Will new builds even be standing in 40+ years.

[OhShutIt]

Just a random thought.

I rented a new build house in a small estate of 14 houses some
years back.

We were the first occupants and the amount the house dilapidated in 2 years was absolutely astonishing.

I cannot, for the life of me, see that place standing for another 10 years let alone 40!

100 is unfathomable.

With similar reports about new builds all over the country, does anyone else wonder what the market for these houses will look like in 50+ years and the affect they will have on the rest of the market.

I would imagine so.

I lived in a new build for 10 years from new and loved it. Like any house it needed regular maintenance, we painted all walls over the cheap trade white, replaced the carpet and sealant in bathrooms to ensure there were no leaks and took pride in our home. Replaced downstairs flooring with solid walnut and it felt very different.

The initial snagging issues were dealt with well by the builder. Perhaps you had snagging issues that led to more serious issues?

I wonder the same thing.

I wooden house can last 100 years if looked after properly, As with any thing it’s all about proper maintenance .

I wonder too.
My current house is 120 years old. It has its problems, all houses do, but it’s solid.
My first house was a new build. At 10 years old it felt more tired and worn out than this 120 year old house. For some reason the new build always felt “hollow”, no matter how good the carpets were, how it was decorated it was always missing something. It was too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter (even with the heating on).

There are many countries where people will tend to think it’s normal to knock down and rebuild houses after a certain period - in the US only about 1/3 of houses are over 50 years old.

Not all houses are built to last and not all do. However the land and planning will hold their value, the cost of building the house is only a part of the value of a property.

Depends on the builder and quality. There are some very smart and successful people buying new builds at premium prices. I find it hard to believe they’re foolish enough to spend that kind of money if it’s not a decent enough quality.

It’s true that new builds prioritise profits. But there are advantages to them as well.

Not all new builds are built the same or with the same materials.

Yes I doubt even the shoddiest ones will collapse or need to be pulled down after 40 years but they’ll need some patching up over the years for sure.
It’s not uncommon for Victorian terraces in some cities to have virtually no foundations or very shallow ones and they keep going.

I agree a lot are badly built and won't withstand the British climate like older houses because of cheaper inferior materials. Lots of composite glued wood in roof trusses, floors etc.

I've lived in both ends of the spectrum. Moved from a hundred year old terrace to a new build. They both have their pros and cons. But I'll take the nice new build over the mouldy old terrace every time.

I hit post too soon. I do think it depends on who is building them. Our house was built by a couple of private developers who built a handful of houses themselves. Companies like Red Row etc seem to knock them up cheap. There are ones being built by us currently which are partly prefabricated.

New builds have to comply with building standards. There is a minimum standard for foundation depth, wall and roof construction and many other things. There is no reason why the basic structure of the house won't last a hundred years or more.

There is a lot of nonsense talked about old houses being better built. A lot of victorian houses are very cheaply built and there were no building standards at the time. They often have very shallow foundations and walls only one brick thick in places. And they have often been replastered many times - the original wall finishes were poor quality and long gone.

Where the feeling of quality or otherwise comes in is with the finishes. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, doors and windows. But these are cosmetic and replaceable.

I've noticed new developments near me using lots of "faux" components eg plastic chimneys (made to look as if built of brick but actually just moulded plastic), plastic canopies over porches (which are moulded to look like they're traditionally constructed of wood and tile but actually just one piece of moulded plastic), stick-on brick "slips" over window lintels etc. I just can't believe these will go the distance and they'll look awful very quickly.
Also they're sold as four bed family homes but are 3 storeys on a very small footprint with tiny gardens and only the one modestly sized open plan living / dining / cooking area downstairs. There's nowhere to extend or add value as the roof is already a bedroom and the gardens are too small to extend into. I don't believe they will be aspirational homes for long.

They will still be here for a long time yet , I know there are alot of dewey eyes over Victorian builds here , however they were still in some instances terrible builders don't t forget the worst of that era was pulled down , the slums. New builds will last the distance with building regs they will still be here in our children's lifetimes houses rarely fall over.

Broadly speaking, the houses that were built 150+ years ago have either (a) been torn down, or (b) been built well.
Some 1960’s houses were awful. Some are decent solid houses that will easily last another 60 years.

I’m sure builds now will meet the same fate - some will be torn down, the better built ones will still be going in 100 years.

As the couple of people before me have said, a lot of houses built 150 years ago are not around any more.

The other thing is one of perception. Old houses often have plenty of things wrong with them that are almost regarded as part of the charm - sloping and creeky floors, walls that aren't straight etc. Modern building standards should also ensure that you are less likely to have issues related to foundation settlement and damp.

Our 200 year old grade 2 listed cottage may have “lasted” but my god the damp was hideous. I still love old cottages but my 18 year old house is much more user friendly. Our last house was 4 years old and had amazing sound proofing despite it being a terrace. This one is detached and if I’m upstairs no one can hear me unless I reach banshee level shrieking.

My current house is 14 years old and starting to have a few issues, plastic pipes and cistern parts etc and deteriorating.

The older part of the estate, houses 20 years are starting to look tatty but depends on maintenance and they are so insulated they have to be cared for appropriately.

I’m buying a very old house which has a lot of issues, mainly damp!

My house is like triggers broom. Its nearly 100 years old but all the walls are replastered, its been repointed, has been retiled. Lots of bits replaced. New windows.