AIBU - new build houses are AWFUL

[hooplahooper]

I am currently living in a BRAND NEW Bellway home - renting while I renovate my childhood home. I was excited to live in something new enough to be zero maintenance while dealing with my own big Reno project...

But holy HELL it's been an awful eye opener for me. I've lived in 11 houses across three countries as an adult - 5 of which I have owned + sold - and I have never come across such bad build quality before. Some of the (many) entry level issues (which the landlord has repeatedly
flagged with the builder to no avail) include:

• The walls aren't plastered, just painted plaster board - so zero internal sound insulation,
• the tiling is wonky in all rooms
• the windows don't seal,
• half the doors don't catch on the hinges without considered effort.
• the laminate kitchen counters aren't sealed at any joints
• the front door hinges are loose
• the electric car charge point doesn't turn on
• The stair railings aren't secure
• there is black mould everywhere from a leak (now stopped, but mould not attended to)

I'fe lived in new builds before overseas - I know there are always snags, but everything about this house feels like corners are cut + quality is compromised.

I'd let it go - I don't really care for me, I'm moving into my own home in 8 weeks - but I'm raging on behalf of my lovely + hard working neighbours here - who have got enormous mortgages on these poor quality structures.

I posted about it on my personal stories and have heard all sorts of even worse horror stories about new builds by Baratt Home, Persimmon + Taylor Wimpey as well. It seems universal that these huge developers are building low quality, parasitic dormitory towns on (often) greenbelt lane - and making astronomical profits from them (650m for Bellway last year..!)

With such gigantic profits - they could be building better quality homes if they wanted to. But they don't. And the government is clearly so caught up in meeting housing targets they are turning a blind eye.

I am RAGING. I am grateful I don't have to live here forever - and furious on behalf of the millions of people that deserve so much more.

YABU - let it go, they're not so bad you terrible snob. People are happy with their homes + can make their own judgements

YANBU - hard working people deserve more + there has to be a way of holding these big companies accountable for prioritising profit over quality homes

I can't believe there isn't a spotlight on this politically. Three bed houses are going in this development for more than 500k. They are less than 1000sqft. The only public transport is an sporadic bus service.

I'm blown away by what terrible value they represent

There are some beautiful new houses near me, built by local, smaller developers. Incredible finish, handcrafted kitchens, lovely gardens. There are also 100s that have been thrown up by Redrow, with no access to schools or amenities.

Some are good while some are poor.

Ours is well designed, well built with decent quality kitchen, bathrooms and appliances, spacious, airy, plenty of parking and located in a lovely, semi-private CDS where each house is a different design.
Agree about the garden, after a year ours has sunk and we are now setting about completely re-landscaping it.
During the first 12-months the developer couldn't do enough to clear any snags but now we are in our 2nd year they are being more difficult and we have to really push them to get things done, annoying as when the trades come out they are lovely and really wanting to help.

• "The walls aren't plastered, just painted plaster board - so zero internal sound insulation,"

So its internal walls are stud walls - not plaster over block? These will be difficult to redecorate, soft and will dent easily and problematic if people want to hang shelves on them, and as you say, will have poor sound insulation.

DP bought a new build in the late 90s which I moved into with him in 2004 and it was honestly great. We lived there until 2017 and never had any issues with it. The kitchen and bathroom were well-fitted and decent quality, the construction was very solid, all tiling and carpentry done to a high standard. It was only a small starter home and was in a pretty rundown city centre area (part of early attempts at regeneration of the city) but it was a great little house.

It can't be any worse than a Persimmon!

Depends on the builder. The more well known builders like Bellway and Taylor Wimpey who do massive estates I think they got for quantity over quality.

We are on a 2018 new build, on an estate of 138 properties and built by a smaller builder CJ Fry. Quality is amazing my dad always describes it as staying in a hotel when he is here.

I have a self build house and spoke lots with the buildings inspector when he came to view. He said many inspectors either told the company in advance which houses they were going to check or asked the site foreman which ones they wanted checking. If the foreman knows which ones he has to make good enough to pass the inspection then the rest don't matter for some.

As with everything though it is a combination of the site foreperson and the overall ethos of the company. If the company reward the foreman for speed and don't really care then than is definitely going to show. Hence some companies having worse reputations than others.

