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New builds - what incentives/extras to ask for?

25 replies

iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 12:48

We will be buying our first home soon and it will be a new build. I know that people tend to ask for incentives/extras to be thrown in by the developers. I also know that some tend to gift the deposit/knock a bit off the price as well as other incentives on top of that. What did you ask for or what do you think would be good things to ask for when negotiating? The developer we are thinking of going with already has appliances included in the price so I was thinking of asking for:

  1. either 5% deposit gift or have them come down on the price a little
  2. ask for carpets upstairs and in the living room and flooring in the kitchen and hallway
  3. different kitchen cabinets and worktops to the standard ones

Do you think it is too much to ask for? I believe bathroom flooring is already included but I will need to double check this. We're first time buyers so we really don't know how this works and what we should be asking for.

OP posts:
iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 13:50

Anyone?

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Vinniepolis · 14/06/2020 17:07

Hi, we got £5k off the price plus £5k “extras” (that you can use for any upgrades - whether that’s built-in wardrobes or external
lights etc). We also got free flooring (but that is their cheapest carpet, so we used some of our £5k extras budget to upgrade). We didn’t really like any of their upgrade kitchen styles so just chose a standard range, with a view to replacing doors in a couple of years. The development we are buying often offers incentives but they are coming to the end of the last phase so probably keen to shift the houses. You should definitely ask though - they might say no but they won’t walk away from a sale just because you ask the question.

iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 17:46

@Vinniepolis That's great advice, thank you! How much extra did you pay for the carpets? I think we might need to upgrade too as I'm very picky when it comes to carpets. We would have all of upstairs + stairs and the lounge carpeted.

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Vinniepolis · 14/06/2020 19:19

Hi there were 4 “tiers” of carpet and we went for level 2 (around £300ish extra, for a 4 bed house plus 2 reception rooms). It’s very difficult to choose though as they just had the teeniest squares of carpet; nothing like when you go into a proper carpet shop - so if you’re fussy you might prefer to have it done yourself?

GU24Mum · 14/06/2020 19:19

It depends where the developer is in the selling programme and how popular a plot/design you have as to their willingness to negotiate. At the moment, suspect they'd be reasonably keen...........!

Personally I'd try for a bigger discount than you'd settle for and aim to compromise on a discount plus some upgrades. The upgrades are worth far more to you than they cost the developer so push them quite hard - they can only say no so you don't have anything to lose!

iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 19:53

@Vinniepolis makes sense! I'd like a nice, thick and super soft one in a cream colour(the sort they have in the show homes) - is it easy to tell on the samples how soft the carpet is? I'm so worried about this whole process as it's hard to tell without seeing the whole thing fitted! Confused

@GU24Mum thank you. Do you mean discount on the price of the house? What would you say would be a good amount to ask for? 5% off? We're not sure if it's better to ask for a 5% deposit gift or ask for a reduction in the selling price. I'm just crap at negotiating and am worried that it will be them pushing me and not the other way around. I suppose I'm just worried about them thinking I'm a CF Grin

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GU24Mum · 14/06/2020 20:05

I'd start off with a straight discount as that way you won't have to pay SDLT on the higher price whereas you will do if the price is the same but the developer "gives" you the deposit.

Developers would prefer to keep the price high so are likely to prefer to gift the deposit but if you ask for an actual discount then they may offer the gifted plus incentives ie ask for the maximum you'd want and see how you get on. Don't worry about them thinking you are a CF - much better than than they think you are a pushover!!!!!

LauraL1985 · 14/06/2020 20:05

I would definitely try for some money off and if the build isn’t in the too late stages of development then check the kitchen you will be getting - we only found out on signing that the show home kitchen wasn’t the one we were going to get as there were a few different types earmarked for different houses, make sure you get the one you want.
My absolutely biggest piece of advice and something I wish so desperately that we had done was to hire a professional snagger to come in once you have moved in. You will get a period of time to check everything in the property and report any snags that need fixing...some will be obvious (a door not shutting properly, something missing, a piece of guttering leaking etc) but you honestly will never find everything and never as quickly as they make you put a list together. The professionals will literally check your entire house, garage, garden, loft space and will save you so much hassle down the line when you didn’t realize until 6/9 months in that the piece of pipe under your toilet was installed incorrectly, or the pipe to your guttering wasn’t going to drain properly etc! Also if you can sacrifice a metre or so of your garden if you have one dig it up and make sure the top soil under the turf is good and 30cm...we are 3 years down the line and still battling with NHBC as we have huge rocks, rubble and brick coming up out of our turf!!
Apologies, huge message but I really want to make sure you get everything promised by them and you get your monies worth. I think it’s too easy for developers to take all your money and have very little incentive to come back and fix any problems. Remember you have paid them a lot of money and deserve your house to be worth it!

iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 20:36

@GU24Mum thank you! I believe we won't have to pay stamp duty as we are first time buyers(at least that's what I've read so hoping that's true as we've not accounted for that!)

