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!

We moved to a new build late last year. Absolutely love it. Our old house was 200 years old, there was always something that needed doing and damp was a reoccurring problem.
We're detached so obviously theres no issue with noise.

This thread has made me start looking at the ones we’d seen again and I just want one

There are some very good new builds, lots ok and a few bad ones.

Our first house was built in 2000 and we were second owners after 18 months. Best of both worlds as the house didn't have any repair issues, but the first owners had done all the painting, floor etc.

We moved in 2018 and did look into new builds, but the general size put us off, for example one 4 bed detached had a smaller footprint than our 3 bed detached, so whilst more space downstairs (new house had detached garage, old integral) upstairs had four bedrooms in less space than out three. Also a lot in my area on being built on not great plots - backing onto the main dual carriageway for example. I also don't think the market is buoyant enough to compensate for the increased price tag.

Thanks for the responses!

@lovelyupnorth I do love the sound of the barn conversion!

@NOTANUM and @SavoyCabbage - Thanks, I will double check with sales lady - and solicitor too! There are no plans for a house where the car park is on the plans I have seen so far. I imagine they would have had to satisfy any parking issues during the planning permission stages because they also built a new school and that had to have parking spaces for teachers, deliveries and parents drop off/collection etc.

The other appeal about this development is that it's also within walking distance to the train station that has a direct train into London and other main towns/cities; there's also a main bus station for the surrounding villages and rural areas too. I thought that good public transport links like that would make needing a car less essential, or maybe that's just me. So, hopefully the parking issue won't be as bad? Fingers crossed!

There are a few developers atm, so we felt we had to pick wisely. Prices did vary between them, but I did some homework and spoke to those who have already bought a home and living on site there. Chose one of the 5 Star builders - but their homes were a bit (marginally) cheaper than the 4 Star builder and the homes were the equivalent in terms of floorplan and square metre etc.

@choccotrio

Do love it so far.

One of the things we did when looking at the new build was visit a load of sites they’ve built near over the last few years. And that’s what really put us off. The mix of houses and the total lack of parking where most houses had multiple cars but only one space. And then roads not wide enough so people parking on pavements. So even if you have enough parking in your house the combined street looked a mess.

@lovinglavidaloca - you might be in luck if the housing market slows down. Developers may be more open to negotiation.

@lovelyupnorth - that's a shame about the parking. There are at least 2 parking spaces per house on the development I'm looking at, plus the garages (which are rarely used for a car). The majority of homes are detached so not as may homes on a street, so it's a little more spread out than if it was mostly semis or terraced (there is the odd semi or terrace, but not many).

This is Phase 2 of the development, so I explored Phase 1 and it seemed quite impressive. Also spoke to people who had bought on Phase 1 - and made friends in the neighbourhood already!

If there is a recession, then I assume this might be one of the last new build developments in the area or a while. Sales lady had anticipated the houses to still sell (popular and established development with sought after school and good public transport links) but at a much slower pace than before lockdown - they still have the rest of the Phase to complete building.

Really interesting thread thanks for starting it OP.
We are also trying to decide between a new build and an older house. We're really busy both working long hours so the idea of moving into a house with no work needed is really appealing but I'm just not sure.
Does anyone have any feedback on Persimmon or Avant? Both are building on the development we like - Avant seem higher spec but smaller houses for the money. Three bed semi with Avant similar prices to three bed detached with Persimmon. Any feedback appreciated!

@chocotrio

The Devolpment we looked at sounds similar it was mostly large executive houses but had some smaller ones and some low cost ones. And they are a very very good developer but because of the mix even if you had plenty of parking the estates where a mess no where for visitor parking etc.

You'll get tons of negative comments on mumsnet generally about new builds. Many people in the UK prefer the traditional, and 'character' and are a bit snobby towards new builds.

I think you need to be careful to separate out the shoddily built, leasehold, very cheap and small new built developments (I don't have any personal experience with Taylor Wimpey but that's the sort of thing people mention) from all new built housing full stop.

