New build homes?

[chocchipcookielover]

Is there some way of searching for new build homes in England without going on lots of different websites?

Are you looking in a particular area? There is a filter feature on Rightmove to show new build homes in your selected area.

the main 2 where my company lists;

Newhomesforsale.co.uk

smartnewhomes.co.uk

Hello, hopefully this is still being read in 2022!
It sounds like
Newhomesforsale.co.uk
smartnewhomes.co.uk
And Rightmove are the places to go.

But does anyone know the best way to be kept in the loop of upcoming developments in an area? Rather than after they’ve hit Rightmove etc.

For example from the local press I know of where planning permission has been approved for new homes, but not who the developers will be or timescales. I feel like by the time I see them on Rightmove and get moving, all the best plots will be reserved! Just wondering if anyway of getting a head start?

Hi @Slightlylessclueless, if you know the areas were permission has been approved i would drive/walk by once a week or so til the developers put up their banners, then contact and ask to be put on their mailing list. The admin folks won’t necessarily know straight away what types of houses/price brackets etc but if you’re on the mailing list you’ll be told as soon as they do know.

Hm, or if you don’t mind being spammed a bit you could speculatively contact all the big developers and ask to be put on a mailing list for developments within a certain distance?

Thanks Silenzio for the tip 👍
I wasn’t sure of the order they do things, didn’t know whether at that point they would have already released plots to be reserved or not.
So good to know.

We bought a new build on a fairly sought-after development about five years ago. There were two builders (Bloor Homes and Redrow) on a split estate. Both builders released plots in small batches of up to about a dozen at a time about six months before they were due for completion, so there was a steady, if slow, supply of plots over the course of several years.

Redrow ran a mailing list, but that literally just meant that we got information as and when they could be bothered to tell people, which was not that often - it really didn't give anyone an advantage. They used it more to email people to ask us not to sleep in cars outside the sales office the night before plots were released... I am not making this up. We gave up with Redrow in the end because the salespeople made virtually no effort to communicate with potential buyers - they knew that there was a queue of people for every property they released and the prices kept going up to reflect that.

We took the trouble to build up a relationship with the sales people at Bloor and do everything we could to demonstrate that we were serious buyers. We worked out which design we wanted quite early on, and because that design wasn't a show home on this site asked them about other sites where we could view one - either as a show home or as a completed but empty property. We found out which phases were likely to be released when, and which plots in those phases had our preferred design. We got in touch with their recommended mortgage broker long before we reserved a property. We asked about upgrades and customisations. And we kept going back every two or three weeks until the design we wanted was due for release - always on a weekday morning when the sales office was quiet, and on different days each time because Richard had his days off on Mondays and Tuesdays and Gill Wednesdays and Thursdays and we wanted to build a relationship with both of them.

It was a long game. We first visited the Redrow sales office and show homes in February 2016, Bloor's when they opened in June 2016, and visited other sites to see our preferred designs 'in the flesh' in about October and November 2016. We got word from Bloor in Feb 2017 that a plot which met our needs would be released in April, we put our home on the market in March 2017, accepted an offer five days later, and were in a position to reserve the day the plot was released.

It paid off, because 'our' plot was never realistically available to anyone else and even when our buyer pulled out Bloor never actively re-marketed it until we found a new buyer, even though their regional office told them to.

@Otherpeoplesteens can I ask whether you were in a position to be able to ask for incentives or upgrades on fittings as they obviously knew you were so keen?
I’m very new to the new build world but am looking at a development currently. We’ve seen another development by the same builder and love the houses but the area wasn’t perfect so we’ve kept in touch and now they’ve got another development opening up in our preferred area. We’ve got a meeting next weekend where they’ve said we’ll be able to register our interest for first refusal which I guess means they’re expecting a lot of interest. But I really haven’t got much of a clue about the process of buying a new build. It’s also at very early stages, there’s not even a show home or office built yet so our meeting is at one of their other developments.

