tips for buying new build off plan

[ouchmyfanjo]

hi.after really good advice on here i decided to sell rather than extend.
I have made good progress; house has just gone on the market with one viewing lined up.
We have seen a new build (not yet built though) and although it isn't what we normally go for i am falling for it too quickly. Do any of you have tips for how to approach this? Only some properties have been released. I liked two but on checking out all the other plans i prefer ones that aren't available to reserve yet.i don't know whether they will be over our budget and am worried if we hold out for those we may miss one available now that is in budget.
I know it is also all dependent on up getting a buyer. I have seen the EA dealing with it who is really nice but not sure on how to deal with it and try and secure one. I have no idea what other interest there is. Any tips/notes of caution would be great. I told myself not to set my heart on anything before we were in a position to do something about it but as usual I have got swept along and am now obsessed with looking at it on the computer several times a day!

thank you fairy.do you like being in a new build?it would be big change for us.we are in a period home but the maintenance is getting on top of me.
I told myself not to get my heart set on this new build but of course i have!will have to see how it works but thanks for the reply.

that sounds so exciting fairy!it is good to hear some positives to new builds too.i was just looking at another thread saying they were overpriced, not much scope for negotiation, snagging issues etc.
What i find difficult is visualising from the plans.there are a few designs available but not all released so some i like but have no idea of price or how they will look when built space wise.
I have a meeting with the agent and developer in a few days and hope to get some more information.
With your Dad's experience you can probably read the plans well but even so is there a bit of you that hopes is will turn out the same as you imagine iyswim.
In terms of extras do you mean fittings and white goods? Bet you are counting down the days until you can see it built and move in!

We bought a new build, paid a deposit and the company then went bust with the houses unfinished.

Sounds silly, but do a bit of research into the company, building times etc before you buy.

Took us over a year just to wrangle it all out.

Good points: No need to redecorate/paint etc. No worries about appliances/heating etc.

that is awful.did you get the house in the end or just deposit back? That is good advice which i will follow thank you.
I quite like a plot which is earmarked to be the show home so not sure how that works either.
No decorating and smooth plastered walls would be my dream!

The show home plot will likely be one of the last released, as they will want to be able to use it as a show home until most of the development is sold. The upside is you will get the upgraded fixtures and fittings, and your garden will be done, but the starting price will probably be higher to reflect this.

If it is one of the national developers, they tend to use the same house styles but with different names across their various developments, so it may be worth checking to see if they are building anywhere else near you, and going to have a look at whatever show homes they have available there.

Go down and look at the actual plot before committing. The plans don't necessarily tell you everything you'd want to know.

They're building loads of houses near where I am and many of the houses are ridiculously close to a line of huge electricity pylons. The plans for the site didn't (and still don't) show the pylons. The houses next to the pylons actually look to be the most desirable plots because they look out on to (what will be) the beautifully landscaped parkland but the reality is very different. We went to look at one recently (bought in 2010, been on the market 3 times since then at a suspiciously good price, which is lower than they originally paid). Turns out there is a giant pylon straight in front of the house, about 20m away and right in the middle of the parkland view. This sort of situation does not make it easy to resell a house (not the actual house, btw).

I bought a new build flat years ago, right at the end of the development when they were reducing everything to get rid. It was good because I got all the extras, could actually see what I was buying and I could move when I wanted to. The builders were unbelievably crap about snagging though. It was a nightmare. They'd fitted a shower incorrectly so you couldn't get any hot water at all and they just would not fix the bloody thing.

Have a look online to see if the builder has the type of house you like on sale elsewhere in the country. Go and see that site and showhouse to get a feel for the size and quality. There may even be some older ones for re-sale that you can have a good virtual look round on rightmove etc.

When buying off plan watch out for garden elevations which are not always clearly marked. A new estate near me has large gardens but thet are all on a slope.