I've owned two new builds, and would choose a new build over an older house that needs work every time, unless I couldn't get the same amount of space for my money with a new build.
New builds (due to modern building regs) are generally warmer, more efficient to run, less noisy and without the quirks you would get in an older house. They can be smaller, and because you get architects that want to be creative you can end up with some strange set-ups that are ill-thought out. But whether or not you buy one of those is down to you.

Our first house was a medium to large development in the city centre, and we did run into problems with it shortly after completion - however, because of the building guarantees they all had to be sorted out. It took some time, but in the end all was fine. We had no problems selling it again (despite being a leasehold, common in a city centre) and it sold on first viewing. It was always warm, never any noise, lovely to live in but a funny layout.

We've just purchased another new build - a very small development with only 6 houses built. It's the perfect situation really, because the developers weren't stretched over a massive project. The spec is high, and everything is great. We have a direct contact with the contractor who built the houses and I can literally phone him up with questions.

So from my experience, my advice would be:

• If you go for a new build, go for a smaller developer with a good track record. If the development of new builds is small, all the better. You can find out a lot on Facebook about developers and previous projects they have completed. If people live in their existing houses and they are riddled with problems that they aren't sorting, it's easy to find out.
• There is a reason there is a 'traditional' house layout. If it's a new build that is laid out like an older house (ie. not completely open plan, or upside down with living room upstairs e.g.) I'd go for that over a 'quirky' layout.

Oh, and PS. People will still class something built in the 90s/early 2000s as a 'new build' but my experience is also that these are often noisy, stinky, etc. I think recent building regs are much better (when they are adhered to!)

@EnglishGirlApproximately

Both are 4 star builders. This is a good guide: 'CSS Star Rating Results for Builders'

It does depend your particular area and development, but as a rule of thumb a builder out to get 5 Star Ratings.

If those two are the only ones local to you, then I would go with the detached home over the semi. More peace of mind and it's more attractive in the future if you need to sell.

@EnglishGirlApproximately - sorry about typos! Builder ought to get 5 star ratings. If they are getting lower that 5 stars then be extra cautious - that's my understanding.

Thanks Choco, there is a development by Harron too but houses are too large for us. I rented a Persimmon years ago when it was a new build and loved it but a lot can change in a few years. Detached definitely my preference too. Lots of anti Persimmon groups on FB, but I know that's not a great guide as they build in volume so will always have negative.

@mightybuzz - that's very useful thanks. Are the smaller developments a bit rarer to come by?

Good to know it wasn't an issue to sell on afterwards - Did it increase in value even though it was leasehold?

@EnglishGirlApproximately - sounds like you already have experience with new build and Persimmon too. Tbh I have very little experience with new build homes, so this is new territory. It's just that in the area there are not many 2nd homes that come up for sale (within my budget) that do not need work doing. I want a new home and easy living, not a renovation project! Location came first and that's what led to the new build.

@mightybuzz - I have also noticed that between some the floorplans there is very little in it in terms of variation.
E.g. when I was looking at the 3 bedrooms they looked pretty much identical apart from a little bit of extra square metre here or there, some with bay windows others without, but the largest 3 bedroom stood out because of an extra feature like a utility room.
The 4 or 5 bedroom floorplans, on the other hand, have a lot more variation and it's easier to notice the hierarchy between them (small 4 bedroom is without utility room, next one up has utility room, one above that has both utility room and a study etc.).

Choco same here. I bought a project 20 years ago which ended in divorce so I'm all about the easy living now. Good luck

We've had a good experience with buying a new build. They built on time, no delays. We got a good deal as we didnt agree to buy it until after they'd started to build it which meant we got lots of free upgrades.
It's not timber frame, its freehold... so lots of plus points.

The downstairs is brilliant and flows nicely, I'd say the downside is the bedrooms are a little on the small side and the garden is on the small side, but all perfect for what we need for now.

My favourite part is that I have a bay window!

Are the smaller developments a bit rarer to come by?
Yes, but not unheard of. Ours just showed up when we searched for new builds on Rightmove. You might not be able to tell from the listing but we could see that the house looked really good, and then when I went to look I saw that there were only 3 other houses built next to it. I asked the estate agent about the developer and they said they were just a small local developer.

