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!

My sister bought one for her first house and in the same year I bought my 1930s one so has been good to compare and made me less dismissive of the reasons why people buy new builds

Advantages of the new build:

• Doesn't need a penny spending on it inside (garden is a different story) - brand new bathroom and kitchen but quality is not the best still not bad
• Ridiculously low energy costs
• It's all shiny and brand new if you're into that
• 'Modern living' layout with lots of plugs, no fireplaces, utility rooms, downstairs loo etc
• They have a very decent garden and apparently a promise that nothing will be built at the back of it
• The help to buy scheme helped get them on the ladder

Negatives in my opinion

• So much space wasted on 'modern living essentials'! Like a utility room, downstairs loo and en suite the size of a cupboard in a tiny three bed
• Small rooms especially bedrooms with no room for storage - they have turned third bedroom into a dressing room as no room for wardrobes in bedrooms due to unnecessary en suite
• No room to extend or improve, unusable loft
• Too hot in summer
• Estate on the edge of a not-the-best village with no facilities so have to drive everywhere; cramped bendy road estate with little parking
• Obviously a lack of character is the other side of the coin to 'shiny and new'

At the end of the day it would never be for me but I can totally appreciate the benefits and appeal for them - especially when spending endless hours sanding 1930s skirting or shelling out £000s on plastering on ours 😫

Sorry OP! I'm talking about new build flats not houses. I have never visited or seen a new build house so I have no idea. New build flats on the other hand are ones which I will never every buy.

All three we sold on with no difficulty, sold on first or second viewing. All increased in value

People don't figure in renovation and maintenance costs of older houses ime

1st house we made 100k on second house 100k and last house 30k (sold after four yrs) and our outgoings were minimal when we lived there.

We has lots of negative comments from folk (other kids parents ) in all the houses- snobbery tbh

The new houses suited our needs at the time and we were really happy. Last new build was as 'stop gap' we had seen an older house we wanted but were so put off by the survey bought a new build as an interim move.

No trouble selling as the houses were lovely and we felt that we had liked living there so why would others dislike it, second and last house people waited over six months while we found somewhere to move to so they wanted our houses!!!

Always painted them well, f & b paint and had well maintained gardens etc so desirable to young families wanted low maintenance (as we were once )

@buildingbridge - yeah I imagine there is little variation between new build flats within a complex. I don't know much about flats/apartments tbh. I presume they sell because... it's London and lots of international investment interest etc.

New build house developments are very different. Tend to be freehold. There is variation between the different floorplans, styles and plots. Lots of detached homes, but some semis and the odd terrace. Lots more choice than flats/apartments.

@chickedeee - thanks that's very useful. This is my first time with a new build home, so this is slightly new territory. Good to know they increase in value - the last thing anyone wants/needs is negative equity!

Did you tend to get the flooring done by the developer (highly mark-up even though they don't have to pay VAT!) or independently? I don't know if there's an advantage to getting the developer to do the flooring, other than just being able to move into a ready made home?

Are you thinking of buying one?

I found the parking situation unbearable. Every house had 2 spaces, or 1 space and a garage. But it was never enough as people didn't use the garages for cars and parked on the side verge. So we would look out and see a car right outside our window. At weekends, it was worse with visitors.

I wouldn't buy new again in an estate. Maybe a tiny development of 2-3 large houses but that's it.

We were looking just before lockdown. It would have been a stretch for us money wise but might be a definite no now with all of this going on.

@NOTANUM - I'm already in the process with buying one - it's the first time I'm going into new build territory. There's a rule in the contract that there is to be no parking on the street.

The showroom and office has a decently car park attached to it and I think the sales lady said that was supposed to remain for when the development completes as somewhere for visitors to park. I thought that was well thought-out for the longer term tbh.

*decently sized car park

@ChocoTrio Is it in London you're buying if you don't mind me asking? I don't think I've come across a new build house in London, always thought of those as a rarity

The estate where our first property was is only 10 years old but looks much older due to cheap paint used on the outside which has turned green/black with mould/pollution. In addition to that the service charges were shocking, almost £300 a year per property but no green areas and the road had been adopted by the council.

@Smallgoon - this development is not in London, no. However, it is within commutable distance to/from London (as well as good transport links to other parts of the country) and the house also has views of countryside too (greenbelt, so the picturesque views should stay that way too!).

I can pm you the details if you're interested.

@GreyGardens88 I got you 😉

I bought a new build in London.. it’s a good size flat with good bedroom size And a large balcony/ terrace very cheap in gas and electricity costs barely have to use the heating in the winter. sound proofing is good can barely hear neighbours at all.

Liked it that everything was new when I moved in..