Thanks @Otherpeoplesteens , it does sound like a long game! But one that paid off for you. I don’t think I will ever be keen enough to sleep in the car though…

Tbh we have not that long finished doing up our house, so I do not mind waiting a bit, I’m not sure if I would be mentally ready to move quickly!

I think we will do our research as soon as we know which developers are building, so we have really got our head round our budget and house designs. So that when things are released it does not feel like an impulsive decision.

The bit about having already sold your house terrifies me, as we like our current house and would only move for a particular house, so would not just be looking to buy generally. So I would have more confidence if I knew I was in with a good chance of getting it!

Oh dear, I’m banking on a Redrow development!

@Sunsetsupernova We were certainly in a position to ask for incentives and upgrades... and got a resounding no. I really think it's down to each individual development and market conditions at the time. Neither Bloor nor Redrow were offering anything - not even part exchange - on this development because these are big family homes in a very desirable area - often mocked on Mumsnet for it - and they had a queue of buyers.

My previous home was also a new build, by Barratt, and I got turf, fully fitted carpets throughout (including, bizarrely, all three bathrooms) and 5% deposit paid as incentives. But that was in 2001 in a not so salubrious area, and the build was less than six weeks from completion by the time I looked at it.

If properties are flying out the door, then you're not going to get much by way of freebies or other incentives. If they're not, then come the incentives. As I understand it (my BiL is a site manager for one of the other big builders) then if a build gets to the final stages without a buyer then they'll sometimes put upgraded fittings in anyway in the hope of attracting one, and of course if a buyer pulls out after having paid up front for upgrades which have already been fitted and the property goes back on the market, then you'll benefit from that too.

It stands to reason that if a builder is starting a new development and they already have potential customers identified, then the first thing they would do is get those customers in. If you drive past a development every day and notice the sales office opening on a Monday, and by the time you go in on your way home on Thursday they've sold four houses, then that in itself generates interest.

As for the 'process' of buying a new build - it varies between builder and also between the different build stages that you reserve the plot and exchange contracts at, because that will determine the amount of customisation that is possible beyond what the builder actually offers. We wanted £17k or so worth of upgrades/customisation and they wanted 50% up front... fair enough. But the last date at which we could commit to these because of the build progress was before we exchanged contracts, which meant that we had to stump up over £8k at our own risk.

We also found that using the recommended solicitor was extremely helpful, as they had good relationships with Bloor's and could smooth bumps over easily.

@Slightlylessclueless In 2016/2017 none of the developers we looked at would even consider allowing us to reserve a plot unless we had sold subject to contract.

We would only move for a particular house and were fortunate that the previous house received offers so quickly, but it meant basically juggling three different timetables - conveyancing on the sale, conveyancing on the purchase, and the build. We then got hit by shitty weather which delayed the build by a couple of months, and my wife was in her third trimester by this stage too!

We exchanged on the sale and the purchase at the same time in a chain of two so there was never any risk of selling up and not ultimately getting the house we wanted, but in the end we had to move into PiLs spare room for a month as the two completion dates didn't synchronise.

Ooh @Otherpeoplesteens that sounds incredibly stressful! And then to throw a pregnancy into the mix! But must have been worth it in the long run.

I suppose it is just going to have to be done. And hope we have a small chain.

I imagine you either have to have a very patient buyer, or reserve a plot relatively late on in the build?!

@Slightlylessclueless Stressful is certainly one word which could be used. We were happy for our buyer to press ahead and complete before the new build was ready because moving out of the old house was the one compulsory moving activity, and it made a lot more sense to do it when my wife was at 35 weeks rather than at 39 or worse. We had to rent a storage unit for six weeks for our stuff but had the luxury of an alternative place to live.

The problem with waiting until late in the build to reserve a plot is that you need to commit to any customisations before a particular point - for us it was the roof stage, about eight weeks before completion. It's one thing to rip out the builder's standard kitchen counters and ceramic hobs and put your own granite and induction in afterwards; it's something else entirely to be changing bathroom tiles or adding in new electric sockets and outside taps once you've moved in.

