New Build Extras

[superduperwuper]

hello

We are buying a new build from Barratt and I wanted to ask if anyone had done the same and if so what "extras" they felt were worth paying for, and what can be left for later...

Talking about things like

*fire and surround in front room
*access door to garage

• Outside tap / leccy *Light in loft and garage.
• getting main bathroom half tiled and shower put in (will probably do this).
• plumbing for dishwasher put in.

We are getting flooring included. They give the fencing and turf and patio as standard.

Any advice would be very welcome : )

I haven't bought a Barratt house, but have purchased several new builds.
Personally I would go for everything on your list but the fire place so long as the gas will be in place for you to add one at a later date.
It is always cheaper to add stuff at the build stage than at a later date.

For example our outside tap was £40, but was £120 to get someone to do later.
Half height tiling was an extra £120 where as this wouldn't even have covered the cost of the tiles.

Another tip, have a plan of your room layout and check where the sockets are and if you need extra sockets, ie where the bedside tables are, where the TV will be. Getting them as an option is so much cheaper and less hassle than having them done later.

Best of luck, I love the buying new builds

I think on new builds though you get everything VAT free , check with the builder!

I agree with HavetoWearHeels. And I love new builds too. Get all the extras sorted before you move in and add things like extra sockets and stuff. Sometimes the builders will do little extras for free as well, so try and get on the right side of the Site Manager. Ours gave us a skip when we moved in to empty all our rubbish into and came and emptied it a couple of times for us which was a total bonus. Also did things like plumbed in washer and hard wired electrics when washer got delivered as wasn't a straightforward plumbing in job.

Thank you all (have NC as my old name was annoying me) :D

Great to feel the new build love. I know they are not everyones cup of tea.

Gotta hope for a bit of a Brucey bonus from work. Good tip about the sockets and befriending the manager.

Has anyone ever done professional snagging? If so is this a good move or a waste of money?

All these items where standard with my new build, plumbing etc would have to be done, id really miss a dishwasher.

The door I could live without, all my garage is used for is stuff not a car.

All the extras we had we negotiated in the price, but we got added upgrades to the kitchen for free.

My dad did the plumbing for our current dishwasher, bless him he looked a bit like a broken man at the end but thinking this may be better than paying £95 : O

I think we have dropped the ball not negotiating more extras included : (

I did the snagging through the developer, it was pretty good. Im still getting the odd thing fixed two years on, I cant fault them really.

Remember you do have two years to get the snagging completed. My tip is do the snagging yourself, if the builders are still onsite then it is easy to get done (another reason to suck up to the site manager). Then about 6 months before the two years are up go round again and look for anything else that has appeared like settlement cracks and get them out again.

Yes do the snagging yourself whilst they are still on site as it is so much easier.
Good old ashioned bribery works as well! Our neighbours gave the site manager a decent bottle of whiskey at Christmas as it fell soon after they moved in, and they appeared to have him at their beck and call!

Do it all now, especially the garden-side tap and electrics, dishwasher plumbing..in fact especially all of it! But negotiate down the price of everything - add it all up and make them an offer for the whole lot.

And what Heels says about the electrics, also where you want lights, and check over where radiators are going - under the window may not be the best place for you. Also do you want glass doors instead of solid (or vice versa) in some places?

Is the patio big enough to be worth having? could negotiate for that to be extended a bit if it's mean.

That is a very good point re patio and also making them an offer for the entire lot. Bribery will be the way forward here I think

Re the snagging - were you able to spot all the problems? I am a bit worried we will miss something serious.

Snagging is pretty obvious. My top tips are
Sit on the toilet in each bathroom as standing up not all defects are apparent.
Use a pencil to check window sills are level.
Check ceilings, not something you would usually look at but for this very reason they are sometimes not skimmed well.
Run all the taps for a few minutes and flush all the toilets. Also turn on the shower. This should help identify any leaks.
Check all sockets and lights, a night light is an easy tool to use, just plug in as you go round.

Bribery is absolutely the way to go. A home made cake also goes down well if you are a bit of a baker . And when the trades come round plenty of tea and biscuits. Also rehearse this line "Oh while you are here would you mind fixing xxxx "

Also ref the patio, ours was horrible concrete slabs. Our neighbours provided sandstone and arranged for this to be laid instead.

Definitely have an integral door for the garage - I'm in & out of mine all the time!

RedHelenB I am going to put our dryer in there - dont really want to the neighbours seeing me carrying pants in and out all the time - so going to try and get this done if possible