New build house buyers this way please!

[imfeelinit]

Myself and my partner are in the middle of the mortgage in principle process (hopefully find out today 🤞) and have our eyes on a new build with Barratt.

Can anyone please give me some advice as to what I should be trying to get added in or what I should do?! I am a FTB so dreading doing this all wrong.

Plot 1 - semi detached, nice sized turfed garden and nothing looking into the back of us
Pros: as above
Cons: £10k more than plot 2, no bells and whistles, not even flooring or bedroom wardrobes included. Potential for a development behind us

Plot 2 - mid terrace, nice garden size however garden backs on to a driveway but would still have access via a back Gate (apparently the drive is fenced off)
Pros: £10k less, flooring included, will have extra cash to spend on all the bits and bobs I really don't need like chrome light switches, double oven etc
Cons: mid terrace, houses to the back of us, harder to sell?

Is there anything we should be trying to get thrown in or which would you purchase? Both houses are under £200k

Any advice would be appreciated ☺️

I would go for no1... semi will always be worth more than terrace
If sales are slow you could always ask for flooring to be included

The semi.

Start some nice trees or out up a trellis with climbers if you're worried about what could go behind (what's there now?).

See if the builder will throw in any extras.

Good luck and enjoy your new home!

Thanks! That's what my gut instinct is telling me. I take it these developers are often open to negotiation?

@MrsMozartMkII there is just a large empty field just now. When I pressed the sales office about what's planned for there they just said it was not part of the development (fair enough) and can't confirm it won't be purchased in the future.

I'd normally pick fewer adjoining neighbours - lots of time to worry about finishing touches if you don't get them immediately.

Always worth the ask lass regarding extras.

Probably no building for a while at least on the land. You could check with the planning people, see where the development envelope ends.

If the houses are selling well then they won’t usually provide incentives as they don’t have the need to. We bought towards the end of development and they had a lot more incentives on including flooring packages, stamp duty fees paid, estate agent fees etc. In general the earlier the development your getting the house at a lower price to those buying towards the end.

With regards to the field behind you could try looking for the Neighbourhood Plan online. This will show you if that piece of land has been allocated for housing in the five year housing supply plan.

Have a look on your council's planning portal and see what is planned for the field. I'd go with a semi over a terrace, the £10k extra will be there when it comes time to sell. The better position as well makes it sound like a better option.

It depends entirely on the estate as to what extras can or can't be achieved. Generally, carpets aren't great quality and will need to be replaced sooner than ones you buy yourselves, but makes moving in much easier if the flooring is done. We spent most of our incentive on the kitchen as the cost of the upgrades was the same as buying afterwards but none of the hassle (eg induction hob was £750, to buy the same one in John Lewis was £749). They wouldn't give us a price list for extras until we'd paid, but you should be able to find rough figures online to see what your true cost will be.

Thank you all for your advice! We have wrangled quite a bit for free from them and reserved the plot this evening ☺️
-Free flooring - appreciate it might be crap quality but will be nice to move in with carpets even if they only last a couple of years!
-Turfed gardens
-Integrated fridge freezer - not previously offered
-Upgraded kitchen to a gold package not sure what this is but we are going with it and find out in the next few days
-Built in wardrobes in the master saving approx £800

Will be getting the keys in February so now time to become a hermit and save like mad in anticipation!

Never thought I'd be a homeowner and I'm so excited! 😁

Did you go with the semi or the terrace?

Our new build is due in February too, but we reserved last March. The time does fly by though, promise!