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Original poster

Buying a new build you can only see on plans

30 replies

WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 08:26

Hi

Never posted in this section before! Been in our current house 14 years and we were moving from rented so we were the end of the chain. This time we're the other end!

We've found a house we love on paper but I am really struggling to visualise if the kitchen/diner is going to be big enough. There's no show homes ready so we've just been able to look through the windows of one which is sold and just having kitchen fitted and also the empty shell of the one we are potentially going to buy. The one we've seen has quite a dark grey kitchen whereas the one in ours would be gloss white (not my choice) so obviously the lighting would be different too.

Any tips from anyone who has done this before?! It's a lot of money to spend based on a drawing on a piece of paper!

Thanks

OP posts:
PurBal · 04/07/2020 08:30

Measure out the space in your current home, if it's smaller you will be able to see how much smaller and if it's bigger you will know. If you can measure of bigger rooms in a relative home. But do it somewhere you can visualise rather than a park where there are no walls and windows.

PurBal · 04/07/2020 08:31

Should say *friends or relatives home, for the bigger rooms.

Bluesheep8 · 04/07/2020 08:34

Why isn't there a show home though op? We bought off plan but had seen a show home.

sownahsk · 04/07/2020 08:38

Out of interest why isn't it your choice about the kitchen if it isn't even built yet?

RedCatBlueCat · 04/07/2020 08:40

If it's a big builder, have they got show homes anywhere else in the area?

oohnicevase · 04/07/2020 08:42

We did this and made a 3 d model of our old house and the new one so we coudo visualise the difference . There was actually a show home but I still couldn't tell as it was a 3 storey over 2 storey .
Not all developers give you a choice of fittings etc as it keeps the price down and I actually preferred that because I'm terrible with choice !

EnlightenedOwl · 04/07/2020 08:46

Ours was in last phase and last to be sold so no show home but perhaps unusually it didn't go on the market until built. I do think it's hard to buy off a plan

Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:06

@PurBal

Measure out the space in your current home, if it's smaller you will be able to see how much smaller and if it's bigger you will know. If you can measure of bigger rooms in a relative home. But do it somewhere you can visualise rather than a park where there are no walls and windows.
We've done this and know it's smaller. We currently have a table in the middle of our kitchen whereas this would be at one end. I just can't visualise it x
OP posts:
Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:07

@Bluesheep8

Why isn't there a show home though op? We bought off plan but had seen a show home.
There are only 3 of this type on the plot. One has been sold and is currently having kitchen and bathrooms fitted so they wouldn't let us in as it's classed as a building site x
OP posts:
Takingontheworld · 04/07/2020 09:20

This is madness. You should absolutely be chosing your own kitchen at this stage-zero reason why you can't AND buying a house without even stepping foot inside atleast a show home?

Why would you risk this!?

Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:22

@sownahsk

Out of interest why isn't it your choice about the kitchen if it isn't even built yet?
It got to the stage they needed to order the kitchens and bathrooms so the developers had to make the decisions a while ago x
OP posts:
Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:22

@RedCatBlueCat

If it's a big builder, have they got show homes anywhere else in the area?
I think DH is going to ask this today but I think it's actually a new design they've only just started doing x
OP posts:
Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:24

@oohnicevase

We did this and made a 3 d model of our old house and the new one so we coudo visualise the difference . There was actually a show home but I still couldn't tell as it was a 3 storey over 2 storey . Not all developers give you a choice of fittings etc as it keeps the price down and I actually preferred that because I'm terrible with choice !
I might try this for the downstairs. We are fairly confident with the upstairs as it was pretty similar to the other show home we looked round (which was slightly more than the one we're looking at) x
OP posts:
Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:25

@EnlightenedOwl

Ours was in last phase and last to be sold so no show home but perhaps unusually it didn't go on the market until built. I do think it's hard to buy off a plan
It's so difficult isn't it. If I knew it would still be available once I could get in it I would wait!
OP posts:
Original poster
WhatICallMyUsername · 04/07/2020 09:26

@Takingontheworld

This is madness. You should absolutely be chosing your own kitchen at this stage-zero reason why you can't AND buying a house without even stepping foot inside atleast a show home?

Why would you risk this!?

The builders were at the stage the kitchens needed ordering to get the properties completed so the developer had to make the decision x
OP posts:
Mumdiva99 · 04/07/2020 09:27

If.you love it on paper, if it's in the right area if the garden/drive way are big enough, if you are in the right catchment for schools, good commute to work etc etc would you really discount the house if the kitchen is 12 inches too small? Is there enough cupboard space? Is there space for the fridge, washing machine and dishwasher, is there somewhere else you can store extra bits - garage, shed etc if you want to keep tins, bottles of drinks out the way. Is there enough work surface to prepare dinner. Is there space for dirty and clean washing up....if so maybe go with the house.

Can you extend at a later date if you need more space?

Is this just a symptom of other concerns about the property?

Mumdiva99 · 04/07/2020 09:29

.....also if you really want the house I'm sure you can change the kitchen if it's not yet in.

If they are a big developer they can use the stuff ordered for you somewhere else..... Would they really want to miss out on a sale for the sake of a kitchen? You could make it part of the deal. But they would probably want a deposit before doing that.

Zoomintheroom · 04/07/2020 09:54

Have you looked on Instagram? Loads of people post pictures of their new builds there and are happy to answer any questions and even take pictures/ measure areas you want to look at more closely. It may give you a better idea. Try searching for your builders name and house style name i.e WainhomesBalmoral.

EnlightenedOwl · 04/07/2020 10:15

We were also selling a much bigger semi to move into a new build detached which was considerably smaller than the old house. So needed to know what would fit

ChocoTrio · 04/07/2020 10:50

@WhatICallMyUsername

Tbh if the showroom is not the same style of the house you are actually buying then I find them of limited helpfulness tbh. They're alright for getting a sense of 'newness' and the how colours might look - but the show room is often fitted with all the fancy add-ons that can cost a fortune to upgrade too. So, you may not actually be that much better off with a show room.

Instagram is a good idea and also seeing if the builder have any other show rooms you can visit with the same style house. Alternatively, ask to see a house in progress that is similar style to yours - the one that you're hoping to buy even.

BikeRunSki · 04/07/2020 10:54

Does that developer have any of those house types on other developments you can have a look at?

GallusAlice79 · 04/07/2020 10:56

Before we bought our house we travelled all over the west of Scotland to look at different show homes.

I would be surprised if you couldn't find a show home with the same or very close to kitchen. Most national housebuilders replicate the same styles over and over.

We ended up buying a house which was already built so had no choice either. However, we saved a fortune by not paying extras and will probably redo our kitchen in a couple of years. Our friends choose and paid for their kitchen and are bitterly disappointed in it, so it can be a good thing to not pay and have the option to redo yourself later on.

Post a picture of the kitchen floor plan and someone might know a house type (of any builder) that is similar.

Shadowboy · 04/07/2020 14:08

Don’t do it. We did and I regret buying off plan. House is not what we expected despite Doing a lot of what has been said above. House is now on the market.....

pinky987 · 04/07/2020 14:15

When we brought our property we went into lots of different plots that were at the stage of having the kitchen fitted so that we could choose our options so I don’t see why you can’t go in that plot. I would say if they wanted the sale I would want to see inside the other property.

GU24Mum · 04/07/2020 15:02

Can you trawl some houses on Rightmove and see if you can see some finished houses with similar kitchens but with photos to give you an idea - or are you happy to upload the floorplan for some MN comments?!

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