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 would never consider a new build either OP.

We compared the energy costs of our old Victorian house to our current new build. Quite scary.

I havent seen new builds with 'plenty of parking', they normally come with garages that you cant fit a car in, which necessitates parking on the small drive or the road which isnt big enough to get past in cars but some do have 'allocated' parking which would also drive me mad

It really depends on the builder. We always had traditional older flats/houses. Never interested in a new build until we stumbled on a small development with quite individual houses and fell in love with a house that we then bought. Big rooms. High ceilings. A lot of customisation available. We absolutely love it. Great house, lovely neighbours and the best views.

Seems a bit daft to discount a house purely because of when it was built.

My second new build could fit four cars on the drive, plus two in the garage.

Well, depends where it is, doesn't it?

New builds in rural areas tend to have more space and so have parking.

New builds in urban areas, not so much, but then again how much parking do you get with a victorian terrace?

Another reason we left our Victorian house, the parking was atrocious. I love coming home to my own drive.

Having recently spent £££ on a new roof and re-pointing a new build does seem appealing. I know a pp mentioned about identikit kitchens etc but I am in a house with a bathroom with blue flowered border tiles, a kitchen I don't really like and good quality carpet that would never be my choice, but it is all still functional and in good condition so I can't justify replacing it.

I think an issue with new builds at the moment is the poor quality (as a general rule), location - either away from amenities or like around me built bordering main very busy dual carriageways and overall size. Our first house was a 2000 build, 3 bed detached, in 2018 we viewed a 4 bed detached that had a smaller footprint than the current house.

As for "they all look the same" on my old road there was three bed semis, 3 bed detached and about 4 different 4 bed designs. My MIL lived in a turn of the century (last one) terrace, just a massive row of completely identical houses. Also all on street parking, so still the parking issues.

I prefer the space we got for our money, just a shame about the roof bill.

This is really individual- at the higher end you get some excellent new builds but at the lower end poorly built, tiny spaces etc we've lived in 21 houses in 27 years (rentals) everything from Victorian semis to modern(ish) individual new builds not on an estate. The best 3 houses we had were a 1996 4 bed 3 storey townhouse - development of only 6 houses, (Canterbury) a 2005 5 bed semi - again only 6 houses in middle of an Edwardian street (oxford) and a 1997 4 bed one off architect built detached on a 1920s street(oxford) . New builds can be great, but the nicest ones are usually on quite small developments or total one offs.
Every single Edwardian or Victorian house we have had has had a mouse/rat issue occasionally- and odd bits of damp and that's at the higher end of rentals , and I'm very clean and tidy-

High ceilings and big rooms are very appealing but less so when you'll be heating all that empty space at 9/10p per kWh over winter.

Also most new builds are a lot more attractive than the hideous 1930s houses everyone on here seems to love 😃

I live in a new build. Small development of 15 houses, independent builder and built round a central green. Really unique looking, big, airy houses with lovely architectural features. Top of the range appliances, brilliant energy rating, lovely big garden. The amount of "new build" snobbery I experienced when I told friends we were buying it was UNREAL. New houses don't have to all look the same/be tiny/whatever.

Our granddaughter and her boyfriend have a new build on shared ownership.
It's a 2 bed light and airy house with plenty of storage. However, neither of the built in wardrobes has a hanging rail and not a strong enough wall to create one.

You do realise that the tudor, edwardian victorian, etc. periods had far more than their share of shonky buildings too.

Not many tudor hovels or victorian slums still around, after all...

If you do t like a new build don't live in one. However - it's a bizarre way of thinking as all homes were new builds once. I've lived in a 1970's semi, a Victorian flat, an Edwardian detached, a 17th and 18th Century (two joined together weavers cottage) and now a new build - and I am absolutely certain my new build knocks spots off the lot of the previous homes.
it depends on your builder and site of your property - mine is a large house on a large plot. Wood burner and plenty of design features. Big garden - enough to grow everything I wasn't, to plant all the trees I want and to have a large summerhouse. Double garage, drive for 4 cars if I had them. Absolutely not possible in my previous homes - often no garage (or too small for modern cars), no front garden, tiny windows, huge amounts of shade from nearby properties etc. I got sick of the expense of maintaining my 'features' and hunting down the source of damp and drafts!

My new home is A listed for energy saving qualities and my energy bills have dropped dramatically. Came with a 10 year guarantee and so far, no issues at all. Tiny development. Large windows bring plenty of light and free heat into the home.
Nothing will get me to move into an old house again - and the bonus - of the only 3 houses sold on my development in 8 years - all have gone to sealed bids with huge price increases. Seems people want new builds to ensure energy saving features build into heat, lighting, water and ventilation systems.

Of course there can be shabby new builds - as there can be shabby old builds. Buy what you think suits you best.

I grew up in an Edwardian terrace. Nice and big. But never warm, no car parking, access to the back was difficult. My mum lived in it till she was 87, when it was sold the new owners had to spend a fortune as my parents spent very little on it in their later years. We lived in a 1930s detached house that had asbestos used in the construction, needed loads of money spending on necessary work that didn't add to the house, pointing, roof repairs, drain rodding etc. We moved from that to a 3 year old house with en suites, modern kitchen and bathrooms, good insulation double glazing and built in garage and off road parking. We love it and wouldn't move to an old house again. Horses for courses. Mind you, you have to watch out for the house being freehold and other considerations.

It is goady and sneering. I'm a single.mum and when finally able to get on the property market I wanted low maintenance as I dont have spare cash for repairs and dont have many diy skills or the time to learn. For some of us it's the sensible choice if we dont want to live in a freezing cold money pit. I grew up in a freezing Victorian terrace and it was miserable, I will take heat and comfort over soul any day but that's just me preference, I dont judge others for having different tastes and priorities.

Your house is probably haunted anyway.

Your house is probably haunted anyway

😂

I'm not against new builds as such, it's the massive estates they're on I don't like, Individually the houses are quite nice..

DH was in the building trade and stopped working on New builds over 20 years ago as he knew the builds were shoddy, now some of them are down right dangerous.

I dont know how people afford new builds anyway, they are considerably more for their size than older properties. I suppose the hope is that you save on decorating and changes needed.

I find new builds souless and ugly. I especially hate the size of the smallest bedrooms and the gardens.

But they do tend to be more energy efficient and not everyone can afford to/wants to live in a character property.

I'd love to live in a new build. I live in a Victorian terrace and parts of the roof need replacing and I recently had to replace the boiler. I don't want bloody "character", I want a house that isn't falling apart and costing me money when I'm a single parent on a low wage.

I havent seen new builds with 'plenty of parking', they normally come with garages that you cant fit a car in, which necessitates parking on the small drive or the road which isnt big enough to get past in cars but some do have 'allocated' parking which would also drive me mad

I've got a new build with a double garage with 4 car drive. No issue with parking. Never had that in my Edwardian house (garage made for Edwardian sized car), 18th C terrace - no cars, so no garage. Victorian house - no garage, no drive.
You need to look further as mine is not unusual at all.