Plus, someone else can always beat you to it. If your heart is set on a particular design or plot then you really have to go for it the moment it is released and then force everyone else to be patient. The English conveyancing system is pretty abysmal by any sane person's standards, but if you're the one fucking everyone else around then it can work in your favour!

For what it's worth we're very happy here. A lot of our friends look down on new builds but we're warm and well-insulated, got a choice of fibre optic providers all the way to the door, we're protected from any serious maintenance issues for a while, and have a home designed for how people live in the 21st century rather than the 1850's. We also have an incredible community: there's an estate-wide Facebook group and a WhatsApp group for parents of young children so finding out about nurseries, schools etc is a doddle, and we exchange kids clothing/toys etc through it. One burglar tried his luck on a Ring-equipped house and 300 neighbours knew within minutes. There are eight houses on our little cul-de-sac and we all moved in within four weeks of each other: we're on first name terms with all 25 inhabitants, watch each other's kids, borrow each other's tools and appliances, and pick groceries up for each other.

Thanks so much for that @Otherpeoplesteens that’s super useful info.
Just to echo on the point about not waiting to reserve until later in the build. On one development we looked at which was at the very late stages they were all the ones which were positioned pretty badly, overlooked or had tiny gardens or one less parking space. I’m not sure how true this is but I’ve also heard that if you’re one of the first in, snagging issues are likely to be dealt with much more easily as the builders are still onsite.

I’m really hoping that by being one of the first to reserve on the development we’re hoping for at the moment that we’ll be able to get one with a south facing garden. I’m an absolute sun addict so that’s a non-negotiable for me.

Reserved on a Redrow last year and am completing on it in just over 2-weeks time (Cambridge 4-bed det).

First looked at the development back in 2020, thought it looked really nice (half-way through 300-homes) and mentally filed it away until we knew we were going to have to move (work relocation).
Last March the work relocation was confirmed so we started making definite enquiries to the sales team and they told us which plots were going to be available to reserve in the next few months.
Not having moved for over 30-years I was shocked at the process. You can't reserve unless you have all the money or a sale on your existing house and even if you have a sale, you have to exchange within 42-days of reserving otherwise you lose the house. This of course means moving into temporary accommodation as build times were nearly 12-months away.
Anyway, we marketed our house, got a buyer straight away and I contacted Redrow to update them of the situation so they could then let us know about new releases. As it turned out we got a call back the very next day to say one was available to reserve (someone had an earlybird on it but then decided they couldn't wait a further 50-weeks so they dropped out and we went to the top of the queue). We went across to the development the very next day, signed the paperwork, paid our £1K deposit and the next thing we knew they were throwing extras at us (flooring, dishwasher garage side door etc all off the extras & upgrades list and totalled £10K!).
It was at this stage it got a bit stressful (had been plain sailing up to here!), Redrow were constantly chasing our buyer so we could exchange on the sale & purchase and after a LOT of messing about (lying EA and buyer) it finally happened although I have to admit we were well over the specified 42-days but it ended up ok.
With that done we sat back and looked how to spend more money on the (very extensive) list of extras (the house was still only a set of foundations at this point so every option & upgrade was available to us). Spent £23K (paid up front) on what I would term important items that would help keep work to a minimum when we moved in but didn't go for upgraded light-fittings, flash electrical switches & sockets etc (the important thing was to make sure that lights, sockets, ethernet points etc were where we wanted them, we could upgrade the finish later).
Had a hardhat visit a couple of months ago which enabled us to see the bare-bones of the house and where all pipes & cables were run (lots of photos taken) making it much easier when it comes to putting up curtain poles, shelves, pictures etc.
Had a preview of the completed house just over a week ago (that was a story in its own right as the house WASN'T complete and there was a whole host of work still to be done) and that was followed a few days later by our Snagger who identified no major problems (just cosmetic) and commented on how well built the house is (compared to some of the other builders out there). The Customer Service manager has taken away our snagging list (both the survey and some of our own) and has said they will address them (we shall see next week!).
Completion set for beginning of Feb and moving in a week later, booked removals & BB today so just have a couple of visits to do (final inspection, additional measuring up etc although M2M curtains are already ordered) and then it is done.