@LauraL1985 that's actually a lot more help to us than you think!! How much do they normally cost? I Will definitely account for that and hire one - what does then happen after he's been and he's found faults? In terms of the kitchen or anything like that I will 100% be questioning this as I am super set on the decor and details I would like my home to have. Did you find a lot of faults with yours? With the garden/turf - is this something we could check before the turf is Laid?

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QforCucumber · 14/06/2020 20:40

We completed on our new build purchase I February. When we wanted to reserve we went in with a list of what we wanted, we got the following -
Stamp duty paid
Legal fees up to £750 paid
Rear turf and outside tap
Boiler housing cupboard
Upgraded cooker hob and cooker hood
Integrated fridge freezer and dishwasher
Upgraded kitchen cupboard units.

We asked also for a shower above the bath in the main bathroom and an alarm, they couldn't do these as the house was already built so in place offered us carpets and flowing throughout. The carpets are shite and we will replace them in time but it did mean we didnt have to spend thousands prior to moving in.

iwishiknewthatbefore · 14/06/2020 20:46

@QforCucumber that's good, sounds like I will be making a list then Grin when they agree to pay your legal fees or deposit - how and when does this happen? (Do you pay this and they give the money back to you or would we just send the invoice to them and they would give us the money in our bank?) Also, once you agreed on extras and incentives, is this then written and signed by both parties for proof?

Also - a super silly, stupid question but seen as you have all bought houses... what is the process from start to finish? When do we actually exchange contracts if our house takes 3-4 months to be move in ready and when do we pay our deposit for the mortgage! I'm so so confused Sad

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LauraL1985 · 14/06/2020 23:23

I'm not entirely sure of the cost, at few hundred maybe but I would still think totally worth it. We found some issues straight away - marks, dents, door fittings, water under the garage door. Some things have taken a lot longer to show...all the window sills on the entire development are warped (total nightmare to fix!), random fixtures etc stopped working, garden has sunk and fencing has cracked. If we had hired a snagger they would have found way more of the issues that it took us months to see, some of which because we just hadn't used things yet.
So they will ask you to submit your list of snags then will organise for someone to come and fix them for you. It may take a little time as our company had an urgency rating - we were bumped one day for a house that the garage roof caved in (I was ok with waiting knowing someone else was dealing with that!). Keep hold of the original list and make sure they deal with it all. We have also found out they those who make the most noise tend to be dealt with more promptly so don't be afraid to chase, at the end of the day you have given them a lot of money!
With the garden you could ask to see the land prior to the turf going down to make sure it looks like a decent amount of top soil - there are government guidelines so have a google so you know what to look for. Ours got steadily worse over time so wasn't on our original list, we have an 18 month old fearless toddler who I avoid letting on our grass as he would likely twist his ankle or fall and crack is head on one of the protruding rocks. If you can't see it before and you hire a snagger you could ask them to check. When NHBC came out to investigate ours they dug 5 x 1 metre square holes and went down 30cm or so to see what they found.

LolaSkoda · 15/06/2020 09:03

Aside from the extras it’s always a good idea to use your own solicitor. Not their one!

Fattyboom · 15/06/2020 09:23

Also - a super silly, stupid question but seen as you have all bought houses... what is the process from start to finish? When do we actually exchange contracts if our house takes 3-4 months to be move in ready and when do we pay our deposit for the mortgage! I'm so so confused

Hi OP, when we bought our house (FTB) I used a website called Home Owners Alliance. If you ignore all the services they provide, go to the menu, the to 'for buyers', it tells you pretty everything you need to know about the process

InsaneInTheViralMembrane · 15/06/2020 12:20

Definitely watch the top soil! Everyone moved in here 3 years ago and the first year (and snagging) is such a tizz, nobody’s thinking about the garden.

When I eventually turned my hand to it - when the turf died because there was only a wafer-thin veneer of topsoil - too late for comeback. I can’t even screw anchors for the trampoline deeper than 2” because it’s just rubble. Found out just last month that there was previously a car-park here... thanks developers!

Not a one-off either. Friend got caught out last year too and I’d pre-warned him.

Gardening is something I think most of us “grow” into and it’s generally not a priority when you’re younger or with small children. I’m now building raised beds - spades are cheaper!

iwishiknewthatbefore · 15/06/2020 22:10

Thank so much to all of you! I'm so dreading when we start the process so hearing this information from all of you has really helped! I'll create a list and hopefully they will be willing to negotiate! Grin

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Aeh12 · 25/05/2021 21:50

Hi was reading through and some good advice, been searching online for answer to my questions but to no avail. Me and my partner early bird reserved a property in March and have an appointment to reserve the property fully on Saturday through HTB, at our early bird reservation the sales lady already stated they don’t offer incentives really as they so popular etc.. but wondered how and when to ask for them, the house price is up 6k from the same house sold a few doors up, do I email them before our reservation on Saturday and say we wanted flooring, upgraded kitchen units etc and is the reason because of the higher asking price? Or do I say this to them on Saturday before we sign the documents, I still want the house and will probably reserve anyway but don’t want to have to pay for upgrades if we don’t have to? I’m not confrontational and don’t want to get walked all over! Any advice would help. Thankyou!

