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Original poster

Opinions please - newbuild houses

34 replies

Poo2 · 16/10/2004 09:35

Morning all. DH and I are considering buying a newbuild house, maybe already finished, maybe off-plan. Has anybody had any good / bad experiences with any particular companies? I've noticed that lots of the estates don't seem to have anywhere to go (shops, park etc) unless you leap in the car, and am a bit worried I will go peculiar walking the baby around identi-kit houses. I open it to the floor...

OP posts:

misdee · 16/10/2004 09:45

lived in a new build flat over in salisbury village (nr hatfield). the devolpment was just starting and it drove me mad!! there was (dunno if there are any now) no shops nearby, bus route was non exsistant, no play areas, and the dust from the site was awful my dd1 asthma was set off everytime we walked out the block. The building i was in was by byrant, they were useless, my windows in main bedroom hadnt been sealed, so was very draughty. i called numerous time to my housing officier who said he'd pass it on to bryant, and when i moved out 8months later they still havent been sealed.

ZolaPola · 16/10/2004 09:51

IMO depends hugely on where you're buying & yr reasons for doing so- it often seems financially beneficial to buy off-plan, and if in middle of city less a worry about facilities etc. However, I do think estate developments are rather identikit on the whole and I'd always opt for an older house by choice simply for the character which takes years to acquire.

Original poster

Poo2 · 16/10/2004 10:14

Thanks for the posts guys. Misdee - that sounds like hell. I hadn't even thought about the noise / dust factor of it all - doh! Sounds like off-plan isn't an option then. At least with one already finished a good survey should pick up any faults like you had. I'd love to get an older house with a bit of character, but to get the rooms etc that we want I think we have to have a newbuild. Maybe I could find one that's an infill of an established area rather than a huge new estate.

OP posts:

Yorkiegirl · 16/10/2004 12:10

Message withdrawn

GeorginaA · 16/10/2004 12:41

I live in a fairly new house (about 8 years old) and it's fantastic. They've really carefully thought out the estate and there's a pub, supermarket, community centre (which holds baby groups, toddler groups, adult classes etc), post office, take aways, dentist, vet and primary school all within 5 minutes walk from our front door. Plenty of play spaces around.

My experience is that in general, more and more planning permissions for new houses are dependent on their being adequate facilities nearby - but do check with the builder when you have a look around.

Also, having lived in a brand new flat before, expect to pay a premium for being the first in there (but it is more convenient and less hassle than buying a "second hand" property in a chain - so there's a major advantage). Be aware you'll also have to pay out for bathroom fittings, carpets, curtains etc as you won't have "inherited" there. You may also find the first few months are "teething" times when the builders may have to pop back in and iron out any bugs.

If you get in quick enough, you can usually choose the bathroom & kitchen fittings from their brochures which is great, and even if you don't it's lovely having brand new kitchen & bathrooms (always the most important part of the house imo).

A downside is that gardens tend to be small - so be aware of that. Rooms also tend to be smaller than an older property for equivalent money.

Overall though, I would say go for it. I don't think I could live in an older house again - our previous home was a 60s build and was a money pit.

Freddiecat · 16/10/2004 12:46

we bought off-plan in a village in wales 3 years ago. built buy llanmoor (local builders).

I would not buy brand new again because:

garden was a mud pit and although lovely now has taken us ages and loads of money to get sorted out (i want more than just grass)
no play area within walking distance
roads only surfaced 6 months ago
magnolia paint does my head in
build quality not nearly as good as i'd expected

Tommy · 16/10/2004 12:49

I've noticed that all the new estates being built round here have to have children's play areas incorporated into the plans. So, even if you can't get to the shops, at least your baby will be able to go the swings every day
Personally I prefer older houses although they always need something do to them of course...

nappybaglady · 16/10/2004 13:51

No time to give details but have to say avoid Charles Church houses unless you like DIY, shouting and waiting around for people who never turn up. This place will never be our home. Ooooh, my blood's boiling again....

codswallop · 16/10/2004 13:52

we have 5 playgorunds and a brand new school vets, doctors and shop all with in a 5 mintue walk
no need to use a car in threory

everyone who visits says ite like center parks
oh and cans ee cow out of back windows and kids can play out on roads

codswallop · 16/10/2004 13:53

Poo its fantastic for kids and we have a huge cricket greeen - complete with cricketeres playing and a community cnetre and a regualr bus

misdee · 16/10/2004 14:02

I wouldnt discount new builds totally, just i found i hard. didnt have car, and an 1hrs walk to get milk/bread etc did my head in. Apprently the devolpment is going to have everything on, i know they have jsut been granted permission for a new school which is located next to my old/new flat. My friend still lives over there, and says the place is devolping quickly. She just cant wait for it to have shops and a park for her son. We were amongst the 1st people in, and i was the 1st out lol.