What I do find quite amusing about the new builds near where I live is those who are ripping out kitchens/bathrooms and replacing them. Why?! The whole point of a new build surely is that it's all new and won't need redone for years if at all.

Whenever I see new builds I always think they look so characterless and that nobody is going to be admiring their classic architecture and period features in 100 years time.

It's like everything else - you get what you pay for.

I have never lived in one so don't know about quality but I've never seen a development I like the look of. Tend to be all the same, too close together, with small, bland gardens. But people need to live somewhere.

Yup - just plaster board + tape… stud walls m can be fine if they are insulated - I’ve done some in my Reno which have a ply layer + mineral wool insulation, and are plastered. Zero issues.

no plaster or insulation = so noisy!

What I do find quite amusing about the new builds near where I live is those who are ripping out kitchens/bathrooms and replacing them. Why?! The whole point of a new build surely is that it's all new and won't need redone for years if at all.

The tinkering never stops on my estate! Driveways extended, garages converted, extensions built..... it's constant. In fairness I guess people extend rather than move as they need more space.

Building regulations inspections are about safety, not the finished. They check the structure, foundations etc.

New builds are often like this. Which is why no property solicitors buy new builds; we hear this all the time

Mine's a local builder new build - 10 years old now. Been brilliant. Yanbu to say that the massive housebuilders are throwing them up cheaply at the moment. I suspect because of the shortage of builders and supplies since Covid - any they can finish is money in the pot for the next plot of land.

We've got two kitchens in our house. The original 1950s formica which we moved to the garage, and my "new" kitchen bought in 1996. It's dated and the handles are poor. Apart from that, it ain't going nowhere.

I know someone in.a new build thats had 3 kitchens since 2000. The replacements were bought and fitted from stores like B and Q, although not necessarily that one. I thought she was just being fussy but she showed me before the latest change and the cabinets were in a dreadful state. Chipped and the shelves dipping or broken. Some quality out there is awful.

In mainland Europe its standard that the newbuilds come with heat pumps and solar panels,gardens surround the whole property- im puzzled how british newbuilds are 400-500k for 3 semi have none of these and the garden is size of a matchbox

I also think that they are build so close together that they might as well be terraced instead of detached!

Many have such tiny bedrooms too. Loads of bathrooms/ensuites but no room for furniture in bedrooms.

There is a huge development near us, approx 2,000 houses, Bellway, bovis,.Barrett etc. Had a look at some of the show homes and was really impressed, until I stood in the garden and realised someone would be paying around 600k for a tiny garden overlooked by about 8 other houses, absolutely no privacy if you were having a bbq and probably very little sun in the garden (I guess why there is a trend for artifical grass). Also parking would have been a nightmare as the driveways are so tiny. Felt very claustrophobic there.

Sadly it's the way of the world now with everything....constant cost cutting and getting less for more money.

We live in (rent) a 20yo persimmon, and whilst we haven't known it from the beginning, it seems like a really well built house, as do the others on our estate.

Two lots of friends own newbuilds, one lot (unsure who the developers are as there are multiple ones in their area) have had afew teething issues but nothing major, but the others property (also persimmon like ours) was shoddy....they had to have the whole place replastered and it just all felt so unfinished....the paths weren't even paved outside their house.

Also, don't get me started on the SIZE of the houses, tiny living rooms and gardens, non existent dining areas, all crammed in overlooking each other....
Would never buy one now.

Some are, some aren't.
Same with houses of any age to be honest, and from my past experience of house hunting.

All types have both benefits and drawbacks ime.

Both in London.

A friend of mine bought a small terraced new build and the sound insulation is absolutely shocking as you can hear the families on either side!

Another friend bought a 1930 ex council house which we all covet as the rooms are really very very spacious by today's standards. She also has a huge 85ft garden!

Completely agree. We bought a new build Taylor Wimpy and the faults were monumental. I’m looking forward to when we can afford to move. Just feel guilty for whoever buys it.

@hooplahooper don't get me started. finally moved out of mine after 5 years. SO many issues, such poor quality although i feel like i cant complain as many more have had much much worse issues. can't believe they are getting away with it. now in a 1970s build, it has its issues, but at least it has real bricks and plaster!