To not buy this house?

[phiaaihp]

My husband wants a new build, I’ve compromised as I don’t.

The one we viewed today the end of the garden is the side of the neighbours house (no fence, the house wall is the boundary) with windows that look directly on to said garden. They are frosted but I find it weird.

Husband said I’m making excuses as it ticks the rest of the boxes and I just don’t want a new build.

Looks like a prison yard.

Just add to your boxes (for ticking)

Not overlooked by neighbors
No confusion over boundaries
privacy for windows and garden

the list isn't new vs old (exactly) its what you value in life and living.

I mean - I get he’s desperate for a new build - but THAT desperate?! How that even passed planning is beyond me. And why are you having to compromise? Where is his compromise?

That's ridiculous FFS. Don't buy it!

Think your DH may also be romanticising the whole 'new build community' thing too. Its defo not a good enough reason to not be looking at both new houses AND old houses.

You could miss the perfect home because he is being silly and doesn't realise it yet.

This really! I would be willing to compromise on a new build but not this one. You should keep looking till you find something you both like.

That's awful.

New builds are so claustrophobic. I could never.

In my area there is no way that would have passed planning. You’d be paying a new build premium and it would be a nightmare to try and sell if you ever move.

It looks like they put the wrong size window at the top and filled the brickwork in with an odd pattern.

Do the windows open outwards at all?

Is there a restriction on what can be planted near the wall?

Does your DH need a visit to the opticians?

It is all so poorly designed, which usually also means poorly built as well.

Just no!

Also show this thread to DH.

Dear DH, I think you should give more weight to your DW’s tastes over yours, particularly if you think this is something you would like.

The debate over new house v old house is one thing. However accepting the positioning (and design) of this new house is not.

HTH

Oh no, that looks awful

• no privacy
• potential boundary issues & access issues when they sell (& I bet they put it up.for sale asap.after the purchaser of the house in the garden moves in)
• the garden & house will be in shade for at least 50% of the day.

No way in hell

I feel like I should defend life in a new build. This will be our 10th year here.

It is small and our garden is shit. That’s the main reason we’re moving. I want to get chickens.

It’s very well insulated and our bills are low. Layouts are very convenient for modern life. The community element has been amazing. When we moved in, so did four kids in my daughter’s year at school. They played together in the streets for summer and at the little purpose built playground around the corner. It also allowed us to live near some very good schools.

No that's not good.
Compromise with a different house on the development. That is really odd with the windows. Are you sure there will not be a fence??

As others have said, new builds have small rooms and shocking build quality. The way the houses are shoved into the space to maximise profit is horrendous.

There are always issues with parking, conflict due to lack of space, everyone is staring into each others houses, the gardens are stark and miserable because there are no trees and the soil is wrecked by the builders.

Just no. I wouldn’t have a new build if it was free.

Critically, the one you’ve shown will be impossible to sell due to the issue you’ve highlighted. Your husband is either naive or foolish, sorry. He also sounds overbearing and ill informed.

regarding resale … It’s not an opinion btw - it’s a bald fact that particular house will be hard to resell and will be devalued by overlooking. Ask any estate agent!

Besides - there must be hundreds of houses in your price range. Why buy a ticky tacky box that has one huge fault that none of the other ticky tacky boxes have got? It’s a terrible use of capital.

BTW, we live in a slightly scruffy conservation area in London and have a fantastic community. The houses are 100 yrs old so you don’t need a new build for community feeling - quite the opposite I suspect!

Are you sure there will not be a fence??

Oh! Maybe that's it. When we moved into ours they didn't come with back fences so it was all open plan mud at the back, so someone hired a fencer and we all paid half for each side.
That would make more sense than the total insanity of having someone else's house as your literal boundary fence.

No. SOME have small rooms, poor quality, no parking etc. Some don't. This insistence they're all the same and terrible is ridiculous.

I have a four year old new build house. It's a 4bed detached, solid walls, great quality, aplus energy rating, cheap to heat house with 3 large double bedrooms, one large single, 2.5 bathrooms, a double driveway and large front and back gardens, in a quiet estate with lots of parking.

And btw, the house in the OP will clearly have a fence that gives them a walkway past that window. There's no possibility there won't be.

What a pointless thread

Nope that’s awful. I’d be worried they can hear everything, if they open the window they will see everything too. Plus if anyone plays football no doubt someone will smash it. Don’t be bullied into buying a house you don’t like.

Oh and my handyman has stories which would make your hair curl about the new build estate near us, I would be very careful if I were you.

There is no way I would buy a house where there is a window of a neighbour practically in my garden. There would also be the issue of planting along there, no idea if you can. If it blocked light there could be a dispute.

A house wall wouldn't bother me but windows would. It would be a no from me.

Fair enough compromising on a new build but you do get a say on which one and where. DH needs to appreciate that

I've got something similar but it's a much higher up window and a toilet slit and hallway window frosted on their landing.

That would be really off putting for me. I wish we didn't have what we have either but at the time you had to buy whatever you could , but that's a really weird one

The windows may be frosted, but it looks like they open and then it would be possible to look right into your garden from their house. I don't have anything against new builds but that would put me off.

Pointless thread because you’re annoyed at the new build slander.

There is no fence going up. We asked. So your “no possibility” is rather embarrassing now.

Glad you asked. I would have not been able to keep the laughter in when they said there would be no fence.
You can not be serious?! 🤣

Tbh this would be a cracking photo to add to one of the developer/bad new build groups online. It has to be one of the worst designs I’ve seen!
As someone else said they could be taking a crap with the window open. While you’re sat two foot away eating your BBQ lunch.

I like new builds but that garden situation is a massive no!

Same. We had an electrician round who spent about 3/4 hours doing a few jobs. He said a developer said they’d pay him to do a similar amount of stuff but in one day, for something crazy like 10 houses. He said no because there was no way he could have done it without a massive bodge job.

Explains why my friend found out that the electrics in her new build (about 4 years later) were wired so dangerously someone could have been seriously injured.

Did she have any frosted windows in a wall in her garden?