New build home experiences?

[ChocoTrio]

Maybe just me, but I get a sense that there are some negative vibes about new builds (it feels like marmite - either do or don't like them) and I wondered why? Surely new build homes are still in demand, otherwise developers wouldn't bother, right?

What are peoples' personal experiences with new build homes? What about close family and friends who have bought a new build? Any observed Advantages/Disadvantages compared to 2nd hand homes?

If you have any tips for things to lookout for in the snagging list then that will be greatly appreciated too!

I think there’s been lots in the press about people having homes with lots of problems. But I agree they must be in a minority as there as so many new homes around. I’ve never bought a new home. One thing that’s put me off is small gardens often over looked. Plus those that I can afford tend to have quite small rooms. It seems I have to jump a fair bit to get the space. But then I’m not far from London so everything is more expensive. Following with interest.

We were interested in a new build recently - it had decent room sizes etc - until they changed to building timber framed. We looked at another more traditionally built but that had a drainage tank and no restrictions on what the management company could charge for tank emptying and ground maintenance.

Now looking at a house that is around 20 years old and built by a small developer.

I had a new build flat - it was great, never had an issue with anything and it was really nice to move into a flat with fresh carpets, newly painted, kitchen and bathrooms that had never been used.....still smelt like fresh paint!
I realise a flat is a bit different to a house though - not much of the building was my responsibility.

I would love a new build home. My house is a hundred years old - the old houses in my town were the ones I could afford, along with ex- council houses. I went for character.
To be honest, I wish sometimes that I hadn’t gone for character! Old houses can come with problems that pop up out of nowhere.
I think all houses are a risk. At least with a new build you normally have a fairly long building guarantee to get things sorted- you’re unlikely to have issues with things like damp which you would in an older house. My new build flat was much better insulated then this house.

I kind of agree with the poster a pice who said looking for a house around 20 years old - they’re pretty solid.

Newbuilds are generally smaller and more expensive per square metre than other property in the same area
They will have more appealing additions... Say bifold doors modern kitchens bathrooms etc but may lack fitted wardrobes and family storage
Its a personal choice really
New builds will have NHBC 10 year guarantee on the structure which is good news
Personally I think they are overpriced and builders will try pushing the prices up with each phase
I sold new build property working for many housebuilding companies in the past and many properties were downvalued

Thanks.

Done a bit of googling and this Which? guide looks at the pros and cons. 'Buying a new-build home: Find out the pros and cons of buying a new-build house or flat, how new-build mortgages work, and whether you're likely to pay more for a new property.'

I went for a new build because there was too much work required on the 2nd hand homes coming on to market in the area. The new build development is now established and popular - yes, that has meant prices have gone up substantially too. The developers even included a brand new primary school for which the new build homes are in the catchment area - and it's becoming a very sought after school too.

@Rhapsodyinpurple - yeah it is a little annoying that there's an annual service charge for upkeep (on top of council tax!), albeit a very very small amount for the development I'm going for. However, it does ensure that the development is well maintained and continues to look desirable, because councils can be a tad bit unreliable. There ought to be a substantial sink fund for things that would require the management company to do anything, so that shouldn't be a worry for at least 10 years, if it is managed properly.

Newbuild homes in London? Well the ones I've seen look pretty on the outside but on the inside it's a different story. The bedrooms in particular are very small that you can only fit a single bed and a chest of drawers. A double size bedroom would in effect be a single bedroom. Open plan living rooms, with the living room being incredibly small to accommodate the kitchen. I just felt claustrophobic, no room to breathe, bedrooms, living room and hallway all bunched up to together. There is no breathing space!r

Not only that but they are EXPENSIVE!

@buildingbridge - they are expensive and yet the size of the rooms and the smaller gardens doesn't stop them selling. Given that people can buy an equivalent older home for a bit cheaper, the new builds must be doing something right to be sold, right?

Regarding being expensive, I calculated that I was buying some peace of mind with lower running costs and not needing to renovate for a good decade or so.

I suspect the people who gave the kerching, buy many of these new builds for profit or business or a number of things. But I highly doubt they live in them! If I had the money, no way in hell would I purchase one.

We live in a new build having always sworn to never live in one of the personality-less boxes. And we LOVE it. Our gas and electric bill is £30 a month (4 bed house) and over winter we didn’t actually use the upstairs heating at all but the house was always maintained at 19 degrees. We chose location as the most important factor, so it came with a decent price tag but then we felt more confident it would hold its value. It’s easy to clean, easy to live in, the rooms are perfect size and don’t feel boxy. I think it depends a lot on what developer/floor plan you go for as to how the house feels.

Downsides - the garden is overlooked so we’re waiting for some trees to grow. Sound-proofing in the house is poor. But none of that outweighs our previous 200 year old house which was eating 1000s every year in roof and boiler repairs and cost a fortune to heat. I do miss the character but at this stage of my life I just wanted easy living.

What do you mean developers wouldn't continue building? They obviously would because they are able to build a very basic block of flats, with the cheapest decor/finishing going, and then whack a whopping big price tag on it, knowing that the HTB scheme has essentially enabled them to sell. I know a carpenter that has worked on several new build flats in London that sell for circa £450k. He is shocked by how 'cheaply' done they are for that price. He himself advised me to stay away from new builds. Not that I needed to be told - I'd rather not spend that kind of money and then have to contend with circa £3500 on service charge/ground rent etc.