Cherryonthetop2019 · 26/05/2021 00:58

We negotiated stamp duty paid which was worth £28k. We also had them close up a doorway, swap fridge freezer for tumble dryer and we had amtico throughout down stairs and all the bathrooms with top grade carpet elsewhere. Extras were worth about £40k all in.

RainingZen · 26/05/2021 02:06

Just on the snagging - we had a new build by Persimmon once, a good builder. We snagged the house ourselves, we did the entire process three times. PIL helped, went over house with absolute scrutiny and there were over 200 faults the first time, the second and third times we found some we missed the first time and had to go back again and again and again and again to get some things fixed.

Note, if you are near the end of the development it is VITAL you get the snags fixed before the builders leave the site, otherwise you won't get much progress. You need to be back and forth to the property manager, don't just trust for ANYTHING to happen. They will say things will be done, they won't. It is a nightmare. Our builders mostly knew us by name we were there so much to be done.

You can bargain with snags, to get extra stuff done. My next door neighbour actually had an entire window missing because the builders accidentally forgot it! Some of our faults were very small but important - a barely visible hairline fracture in a white bathroom floor tile. The company tried to say it didnt matter, but we argued we paid for a perfect tile not a broken one and over time that fracture would shift and get dirty. It matters. We agreed not to have the entire floor redone, and instead they upgraded some other stuff for free.

My BIL has bought 2 new builds, he became very hard-headed about it. He said, don't be embarrassed or shy about negotiating. They expect it.

Remember some snags re major and cannot be fixed and are an opportunity to negotiate by threatening not to complete. One of these is the plot itself, often I've heard of gardens having gardens cut off vs plans etc. With his second house, my BIL's snagging list included "garden is shorter by 140cm than the plan measurements we were given.' Builder mismeasured at the front and built the house too far back , which meant a very short garden. You can't fix that, so instead they renegotiated the price (buying less land, less saleable in future). It was a major hassle. But you literally have to snag EVERYTHING.

You will learn absolutely loads. Definitely pay for a professional snagger if you are not experienced. Also, remember the property company simply wants to make money, so anything they can get away with they will. They RELY on you giving up so they will string you along, promise and not deliver, tell you it is fixed when it isn't, try to persuade you the fix isnt important, try to say, "well you didnt pay for that" , try to tell you that it is "a normal part of the building process" . You are both up against deadlines so use it to your advantage, don't take no for an answer, stay on top of the snagging list remediation with in-person visits as much as you can (phone and email ok sometimes, but the more you can physically turn up on site to pester the property agent the better, as they won't want you there complaining while they are making other sales).

BeautifulandWilfulandDead · 26/05/2021 07:54

Bloody hell! Nothing to add here because I've never bought a new build, but I thought the advantage was that they were easier - it doesn't sound like that at all!

24GinDrinkingOnceTheKidsInBed · 28/05/2021 01:38

Following - the new build we’re looking at has appliances included, as well as choice of cupboards in the kitchen, worktops, splash backs, tiles for bathrooms, flooring.

I’m wondering what to ask for too!

BonnyandPoppy · 28/05/2021 11:55

For ideas for you we asked for a shower to be fitted above the bath in main bathroom and glass shower door and tiling up to the ceiling, external lighting and electric to garage, outside tap, TV arial sockets to be fitted in each bedroom, carpets, turf the whole back garden, the terrace to be made bigger (standard was a few flags with little loose stones in between and we wanted a full terrace), integrated appliances, a burglar alarm and we got £1000 cashback.

BruceAndNosh · 28/05/2021 12:13

Ask for premium underlay when discussing carpets.
We have been replacing our original carpets and the springy foam underlay feels so much nicer than the grey woolly stuff.

Also I don't know what current practice is, but make sure builder does a professional clean just before you move in

Holz321 · 08/09/2022 08:18

Hey @Aeh12 ! I know this is an old post now but I’m in the exact same position as you currently and would love to know your outcome and if you have any advice? When did you negotiate and are you successful with anything?
many thanks in advance!

Bluevelvetsofa · 08/09/2022 15:41

Go for a developer that provides carpets/ flooring, integrated appliances etc and then negotiate upgraded ones.

We had an upgraded hob, insisted on a slightly different oven housing with a warming drawer and replacement turf in the back garden. Stamp duty was paid too.

Some developers expect you to pay extra for flooring, carpets, turf, doorbells and pretty much everything.

We should have negotiated better carpets though. When you look at a show home, calculate what all the upgrades in there will cost and decide what’s important to you. We asked one sales person how much the upgrades in the show home were and it was about £20,000.

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