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.

I disliked all the ones I looked at last time we moved because they had titchy gardens, en-suites instead of storage space and roads with no proper pavements. But I imagine lots of other new builds aren’t like that.

My house is older and has character, although by ‘character’ I mean ‘wonky walls and spiders.’ Came cheaper than the new builds though.

@myyellowcar

It always makes me chuckle when people start threads like these about cookie cutter new build houses.

What exactly do you think Victorian semis and terraces are? or your 1930s semis? There are hundreds of thousands of basically the same house up and down the country. Yes they might have slightly difference fireplaces or a square or round bay window. But basically they’re the same house. Only they’ve had 100 years of owners making alterations.

Agree with this. What a daft comment someone made earlier saying 'eww they're all the same.'

FGS LOADS of houses are 'all the same.' Do people think every single one of the 25 million homes in the UK are totally different? What a silly comment!

Also, it's amazing how many posters on this thread live in Victorian properties, or similar, with lots of 'character.'

I like new builds and like the fact are more or less maintenance free, the downside is usually small gardens.

Sure a new build can be uninviting, but so can a period property. Depends what the owners do with the inside; age does not automatically make a property inviting.

We moved from a period property to a new build. We were looking for another period but around here they go for more than the equivalent space in a new build, and the decent sized ones tend to be beside the busier main roads. So we looked at a new build and liked it, and went for it. I decorated immediately with plenty of colour so it's far from bland or identikit, my garden is full of plants and colour too. It's not remotely small either, the walls aren't thin, we're not crammed in, there's adequate parking...

There's a huge range in new builds just the same as there is in period properties; I could point you to plenty of period properties which are pokey, dark, uninviting, awkward small rooms, bad layout etc. Doesn't mean all period properties are shit, and the same is true for new builds.

It is goady and sneery. Don't like one don't live in one but surely it's not difficult to understand why some people prefer a low maintenance, warm house which costs a lot less to heat. I love the look of period homes but I'd take a nice cozy new build over a draughty old house any day, period features or not.

I live in a very old house, which I love, but when I pass a new build I do think wistfully of energy efficiency and masses of plug sockets and decent showers.

As for character and soul - that depends on the people in it. I’ve been in some beautiful new builds, not much to look at on the outside, but lovely within.

I also think we’ve had a bit of a bad patch with developers getting away with small spaces and cheap materials, but I think this is changing now - according to a friend in the business even the most hard hearted ones have been mentioning trees and green things lately.

I thought I’d had enough of new builds then moved to a very old house. It was damp, mouldy, constantly dusty and the heating costs were astronomical. I will only ever have a new builds now. Lovely, clean, new and shiny!

I know someone is snooty about new builds but doesn't own his own property.

Lol.

Our first home was a new build flat. It wasn't the prettiest but it was always warm and the bills were so low. What wasn't nice all was the service charges which were 80% admin fees and the management company hardly did a anything.

So?

I tend to agree with you in that they are a bit soulless, but the best house I ever had was a brand new new build. It was well made, big and spacious rooms, loads of storage. Garden was a little small but we were really happy there and everything looked newer and cleaner for longer. It was great. Also obviously had a brand new boiler and oven and dishwasher etc so nothing broke. Loved it!

I wouldn't rule moving out to another one again.

This ^^ maybe they prefer the idea of that the ongoing maintenance costs will be less. But it's their choice and no one is asking you to like it or otherwise. In this situation your opinion is entirely irrelevant to anyone other than you.

My period property was drafty, riddled with damp and expensive to maintain.

My current new build on the other hand is energy efficent, warm and has useful features like, I dunno, a bathroom on every floor.

There are shit new builds and good new builds, and shit old houses and good new houses. If your new build is soulless maybe it's not the property that's the problem.

My house is a mid 1950s 3 bed semi. I like it...It has a big garden, and a big attic, and lots of storage space, and the soundproofing is great. (rarely hear neighbour noise.) But it is starting to have issues now. I think it may be only several years away from needing a new roof, the 20 y.o. windows and doors need replacing, and the little bedroom at the back on the corner of the house, always seems to have some damp. The skirting board, the wall, the ceiling, the window frames... even though it has as much TLC as any other room. I think it's because it doesn't get much sun and is 'on the end.'