I love mine and the bedroom sizes are good although the kitchen diner is very small. The soundproofing is good and it is cheap to run. I just find new builds make me feel light and cheerful. There have been snags though including very creaky floorboards which they're going to have to come back and sort.

Been in a new build for 18 months now and love it

We moved for a 3 bedroom terraced to a three bed detached

Some people may want something bigger when moving but our new build rooms are all bigger , kitchen is the biggest I have seen in a new build ( we looked at loads ) the garden is a great size too . Plus the storage is great and we have a garage

We had some minor issues when we moved in but they were sorted out biggest issue was the garden - it was on a slope which and to get level added a lot to our gardeners bill when getting it landscaped but I complained to Persimmon stuck my ground and was compensated

Our house was built 1995 so 25 years old. Building itself seems quite solid and well built. It’s still boxy though and I don’t really like it. Next house will be an older property.
@Spoons1988 who was the building company for your house? Was it one of the well known ones?

I had a new build flat - it was great, never had an issue with anything and it was really nice to move into a flat with fresh carpets, newly painted, kitchen and bathrooms that had never been used.....still smelt like fresh paint

Okay Rose

@Smallgoon - when I posted, I had new build freehold houses, not flats, in mind. I don't know much about flats/apartments tbh. Saying that, I can see how in London the developers could get away with those kind of mark-ups because... it's London and land is at an even higher premium than outside London. London is also a real estate that is more open to international investors too.

We've just moved into our new build (feb this year)

I have to say the process of the actual house has been a pleasant surprise. Like you I read horror stories but honestly there have been no issues (yet) at all.

Snagging id watch out for and marks/scrapes, any stiff doors and just general things really!

I worried so much and I really shouldn't have. It's been lovely to have something fresh and new!

Lived in three new builds in the last twenty years and recently moved to a house built in 1920s.

The new builds were- easy to decorate, cheap to maintain, had regular sized rooms, modern wiring, good roof etc

However they have all been slightly overlooked (choose your plot wisely), funny parking arrangements, maintenance fees for communal areas.

Were great when my kids were little as low maintenance and predicable

My 1920s house - expensive to heat, maintain and always something needing to be done
However it has a huge garden and great parking and I now have time to do stuff in it so it is not a problem.

We have moved as our circumstances have changed- worked for us- pro's and con's to each type of house imo

@ChocoTrio Fair enough. I immediately think of the overpriced flats (rather than an actual house) in London which people are forced to purchase if they wish to peruse the HTB scheme. When I say overpriced, i'm comparing to similar flats in London. Given the choice, I'd always opt for a victorian conversion flat rather than a new build.

I bought a new build in September and love it. Admittedly I moved from a ground floor victorian flat to a 4 bed detached, but I bloody love it! Easy to maintain, any work is because I want to do it. Heating is cheap, dreading summer though with the insulation! Garden is overlooked by one house but when I was house hunting, anything I saw was all overlooked even if period. Downside is the garden is a mess, I had turf as an incentive but it hasn’t been properly laid and the ground hasn’t been levelled at all so slopes everywhere. I wouldn’t pay them to turf, but mine was thrown in so suppose I have lost nothing.

We moved into our new build in February, now stuck in the middle of lockdown with awful snagging needing sorted.

There are definitely pros and cons to being in a new build, for us it was finding time to do up an older property.

As much as there is so much wrong with our house, we love it.

The £40 bill for both gas and electric per month is the sweet spot 😊

@chickedeee - out of curiosity, with your 3 new builds, I assume you didn't have any issues with selling them onwards? Did they have a lot of interest? Did they maintain their value and/or increase?

We was unsure about new builds due to their reputation, but we love ours! We've been in a year yesterday.

Huge rooms, high ceilings, lots of large windows and in a great area. The layout of the house is great too, big hallway which all other rooms come off. Loads of storage too, under the stairs, airing cupboard, utility room. The development is great, there is a park opposite our house and lots of green space around. Roads are pretty empty as each house has a double drive. It's dirt cheap to run. We also like how it's new and not tatty, but that won't last forever.

We had a few minor snags when we moved in but these were sorted within days. We found the price fair, it is similar to other houses in the area.

Only negative for us is the garden. It's pretty small. We have laid a patio and have some grass, so it's not tiny, but it is on the small side and pretty overlooked. This seems to be a common complaint with new builds. Saying this though, I wouldn't want a huge garden as I wouldn't want the maintenance.

I think it comes down to the developer and the development.

@missyB1 our developer was Redrow. I can’t fault them really, but I’m sure bad experiences have been had. All the snags have been dealt with promptly and the staff have been lovely. We’ve lived here three years now and Redrow are still making improvements - they donated some defibrillators to the estate recently (started as a community fundraiser). I do think location plays a big part, there’s some big money on the estate and I imagine that also means people who are able to demand more from a developer. Not that I’m saying that’s a fair thing, more a social/business observation.

@Spoons1988 - they're also a 5 star builder so I would expect good customer service from them too!

I agree that location and local socio-economic status is a big factor.

When I was doing a bit of homework about the development, I found that the demographic was mostly split between young families (due to the new sought after school attached to the development) and retired downsizers who wanted easier living.