I am now in a place which is 12years old, its closer to town, local shops, choice of schools etc.

KateandtheGirls · 16/10/2004 14:07

I'm in Florida, so my experience probably isn't relevant in the slightest, but I love my 1.25 year old house. It's big and gorgeous, with tons of closet space and electrical outlets, and I got to pick all the details myself, from the kitchen counter to the carpet and paint colour, to the tiles and the colour of the grout in all 4 bathrooms! They did a good job of ensuring that, although a lot of people have the same floor plan, each house looks different from the outside - different architectural features and different colours.

The downside is that it's a mile and a half to the gate of the development. There is a play park right outside the gate, so that's walkable on a nice day, but everything else entails getting in the car.

Having lved in an old (by American standards) house before, I'd much rather be in a brand new house.

misdee · 16/10/2004 14:10

4 bathrooms!!!

why? isnt there aonly 3 of you? can uship one over to me, cos i only have one and its driving me mad. i'll swap for my closet shower room. please!!

misdee · 16/10/2004 14:11

not that i'm jealous or anything

KateandtheGirls · 16/10/2004 14:18

I know, I know, maybe a little excessive. Usually only two of them get used - mine and the girls'. But the spare room has an en suite bathroom and there's also one upstairs next to the bonus room. (All the house is on the ground floor except for the "bonus room" upstairs, which is sometimes used as a 2nd spare room.)

And although it might be excessive I sold my old, delapidated, one bathroom house in New Jersey for the same price as I bought this house in Florida for. There's just such a disparity between the cost of housing.

misdee · 16/10/2004 14:20

saying the difference in house prices, we sold a 2nd floor 2 bed flat for 85k about 3yrs ago, (herts area) at the same time, friends of ours in manc bought a new build 3 bed gouse for 75k.

KateandtheGirls · 16/10/2004 14:27

Exactly misdee - it's the same over here.

codswallop · 16/10/2004 14:36

katg
pure nosiness - feel free not to answer, why did you move?

KateandtheGirls · 16/10/2004 14:43

No reason to stay in NJ is the simple answer.

My husband's sister lives down here and we went to visit her in June 2002. I fell in love with the area (and her new house). She said to me, you know you could move down here. It had never occured to me before that to go anywhere but I realised she was right.

I'm not working so it doesn't matter where I live. The weather is so much nicer here (aside from the occasional hurricane of course, although we had to deal with them in NJ occasionally too). The cost of living, especially housing. I could afford a nice new house with a pool. I just think this is a nice place to raise kids. They can be outside year round (in the pool when it's too hot out). And my SIL and I get on very well (despite the fact that she's going to vote for Bush), and she has 3 young kids, including her youngest daughter who is right in the middle of my two's ages.

So I moved in July 2003 when my house was completed and I'm so glad I did. It has been a great move for us.

codswallop · 16/10/2004 14:48

I am happy fro you

misdee · 16/10/2004 15:04

sounds lovely there kate.

but please post me out a bathroom. failing that i'll bug the council for an extension lol.

codswallop · 16/10/2004 15:28

did you ever htink of returning to the UK?

Skate · 16/10/2004 16:31

Kate!

BUT, I couldn't move away from my family so think I'll stay UK based! Just love the idea of the weather, the pool etc!!

KateandtheGirls · 16/10/2004 18:55

I never considered returning to the UK. Although I love to visit it doesn't feel like home anymore. I came to the US for a year when I was 18, then went back to England for Uni, but both summers when I was in Uni I was in the US, and then I moved to the US permanently after I graduated. So basically my entire adult life has been here. Added to that is the question of where exactly in the UK I would live given that my family is spread all over the country, and also I would lose my benefits if i left the country. And of course there is the question of housing cost. My beautiful house in Florida cost me $333,000 (approx 185,000 pounds). What could I get for that price in England, even up north?

Of course I wish that my family were closer and I could see them more often. But we will spend several weeks in the UK every summer and they come here when they can.

Misdee, a bathroom will be in the mail on Monday.

misdee · 16/10/2004 19:15

kate, round here you'd be lucky to get a decent sized 3 bed house for 185k. need at least 250k for a good sized 3/4bed with one ensuite.

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