New build questions

[whippettiger]

Hello,

We want to move and are considering a new build. We currently have a 1970s house we renovated completely four years ago.

We are considering new builds as for our budget, we could get the right sized house and just move in. But having had free reign over our renovation I worry my expectations aren’t realistic in terms of how much we could make it our own.

I’m struggling with the idea of having to pick from such set options for the customisations for things like tiles, carpets and even the sink.

Is it possible to buy the house with the kitchen cupboards and bathroom suite in but leave off decorative things like counters and tiles?

And what have others done in this situation? I hate the idea of getting the cheapest options and ripping them out as it’s so wasteful, but equally don’t want to pay all that money for a new house which isn’t how we would like it.

I’m guessing you paint the walls etc yourself once you move in, so not having flooring and tiles done makes sense in my mind. But no idea if this is how it works.

Any insight into how people found customising new builds / how the process works and what you can opt not to have would be much appreciated!

Have you seen if you like any of the options they provide?

As we didn't like the options given by our builder, we went for cabinets that had the right style, and will be getting them resprayed. Carpets we negotiated into our deal so we didn't pay for them as such, they're neutral so don't need changing but I'd like to change the laminate to something nicer. Didn't pay to upgrade laminate to karndean because it was excessively expensive and not full choice of karndean.

Same with tiles, went with what's included and liveable for a while and we'll retile if they don't grow on us.

You need to talk to the same advisors and see what is possible. Most things can be negotiated into the package so you're not paying extortionate builders rates. You might have more wiggle room with a smaller developer.

Smaller builders would probably be a better bet. Our house builder was still pretty small but there wasn't a lot of options we could change. We did things like move and add sockets, outside taps etc, but there was a very limited range of scope for "customisation".

For mortgage purposes I think it has to be a functional kitchen, so this would include counter tops. I know people who have moved into houses by the same builder and done things like moved the kitchen to the living room, or knocked through bedrooms to make a dressing room etc.

If you are thinking as far as external works keep in mind some builders put covenants on this, you would need to get permission for adding a porch/extending, which they may refuse particularly if you're one of the first houses on the estate. Just something else to consider!

Has the house already been finished or are you able to discuss the finishing touches yourself? We were able to choose our kitchen, pay extra for built in wardrobes and things like that. We were also allowed to veto things we didn’t want, such as carpets. We arranged for a local company to come and do the flooring etc and just agreed a date and time suitable to all. I will say we had a lot of teething problems with Barratt Homes - they even wired things wrong in the kitchen. Definitely ensure you get good insurance. They need to have a period where they come to fix things beyond the 10 year house warranty. Ours was 5 years, they were only a phone call away and it was useful when still on site building as we could just pop our heads out and ask for immediate help.

Watch out for parking situation with new builds. The houses are often built without parking in mind.

* Have you seen if you like any of the options they provide?*

Yes, which is why I’m posting. I am basing this off of a brochure we saw at a Redrow sales office and the Tailor Wimpy website where you can click personalise and customise one of their homes. Both seemed really limited, for example you can only pick from a selection of different colours of laminate for the worktops. I would expect to be able to pick the material and then colour from a ton of options, like when you buy a kitchen from Wren or similar.

I’m not sure if when you speak to the builder there is more customisation that can be done and what they show there are just basic options, or if that really is it.

myducksarentinarow that’s really good to know, thank you.

planbea that is interesting thank you! It definitely wouldn’t be anything external or large scale, just the decor inside really. But it sounds like there may be more flexibility with a smaller builder. Unfortunately the places we are interested in all seem to be with the big ones.

Valmo47 that sounds good. If we could veto things like flooring and tiles, I’d be happy with that. I can imagine, I’ve heard that there are a lot of snags and issues. Handy tip about the insurance thank you.

Also sorry to answer a PP, we would be looking at reserving a house as soon as the plots were released, to give us as much choice as possible.

We viewed a show home and discussed a house which was a lot closer to being ready, so understandably fewer options. But the location we are interested now has only just started with a handful of houses on it

The builders should have a range of higher-end materials available too. Maybe speak to the adviser on site?
When we bought ours (2012) we could have had granite for the kitchen worktops for example but we couldn't afford that. Some of the more expensive bigger properties had more expensive finishes as standard too.

If you are looking at a Redrow you can go online and use the "myredrow" tool. It gives you the option to look at all the choices available for that housetype/plot and the cost of any upgraded extras.

They are flexible on certain customisations such as extra socket locations/tap locations etc. but you will need to choose kitchen/tiles etc. from the list of their options.
You will get incentives from them to use towards extras, we used these on things like the kitchen but are getting our flooring done by an external contractor so we have more choice.

For mortgage and NHBC purposes, you need to have a functioning kitchen and bathroom (which includes tiling around sink/shower etc.)

You don’t have to have the flooring from the builder, that’s an option you pay extra for. Same for kitchens, you get a basic choice, or you can pay to upgrade. But tbh a kitchen is a kitchen. They won’t sell you the house without the kitchen and bathroom being fully fitted, something I think to do with getting a mortgage

Off topic but please do not buy a Taylor Wimpey property. They just scrape through NHBC standard and the materials are the cheapest available