To throw in the towel and buy a new build?

[gueoo]

I have a nice home, it’s privately situated and not overlooked. It has a huge drive and space between the houses. But it’s reasonably old and things need doing in next few years like the roof, probably removing a couple of large trees, re doing the drive and maintaining large lawns. I just can’t really be arsed. The layout is irritating too (I know this isn’t a real proper problem in life but it annoys me!)

would I be an idiot to sell and move 0.25 miles up the road to a new build? For a similar price I can have a smaller and easier garden, great layout, no massive trees to deal with, no roof issues (for a while at least). I know new builds have their problems. And it would be a little overlooked and neighbours close. But on balance I really want to do it…

If you've seen the new builds and know what you would be getting then go for it.
My only reservation about them is the rooms tend to be small. However I'm with you on CBA with renovations.

Are you sure it’s not grass is greener syndrome kicking in?

Remember it will also cost a fair bit to move even if the new house is the same price or cheaper due to stamp duty (if applicable), estate agent and solicitors costs.

@CatPlanet could be. I just can’t be arsed with these things that keep cropping up and the layout is shit… half the house I don’t use as it’s pointless heating it due to how the rooms link

Your case is different than mine but I'm in a new build flat after one purchase fell through

reckon I spared myself a lot of hassle

tiny but easy to heat.

Sounds like a sensible decision to downsize imo.

@Whatevershallidowithmylife its less square foot but the same price, maybe slightly more for new build. Which makes me feel like an idiot but like @EmeraldRoulette says, probably less hassle!

By new build do you mean you'd be the first owner? I wouldn't do that if so; moving in and handling the snagging is a right pain in the arse.
But if it's just a handful of years old and you'd be second owner, go for it. I sort of wish we'd gone for a more modern building that's easier to maintain than our 1920s terrace

Work out how much it would cost you to move with stamp duty, solicitors fees, mortgage fees.

If you spent that much on your house now, would it be better?

If not, go ahead! People move for whatever reasons they want to, you don’t have to be changing location.

You do you, of course. Life is short, make choices that suit you.

This is what we did. All the older houses we looked at were miserable and needed lots doing to them. We then spotted a new build we could afford and went for that. The room sizes are fine and we have a smaller garden which is easier to manage. We also have a garage and nothing will need doing for a long time. I love it, it's my favourite house. Plus, a blank slate so we could decorate how we wanted it and had a choice of kitchen, bathroom etc.

I would, I’d hate to live with a bad layout. I’m in my third new build house and love them, it’s great not having to do any work on them
except for decorating every five years or so. Also have small fuel bills is one less thing to worry about, ours are really low and we have an electric car.
All the rooms are in the right place and I love every much of my home.

We moved last year and are looking to move again next year as we now need to accommodate one of our parents.

The thought of all the sorting and packing again is filling me with dread.

Plus have you considered the cost of moving, stamp duty, lawyers etc. Would that be cheaper than paying a roofing company and a gardener?

For me, it would be about privacy. Often new builds are built close together and you'll lose what you currently have. What are the plots like? And don't forget to think about the orientation of the garden.

There was a lot of snagging and I can't say anything is a high standard

but it seems to depend which section you're in. Some people have had no problems at all. Lots of stuff will be under warranty for years.

the big thing is if you're moving anyway, one part of the chain is secure. Depending on your needs, that might be really important.

Can I ask how old you are OP?

We did this, in our early 60's, because we were finding it difficult to keep on top of all the maintenance that needed doing. As it turned out, it would have been a LOT cheaper to have paid someone to do the work, than what it cost us to move.

Also, if I had the chance to go back in time, I definitely wouldn't have gone for a newer home, unless it was out on it's own, with no near neighbours. Not because of small rooms, thin walls, etc. but because I find that having people close by is very intrusive, when you've been used to being private and completely peaceful. They also have absolutely NO character, (the houses that is, not the neighbours, lol) so if that bothers you, you then have to set to, and do a lot of work to make it feel homely again. However, it's a very individual choice, and only you can make it

We didn’t want to be raising a young family and working full time while trying to do up a house and living in a money pit.

Weve got a great new build, sturdily built with very few snagging issues, quickly resolved and proactive support for the first two years. Decent sized garden for kids, smallest bedroom fits a double, wardrobe and drawers easily. Also only costs us £60
per month gas & electric.

It would depend on the builder for me. I wouldn’t touch anything built by a national firm (Persimmon, Barratts etc) but a small to medium local builder I would consider as long as the build quality was good.

Like any property, it’s only worth what you’re willing to pay, so if you are willing to pay for a new build then go for it.
Agree on the CBA to do any work for a long time. Some people rave about old/period properties but personally I’ve never seen the appeal. I don’t mind a lick of paint but find proper renovations utterly tedious. With a new build all the kitchen and bathrooms are all completely new and you can go for years before having to do anything to them.
No, new builds aren’t perfect, but then nothing ever is. That aside, if you intend to move again quickly then a new build won’t be worth it. You need to be prepared to live there long enough to ride out the depreciation of new builds.

Yes, there are developers I wouldn’t touch with the proverbial, particularly those already mentioned. Barratt is so massive, having encompassed David Wilson ( the posher arm) and now Redrow, it’s ridiculous.

Local non volume ones are better imo, unless you go for the higher end volume like Berkeley. But they are more expensive.

Not to mention the gardens.

Ours is a Persimmon and it's been fine. I like the layout and the third bedroom is a proper size room, not a box room or study. The only snagging issue was a tiny chip on the kitchen bench, which they repaired.

Who is the builder?

I love our new build, I would do it

I live on a new build estate. I would say the people living here are either younger and starting families, getting their first house or towards retired age and downsizing.

I'm the first and I love ours, we've had practically no issues in the 6 years in. Our snagging was minimal and was easy to sort. As was the buying process, only ran 2 months over. Our grass is in a bad state due to the poor quality but anyone with more money could easily put in turf. We also picked a plot which isn't overlooked, no more than an older house would be. We went with a more local builder, not one of the bigger ones, our estate is still around 500 houses so a big one but we got it at the beginning so I think he care and quality was there.

If you're buying from new you get lot more options to control being overlook, locations, gardens, quality, design.

They can be lifeless but that all depends on how you decorated it. There's some houses on our estate which have knocked down internal walls, and put in brick fireplaces and they look lovely and cosy, almost cottage like.