Good to know it wasn't an issue to sell on afterwards - Did it increase in value even though it was leasehold?
Yes it did. As with all houses it just depends on the house; all houses can lose/gain value. We had a city centre townhouse in a desirable location so obviously it gained in value.
The house we have now as well will certainly gain in value over time because it's a desirable area with good schools.

I'd look at the overal square footage - our line in the sand was that we didn't want anything less than 1500 sqf. The house we bought is 1600 and has a utility room, and 4 beds. Not massive bedrooms but big enough, no box rooms. On paper we might have liked an even bigger house, but at the end of the day you have to compromise somewhere and this house is big enough for us, and it means that we are now really close to amenities, park, school, public transport.

I've been to look at many new build developments over the years and you do definitely see some where you look in a room and think - this couldn't even fit a wardrobe and a double bed! You also see some that just even in the show home look cheap and flimsy. Feel the doors, banisters, fittings and fixtures. Do they feel solid?

Ignore the promises about things that will be built nearby, like a poster above said, that never materialises...

With snagging, don't get too stressed about it. Just go round, look closely and see if there is anything that jumps out. Normal things are nail pops, uneven paint, scratches, little things like that. If there is anything serious that you find out afterwards they have to fix it anyway. If you are very worried about it you can get a professional snagger.

@Rhapsodyinpurple and @ClementineTangerine and anyone else.

Just wondering... Why is timber frame an issue? and What's the alternative preference to timber frame?

I thought timber frame homes have been around for centuries and have a lot of advantages, so that's why they're used as a standard... They're supposed to be more eco-friendly too (so long as the trees are re-planted).

This site is obviously a bit biased, but it makes some good points about the advantages of timber frames: Timber Frames

@mightybuzz - that's very helpful, thank you.

They have actually already built the school and it opened last September. It went along with Phase 1 of the development and has been a very popular school - sought after even.

Professional snagger was about £500 the last time I checked and I think it will be worthwhile because I lack the experience with new builds. The developers do snagging checks before completion too, but I'll have more peace of mind with my own private snagger too.

These are two of the articles I have seen about timber framed homes.

renegadeinc.com/corporate-timber-frame-time-bomb/

kinedo.co.uk/timber-frame/

I have also read of concerns about termites and water penetration if mistakes are made whilst building.

Hopefully I am wrong and they are safe, solid and built to last.

I moved into a new build last year and I am so pleased that I did before all this lockdown stuff, if we'd been stuck in our old house with no space and constant noise through the wall from the neighbours I'd have gone insane over the last 7 weeks. Our rooms are a decent size, plenty of storage, each bedroom has a fitted wardrobe. I absolutely love having an en suite as well as a family bathroom, having an extra shower available makes things so much easier in the mornings when we are all rushing out to work and school (not at the moment but hopefully before too long). Parking isn't an issue, we have plenty of space on the drive for both cars and the layout of our plot means we are at the end of a small cul-de-sac so nobody would be able to park blocking us in without also blocking another 4 houses, which wouldn't make them popular. The garden is quite small but I hate gardening so that suits me, I'm not planning on having anything other than a patch of grass and small patio. We had one snagging issue but touch wood that's all sorted now.

@Rhapsodyinpurple - wow! Thanks for those links. Although, I'm surprised that they can get NHBC cover if that really is the case with timber frame.

I did a little digging and it seems there's a lot of safeguarding that goes into managing timber frame construction by the NHBC: [[http://www.nhbc.co.uk/Builders/Productsandservices/Training/courses/Managingtimberframeconstruction/ 'Managing timber frame
construction']] and 'Timber frame trade talks'.

It seems that everything has its advantages and disadvantages - a lot depends on the execution, management and delivery.

I think the advice from @mightybuzz is pretty much spot on. If you're in it for 10+ years OP, you'll be fine and it's a great way to stay close to London while still having the advantage of a nice new school on your doorstep. Do enjoy your new home!