I sometimes wonder if a newbuild might be the way to go, but I have heard from quite a few people now that they hear every noise their neighbour makes as the soundproofing is awful, and they have lots of maintenance issues (more than they expected from a newbuild.) In addition, I am reluctant to leave my huge garden (end plot, with large garden at the side, and 100 foot long garden at the back,) and 4 car drive (and garage,) along with lots of storage space in the house. It's a lovely neighbourhood too, where we get on well with everyone. So we're reluctant to leave. We would not rule out a newbuild completely though. (Some time in the future.)

I know you don’t mean it like that but it comes across a bit snobby OP.

i personally don’t like narrow Victorian terraces with dark hallways and thin living rooms

I dunno what you wanted from this thread 😅 obviously people like new builds because so many are sold. Also, obviously, a lot of people don't like them and prefer an older house.

You don't like your family's houses and they may not like yours. But fortunately, you only have to live in your own house so I wouldn't give it this much thought!

I live in an early 1800s cottage with tonnes of character, a spiral staircase, really pretty etc etc. There are huge downsides - listed so we're stuck with crappy windows and doors, bits of plaster constantly making a bid for freedom, mad amounts of dust. Luckily it's warm because the walls are 2 foot thick. I like this house a lot, but we rent it. I would not want to own it, because it needs constant upkeep, and it would be stressful.

If I was in a position to buy I would definitely look at 'souless' new builds because energy efficiency and insulation is such a big plus.

I previously lived in a victorian flat and it was dreadful - constantly freezing cold.

Old does not mean well made - a lot of victorian and Edwardian properties were thrown up, hence the single skin brick walls and problems like bulging walls needing to be tied etc.

Nothing can beat a period house. Love love love them and detest most new builds. Shiny cold and tasteless. They are unfortunately a necessity though.

Some very odd comments on this thread. New builds are “small” - well, the small ones are, yes. The big ones aren’t. Plenty of old houses are small too. New builds are identikit Lego houses - ever seen a street of Victorian 2up-2downs? An estate of 1930s semis? My “old” new build is one of 6 this style on an estate of maybe 150. “I like a house build out of brick” - not all new builds are built from straw. Personally I’ve never been desperate for my house to have “character” - I have my own, but I do appreciate 16th century stone and beams, a lovely Georgian window, Victorian fireplace, 1930s stained glass, 1970s big windows- etc. I also like detached, decent parking, step free access, low maintenance , energy efficient. I suspect like almost everyone my house is a compromise of location, price, bedrooms, availability, maintenance and heating costs, school accessibility, transport links, practicality and personal taste so I’m rarely aghast when other people make decisions different from my own.

A waste of space and difficult to heat.

I loved my new build house but hated the garden. If we all liked the same things then life would be very boring...

Erm surely small new builds are small and larger ones are larger, no?

I have a new build. It’s 4 double beds, 2 bathrooms , 2000 square feet and a very high spec. It has a German kitchen, Italian bathrooms, under floor heating, solid oak doors, amtico floors ample storage, sash windows, zoned lighting . It’s stunning what’s not to love?

I'm not a new build fan, although have previously lived in 2!
I can see the convenience/attraction to them from a buyers POV, if anything goes wrong in the first few years the builders usually cover it, potentially saving on some hefty bills. The builders (used to!) offer a good amount of incentives, I think I had all flooring, upgraded kitchen with white goods & possibly legal fees/stamp duty incentives too when I went through the process. All nice things to have in a new build or older property.
Having now lived in a house around 20 years old, there's plenty of maintenance jobs that need doing already and a rather nasty roof repair the previous owners hadn't had repaired properly the first time! All of which we wouldn't have had to fork out for including decorating etc. in a new build.
We had looked at some new builds before settling on our current property and in all I think we made the right choice.
Each to their own 😁

‘Cold and Tasteless’ describes your comment rather perfectly!

They don’t have as much character but in this day and age there is a LOT to be said for:

• low maintenance


• plenty of parking


• energy efficiency

I prefer the aesthetics of period property but thrilled to be buying a new build right now.