To hate new builds?

[Sello]

This will likely be controversial, but my brother and his partner moved into a new build and now my parents are also moving into one.

I find there is something soulless about them.

The one my parents are moving into is in the process of being built and so they’ve put an offer in and been accepted, even though they’ve never seen it, only the plans.

Our house is Victorian and although it does have some problems with damp and insulation, I loved the character as soon as we walked in.
My in laws house is around 500 years old, it’s an old farmhouse and it has so much charm and character.

I know it’s each to their own, but I just feel like they’re uninviting, like Lego houses and like a hotel or something.

The type of period house I would buy would be detached with 4 bedrooms, private drive and a garage in its own plot, preferably Victorian, houses like this in my area are literally non existent, the oldest house that fits that description is the occasional 1930’s house, a few more 1950’s style, but not many at all. The grander style Victorian houses in my town are always in a terrace with tiny gardens and are in awful areas as so many have been carved up into bedsits and HMO’s, sadly the grandeur of these houses has really faded due to these conversions. Then you have the typical ‘Homes under the Hammer House’ tiny old houses, bins outside, narrow streets with cars and vans on both sides, utterly depressing. The detached family sized houses with gardens, driveways and garages in desirable locations are generally from 1970’s to new builds, an old house is not so appealing when its in a depressing location, no matter if it does have ceiling roses.

Vacuous is a great word but not the one you were groping for here, I think.

How can a house be ‘vacuous’? Do you mean entirely empty, including of atoms and molecules? Or is the house a bit too keen on Love Island and talks about it constantly?

I know what you, and other posters sneering at new builds, are attempting to say, BTW. It’s this: “I’m more highbrow than you because I value character and I must have soul in my houses, unlike you undiscriminating drones merely subsisting in a cardboard machine for living”. Always the mention of “postage stamp gardens’ as well. As if you were Vita Sackville West.

Fortunately I’ve heard this self-regarding nonsense many, many times and since I live comfortably in my 25 year old warm, light house I don’t give a stuff.

Oh yeah.. that happened to us too! Bloody cruden crooks!

You pays your money and youse takes your choice! It is difficult to generalize. The point is being able to find a house that suits your needs and is of good quality and requires only straightforward maintenance. For most people the home is a compromise, and most likely to have issues and crumbly old houses and ticky tacky new builds are really to be avoided unless you like a project.

I have never owned a perfect home, but have been generally happy with my choice, and it is all experience. Although no builder, I have learnt a lot about plumbing, electrics, heating and construction and so forth, and would say that having the luxury of making a perfect affordable choice would be lovely.

My preference would be employing an architect and laying down all my preferences in a new build, ...wish on!

All this talk about houses having "soul" and "character" is so wanky.

All the people who say that ‘all new builds’ are this, that or the other just sound stupid.

At least you can move in when you want and not be messed around by petty sellers!

There are only so many "characterful" homes available, OP. Not everyone can have one, even if we all wanted them, so it's rather rude to sneer at them when it's the most that many can ever hope to own.

Late to the conversation, but this pretty much captures my thinking on them. Many places don’t have much period stock at all because they didn’t become built up until later. If they do, you find it’s more plentiful at the lower end. Lots of terraces, especially two-up two-downs. But they often won’t have parking, a garden, etc., so very easy to see why someone might chose something else. The higher up you go from there, the less available and affordable they are. I’m in the period gang, but I don’t think I’d ever be able to afford a detached period house for example. Again, easy to see why people want or have to choose a different style of house.

And if there is a finite supply, it’s great not everyone wants one - I can’t understand why anyone who likes living in them would want to big up period houses any more!

I don't get it when someone says a house has 'character'. It doesn't, it's a house. It has lovely features perhaps, and only to you, I might find them ugly. Not all period houses look nice, some are ugly as hell and that's not from lack of maintenance. Like I'm not fond of a thatched roof, it looks odd and stupid to me. Plus it's a costly nightmare.

Some new builds are shite, why anyone would buy some of them I've no idea, especially the ones from companies that have so many bad reviews. The people that buy them now have zero sympathy from me, some of those companies have been on the news they are that bad, you can't avoid finding out unless you are deliberately unaware of everything.

You get nice from both, you get bad from both. Neither is better than the other.

@Iamthewombat - yes, and period can often mean tiny garden in proportion to the house or no garden at all, so I don’t really get the postage stamp gardens comment actually. Yards and miniature gardens ARE the sacrifice you make to get an older property ime. If you want lots of garden, you’re generally looking at 1930s to 80s - with anything post-30s also often dismissed as soulless. Around here new builds certainly have more garden than the average period house, including large semis. If you’re talking about Victorian, etc., with large gardens, those houses are relatively few in number and often massively expensive.

The funny thing is that for most people, character is nothing more than fireplaces and ceilings. They actually heard the phrase on property shows and from others and think they it’s cool.