Some downsides are it is unbearably hot in the summer, it’s shown over 30 degrees in my flat on some days.. parking is one car per flat even if your in a 2 or 3 bedroom.. but that’s london for you really. Had couple snags but mainly with scratched paintwork etc nothing major. I would prefer to not have an open plan kitchen/lounge but it is a good size. also service charge that keeps increasing

We looked at some new builds by a very well respected local builder, houses look great built to high spec but for us parking, garden size and mix of houses put us off. And when they started selling prices where excessive.

In the end we bought a barn conversion which needed a bit of work - lockdowns been awesome for our diy skills.

It’s cost us 1/2 the price of the new build but Is 400sq ft bigger and not overlooked and most importantly parking for 3/4 cars outside and 2/3 in the garage.

The showroom and office has a decently car park attached to it and I think the sales lady said that was supposed to remain for when the development completes as somewhere for visitors to park. I thought that was well thought-out for the longer term tbh.

This is the sort of thing they do say and then it doesn't happen. I've had two new builds and apart from the parking I've liked them. But the parking causes so many problems. All it takes is for someone to have one more car than they have space for and it's a turf war.

Our last one had a car parking area for six cars on the street and it caused more problems than it solved and we moved purely because of parking tensions. And we had two cars and two spaces.

@ChocoTrio I would ask what the builder is going to do with that carpark. We had the same during building works but then they built a small house on it last!
The site plan should be available to you so you can see the parking per house/flat. I've just remembered that flats only got one space so they also parked on our little road.
Other things to check:

• is the road going to be adopted by the council or will you be paying a maintenance group? Ours was a few hundred £ a year to maintain the grass and electricity for street lamp
• is there a ban on building any extension for X years? (Usually while they're still selling other properties in the estate)
• Is there a ban on selling for X years? We were last to buy so it didn't effect us but I know people were stuck for 2 years.

We were looking to move after a year although it took longer to find a year place and sell ours.

Good luck and enjoy your new home!

I've lived in 2 new build houses and a new build flat, as well as several older places. I've liked them all. Things go wrong occasionally in either (though so far we haven't had anything big) but if it's a newbuild they come and fix it, which is great. You also get your NHBC with a newbuild, which should give some reassurance. I think you do have to choose carefully and make sure that you have plenty of storage space etc. We found Barratts to be very good, my parents also had a good experience with Redrow several years ago.

@SavoyCabbage Ha we cross posted but I see we said the same thing re sales lady.

It completely depends on the developer .. I have a new build that is amazing . Beautiful fixtures and fittings .. everything as nice as the day we moved in 6 years ago .. however there are others that don't match up so do your research!

Oh and we have massive bedrooms and a bathroom each and loads of parking .. and I didn't pay stamp duty which was a lot .. def worth looking into ..
On the flip side my friend has a 1950's semi and she can hear everything ! The new builds have a central space so the sound doesn't carry ( although mine is detached as I didn't want to test that theory )

We bought a new build 3.5 years ago. We had no choice as our house wouldn't sell for as much as we would need it to for a deposit (own fault, bought cheap before massive spoke in prices and remortgaged the price drop mean our house has never reached what it was worth when we took out the equity).

Builder paid £68,000 for our house but sold it on for £54,000. If we had taken that sort of drop we would have had half the deposit we had which would impacted the price of the house and mortgage rate.

So yes we have an over priced new build but we can live here for the rest of our lives so price doesn't matter.

It was nice moving into a new house although the newness faded quickly. We were lucky and most of our snagging was minor. Neighbours have had much worse including needed roof repairs and more serious work.

Well this time I swore no new builds. I have lived in 4 from brand new and one just 5 years old. I fancied a change.

However here I am in a new but huge detached, large bedrooms (5 doubles), dressing room, large central hallway etc and it is the finished article. No need to extend. OK garden, generous double garage, four spaces etc. Freehold and small annual fee capped for green areas that we happen to face onto so at least we benefit.

People generalise re new houses. I've had small houses, apartments and now detached. All have had minor snags. We've been lucky, especially regarding noise. Mid terrace and hardly ever heard anything. My friends 1950's semi is horrendous for noise bleeding from next door.

And 9 visitor spaces close to but not opposite the house. Xxxx

I'd love a huge Edwardian detached house but I can't afford one - not one fully modernised anyway!

@ChocoTrio I actually bought earlier this year so deffo not in the market for a second property, but thanks anyway! I bought a new build too, though technically no longer a new build I guess (12 years old). Very different to the new builds of today, mine is very 'old school' but I like it a lot.

@lovelyupnorth barn conversion sounds lovely!!

We lived in a new build apartment for 11 years. No insulation in the walls at all. Literally timber frame with plaster board either side. Could hear everything the neighbours did, even on the toilet. Smells would infiltrate everywhere - cooking smells, smokers etc.
Parking issues constantly. Small living spaces, the service charge would rise every year even though you'd be getting less or worse service for the money. Music, especially the bass travelled very well.