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Original poster

I want to buy a new house but they are made of cardboard apparently...

129 replies

skittleboy · 01/02/2020 17:42

I like the look of new houses and I want a nice fresh new house to live it. Like buying a brand new car that is fresh and noone else has used.

But everyone says 'they are not built to last, don't go near one with a barge pole'. It's so wrong that the builders are allowed to get away with it! They should build it properly! I grew up in a 600 year old house that is still standing strong. But I dislike old houses.

I can't build my own because I don't have the expertise.

Is there anything else I can do?

Thank you.

OP posts:
Finfintytint · 01/02/2020 18:43

Re builders rubble. One newish build we lived in had surplus brick, plasterboard, general crap, buried under the lawn. When it came to digging flower beds etc we had to remove this rubbish before we could do anything substantial with the garden.

MaxPaddyandHarry · 01/02/2020 18:44

Hmm. We bought a 60s house which a 'friend' said looked as though it would fall over with a puff of wind. It's still standing.
I think there are some builders which seem to have more complaints than others, but a quick Google search will tell you who to avoid. I do think some new houses are overpriced though.

caffeinefix · 01/02/2020 18:46

And the ventilation and insulation is amazing. Our old house was freezing and full of damp. So glad to be rid.

Rhapsodyinpurple · 01/02/2020 18:48

The Barrett houses being built near me, the first phase was more traditional construction, breeze block and brick. The new phase are all timber framed. It has totally put me off buying one.

Rhapsodyinpurple · 01/02/2020 18:50

Barratt - thanks autocorrect

DobbyTheHouseElk · 01/02/2020 18:54

My friend bought a new house 9 years ago. External walls are brick, but internal are paper. Can’t hang things up because of the weak walls and there’s nothing to drill into. We used ballon type screws to put the curtain pole up.

In the folder it said the house was expected to last 50 years.

I wouldn’t buy one, unless there’s no alternative.

TwoPlugs · 01/02/2020 18:54

Timber frame houses aren't exactly a new thing. There's plenty around that have lasted 500 years without rotting... A new build house will stand strong for you OP, unless you plan on living for a couple of hundred years.

newbingepisodes · 01/02/2020 18:57

Many new build house building companies have been flouting a lot of the building regs - you'll see it all on watchdog / panorama etc.

Original poster
skittleboy · 01/02/2020 18:59

50 years!!! Shouldn't it last forever...or close to it. How can they say that?

OP posts:
AJPTaylor · 01/02/2020 19:00

For the love of god.
The only shoddy house we had was built in 1977 by bovis. It didn't have a right angle in it.
Our current place was built in 2004 and is fab. Friends bought a new build recently and it is lovely.

Original poster
skittleboy · 01/02/2020 19:01

@DobbyTheHouseElk 50 years!!! Shouldn't it last forever...or close to it. Certainly longer than 50 years. How can they say that?

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 01/02/2020 19:07

It’s was in writing in the folder. Friend was a bit concerned as her mortgage was for 30 years.

Funnily enough it wasn’t mentioned in the purchasing.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 01/02/2020 19:09

This folder also mentioned that the loft space isn’t strong enough to store things....it’s a house of paper.

FlamingoQueen · 01/02/2020 19:09

Our first house was brand new and I loved it. We simply outgrew it as our family grew.
Check the quality and perhaps check Facebook, people tend to post if there’s issues.

Shadowboy · 01/02/2020 19:14

I’m in a new build. It’s spacious- 1600sqft. That better than most 4 beds of Victorian age within our price range. It’s 3 years old and still standing. No damp, cheap to heat etc. Ours is detached and we can’t hear anything external. My only gripe is the drive- long enough for three cars but narrow. Annoying to take one off to move another...

imamearcat · 01/02/2020 19:17

We've just moved into a new build 6 months ago. I think it's BS when people say they are badly made etc. Why would they be when they will have stricter building regs etc than they ever have??

Mines not small at all, small new builds are small, big new builds are big?Confused

The garden is not very big though, probably the only down side.