Oh one very good thing about newer houses. The heating is brilliant when they are done right. My house heats up very quickly and keeps it well. Costs little to heat which nowadays is only a good thing. Only needs on once in the morning and once at night and its fine all day.

My parents old house though, oil central heating costs nearly £1000 now for 500litres which will last a few months. Still doesn't heat the house well or keep the heat, its cold all the time, even in summer. Got great 'character' though, fun to look at while under a pile of blankets. 😂

I have a friend who's an engineer and he tells me that many many modern houses are being thrown up super fast with roof & floor trusses of such poor quality timber their maximum lifespan is only 50yrs. There's going to be an awful lot of houses needing major strengthening in the future.

Yabu. New build houses are no more soulless than old houses. You live in them, you put your soul into them.

If you need the victorians to have done that for you, then it's you that's soulless and lacking in character, not your house.

I hate the look of character properties so wouldnt have bought one even it was cheaper. Beams are so ugly. Why would I want a massive bit of dark wood ruining my nice bright room? Ditto with odd pokey nomsymmetrical spaces. And most older houses have super ugly plastic conservatories tacked on the side.

We've bought a new build and it's great, huge, and has a big garden. Downside is it's a bit overlooked but would have had to psy about 300k more for similar house with large unoverlooked garden down the road in the forest. We were lucky with how ours is built, was used as an internal project show house so has been built and finished well. Neighbours across the road had snagging done by that tiktok guy and he found the walls were massively bulging out! I think our biggest snag was that one of kitchen cupboards didnt close properly.

Oh, ours is 3000 square foot with the high ceilings downstairs and a separate double garage with office above. The only thing I would change is making the outside a bit prettier, it does look like a massive brick lump due to size, but we've not managed to landscape the gardens yet.

What bit of the house does an engineer build?

unless he’s actually working on these houses for many different house builders then his opinion is no more valuable than anyone elses

It was ever thus

Most of the 100 year old terraces weee not designed or expected to live for 100 years

The average very old house is the rare one from its era that hasn't fallen down or been pulled down

This feels like it is all getting a bit defensive, understandably. But Only people who live in “huge” new builds are posting, and the huge ones are a tiny tiny percentage of the new build stock, the overwhelming majority are small houses, in estates of multiple similar small houses and I think that’s what folk are mainly talking about. Not the massive million pound plus new houses folks are posting about they own.

personally I think thatched roofs are very pretty in the main although I’d not be wishing to buy a house with one due to cost, and I don’t find beams ugly, although I think they can be overpowering, we had ours sandblasted back to the orginal pale oak and I think it looks lovely.

but yes that’s what “character” is in a period property, it’s the beams, the cornicing, the ceiling roses, the fireplaces, the inglenooks, the windows, the floor boards, the thickness of the walls, the doors, the outside appearance etc,

everyone’s taste is different, and often our housing needs are dictated by budget, location, and practicality. As said, I’ve been in some lovely new builds and some shitty period properties. In general if we take two similar houses, one period, one new, I’d usually prefer the period one, but both have their advantages and both have their disadvantages.

I think this is just another form of elitism. People love to sneer at new builds neglecting to mention people are usually not able to just take their pick of all the houses on sale. Most people's finances won't allow for that. It's nothing more than sneering at other people's financial situation.

We wanted a house with a garden and a drive when we bought our new build nearly a couple of decades ago. Period properties, in a location we wanted, that had this were out of our price bracket. We have been happy with our house. It doesn't feel 'soulless', it is full of us.

Haha yes, I thought the same thing. I wonder if he’s in the sneery camp too? Ya think?

I also laughed at the poster upthread who claimed that her builder husband won’t touch new builds because they are such a disgrace etc etc. As if.

It's true they're grim, but older houses are becoming impossible to buy as they're snapped up by cash buyers, gazumpers and over-bidders. I know a number of people who keep missing out on house after house, so have finally given up and gone for a new build.

At least you get a house at the end.

But Only people who live in “huge” new builds are posting

Nope. All of the houses I have owned, since I was 26, have been new or recent builds. I loved all of them. I much, much preferred my 1994-built house (bought by me in 1998 as a FTB) to the Victorian terraces my friends bought at the same time, all of which had bathrooms off the kitchen/showers shoved into cupboards as a bad compromise/ small back yards.

I had to live in a couple of old houses myself, when I was renting in my early twenties. That put me off. You can keep your ‘character’, thanks!

God, I love my new build. Couldn't pay me to live in a 'second hand' house for love nor money. So glad we went with new!

We live in a new build (3 bed town house). Its ok, I can certainly echo what some other posters have said. Ours is very small down stairs, it is poorly built and our garden is completely over looked. We had so many snagging issues when we moved in too. However it is is well insulated, has plenty of bathrooms and of course everything was brand new! Personally I wouldn't buy another one. We are looking to move in the next year or so and I would love an older property.