not for me).

Ahhh yes bananamonkey the ubiquitous 'Next' new build show home. Urgh. Didn't put us off fortunately and our house is decorated to our taste (more ikea than next )

I grew up in a huge old house and my friends took the piss out of me for living in a haunted house! You can’t win.

I live in a modern house now and I love it. I really couldn’t care less if it’s supposed to be uncool.

It’s also a terrace, which I also like as we don’t have to use the central heating much at all. We’re so well insulated on all sides.

I grew up in a house with lots of “character” (Victorian, high ceilings, vast rooms) etc and my parents looked down their noses a bit at people in “new builds”. I’ve now just bought a 5 bed house built in the 1990s and I love it! It always feels warm even on the coldest days, there’s no real maintenance needed, we live on a dead end road so there’s no through traffic....ignore other people’s opinions and focus on whether the house works for you.

I don’t know why anyone cares where other people choose to live, unless it directly affects them.
The new builds in our village are around 20% more expensive than non new build properties of the same size, so that’s why I wouldn’t buy one. I’m sure they’re lovely though.

Ha, bet most of them will end up moving into a new build themselves in the future, telling anyone who will listen that they can’t understand why anyone would buy a used house!

Unfortunately, many people don’t think before they offer up their unformed opinion planted by whatever article, tv show or forum they read last. If it’s any consolation my 1950s house has a bad luck aura about it (if that’s a term!). Had a very kind Priest visit last Friday to say a blessing and a prayer (will try anything at the mo).

I’d love to live in a new build. Treasure and enjoy your comfortable new home op!

After 20 years in a period house we moved to a new build. The main advantage are having sensible sized rooms and showers and toilets that aren't downstairs or other stupid places. We looked at lots of older houses but most of them required masses of work doing and those that did not had so much that wasn't to our taste we would have wanted to rip it all out anyway. Our new build has been economical to heat and we have had no problems other than very minor snagging. Yes people are patronising and snobbish about new build houses, you can see it on this thread!

I'm not keen on new builds, mainly because the majority I've seen have tiny rooms. The kitchens all look lovely though.

I live in an ugly house but not new build.
The snootiness comes from new builds not usually being designed by architects- they are normally just put up by builders and engineers, hence the lack of storage and space for dining tables etc. I was told this by an architect. No idea if it is true but they do tend to look similar and aren’t all that pretty.

To clarify, the house I grew up in was not ACTUALLY haunted. That’s just what my friends used to say, as it did have that look about it. Victorian, dark wallpaper and carpets, (thanks the 90s ), big draughty hallways etc. One friend wouldn’t even go to the loo on her own in my house . And I was the weird one .

I'm having all sorts of nightmares with my 30s terrace and part of me thinks that a new build would be so much simpler. At least it is clear who is at fault if something goes wrong. Our house has had so much shoddy DIY done to it over the years it makes my head boil.
I've always been against new builds but visited my dsis in north america in her beautiful, spacious, warm, open and bright brand new house and felt absolutely rotten with envy.

I would love a newbuild house! Perhaps not on a development though, not used to so many people around me.

I love new builds. I've lived in 3 and all have been solid, good houses. Our current house is 10 years old (so we weren't the ones to buy it new) and it's faring well. I grew up in an old house and don't look back on it fondly really with the headaches it caused my parents, I work in the heritage sector and love visiting old houses etc, but for my own house I love modern, clean lines, energy efficient houses! The parking is a pain, the walls are thin and our garden could be bigger but I just love our estate, opposite a park, and for me having 3 toilets is a real luxury, we found it difficult to find a house in our budget with more than 1 toilet unless it was a new build, and for me I couldn't live in a house with 1 toilet.

There is such snobbery around new builds but I genuinely love many of them (not all, some are terribly cramped estates) we will need to upsize soon and I like the idea of doing the trade in to buy off plan.