HarrietSchulenberg · 01/02/2020 19:27

Well a new build is unlikely to actually fall down anytime soon but if you're buying a starter home it's not likely to have a great finish and will have been thrown up quickly so the builders can move on to the next one.
I was talking to some builders working on a Bovis estate in my village and they all laughed and said they wouldn't live in one if they were paid for it. They did already know I wasn't a prospective buyer (had asked which ones they liked best).

oohnicevase · 01/02/2020 19:30

I have a new build , we bought from new 5 years ago , it's amazing quality and has very high end fixtures etc.. don't people the daily mail version of buying houses , just do your research , as with everything there are good and bad developers !

Instagrrr · 01/02/2020 19:31

Our best man works for a company who is kept in business sorting out and sometimes knocking down new homes with issues.

I would love one, but husband (builder) wouldn’t ever have one :(

albertatrilogy · 01/02/2020 19:32

All the plasterers, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, builders who have ever done minor repairs on our house - over a century old - have been clear they would never buy newbuild. They've all done urgent work on newbuild properties which people have bought in the mistaken belief that nothing would need to be done.

KipperTheFrog · 01/02/2020 19:38

Lived in a new build flat for a while. Ceiling leaked every time it rained because the roof terrace above hadnt been properly waterproofed. Walls couldn't withstand anything being fixed to them because they were so thin.
We looked at more new builds when we moved, but the rooms and gardens were small. We were looking at 3 bed semi's and some bedrooms wouldn't even fit a single bed in!

Now in a 1930's semi. The walls are so solid it's a struggle to drill into them, but at least things stay put! Rooms are spacious, garden is huge.

HavenDilemma · 01/02/2020 19:43

I am in a new house by Bellway and it's crazily good quality! The internal doors are so nice that my Mum has tracked down the same ones for her house :) It really is solid and very well built.
Not a single snag and the kitchen is fabulous too!
RE: room size, I'm actually really impressed there too. The master bedroom is so big, that it has two windows! This is only a 2 bed house as well. Kitchen is plenty big enough for a table too.
My house even has an electric car charging point outside on the drive! (& 2 pin plug outlet). Drive is long enough for 2 large cars and garden is huge and even came with a free shed! 👍
I think a few bad examples have convinced the masses that new houses = cheap crap and it simply is not he case with them all.

nevernotstruggling · 01/02/2020 19:45

I own a new build. The paper thin walls thing mystifies me. I have a noisy dog and next door (terrace) have a 3 month old baby. Neither of us can hear a thing from next door.

whatdoyouthinkyouknow · 01/02/2020 19:45

I'd ask a lot of questions about the construction when you view.

I'd be cautious about buying a new type of construction that's mostly insulated panels and wood.

I've seen them go up locally and couldn't believe there was so little brick involved.

In theory they will last. Other parts of the world use this method successfully.

The infilled timber method goes back to the Romans. Although they in-filled theirs with stone!

However the use of using pre manufactured panels, thinner wood and sandwich cladding is a relatively recent progression.
I know the houses made in this way are very thermally efficient but I'm not sure on their longevity. We know other construction methods have stood the rest of time.

If I was in you position I'd be buying a house that was around 20 years old. Still thermally efficient but a more solid construction.
I'd be looking for a brick built outer layer but wouldn't mind stud work construction internally.
I'd also consider a much older property and be prepared to do some work. But I enjoy pretty major building renovations.

Shocking to hear from PP that these modern builds might last only 50 years. That puts owners in a difficult position in future years as the next wave of people might not be able to secure a mortgage to buy.

It's entirely possible you finish paying off your mortgage and the house you are left with has a vastly reduced value.

Marshy86 · 01/02/2020 19:49

I work in new build so can tell you it's all dependant on the builder. Are they timber frame builders or traditional builders? what build program do they work to ? What star rating are they? What standards do they build to? These houses are built to last but if you buy with a 2/3 star builder that's the type of house you will get. Yes there is a difference in price but there will also be a difference in quality. A lot of people assume because we don't put loft ladders in any more it's because the roof is poor quality, it's actually because your roof if designed to load bear and if you store in loft it can damage the integrity of the roof which will invalidate your home insurance. The best thing you can do is speak to people with correct knowledge instead of opinion