Things I noted from this Redrow development:-
Reservations are made long before the houses are even started.
If you don't have the cash up front (they check this) you have to make temporary living arrangements for several months (the new normal).
No up-front incentives but when you have reserved they throw quite a bit at you (apparently it depends on their budget at the time, we hit gold).
Progress is quite slow and they release 2-3 houses at a time (development is a good mixture of houses & styles).
Various plots available including "premium". Some are built in stone (ours isn't) while others have long (shared private) driveways leading to just 2-3 houses (we have one of these as it gives you more space & privacy) or of course houses of the same type that front straight onto the road. To get your "perfect" plot you have to be either very lucky or willing to wait to reserve (1-2 years) and hope you are top of the list when the time comes.
Choose your options wisely. Some are really good value while most cost a bit more but mean you don't have to have that work done when you move in (additional electrics, tiling, flooring, kitchen & bathroom upgrades, built-in wardrobes, rear garden turf etc). Certain things (wiring & plumbing) need to be done during the build otherwise you just won't bother or will have a lot of disruption & mess later on.
The later you buy the further into the development you are (don't have all the traffic passing you) and often the "quietest" plots are to be found down there.

At the very end, having travelled this long weaving route you then get told you have a preview and if that is ok they serve notice and expect completion in 2-weeks time. Seems a hurried conclusion but as long as they communicate properly (they don't always) not one that should surprise you too much.

In terms of developments, if you go to the local authority planning portal then you should be able to download site plans and house plans, obviously there is sometimes later amendments but it will at least give an idea of what is coming.

Thanks for info on Redrow
Very useful

It’s really interesting to hear how much people are spending on upgrades. I had no idea there would be so much extra to pay for!

@Sunsetsupernova

It’s really interesting to hear how much people are spending on upgrades. I had no idea there would be so much extra to pay for!

It is not necessary to buy extras. Apart from floor coverings (and curtains which the developer doesn't offer anyway) you could move in without spending any extra. It is really just a case of deciding what you want done for the day you move in.

@Sunsetsupernova I don't know where in the UK you are looking to buy, but one of the things I'd be very wary of with a new build is the orientation of the house itself towards the sun. Once you factor in glazed french doors/full height windows - usually at the back of the house on to the garden - and no mature trees for shading then the solar gains on sunny days can be huge, and because they are relatively well-insulated, once new build houses heat up in the summer they are devilishly difficult to cool down without airconditioning.

In the UK we fit outward opening windows so continental-style shutters to keep the sun off glass is a non-starter unless you replace all the windows too (and then the leaseholder on a new build probably wouldn't let you anyway). The estate where I am in Manchester actually has very few houses with south facing gardens, and those that do have south facing french doors - it would be fair to say that most of the owners of these spend even cooler sunny days trying to shield the backs of their homes. One I know has one of those huge Ikea cantilever parasols positioned vertically.

An east- or west-facing garden is still open to the south. Ours is east-facing and in the summer at least half of it's in the sun until well after 5pm. It might be marginally more usable on an evening if it faced west but it's rare in Manchester for it to be warm enough to comfortably use the garden on an evening anyway. East facing garden means it catches the sun on a morning and dries out lawns, garden furniture etc before we get out there, and it means that the south-facing wall of the house has no glass in it at all, which minimises the solar gain.

On snagging: with Bloor, if I recall correctly we prepared two snagging lists. One was on completion, and was done within a couple of weeks or so by the site tradesmen or contractors. There was a second snag list at six months for all the issues that took a while to manifest themselves. Even though the builders were still on site this was co-ordinated by the regional office and the work was done by someone from off site. Other builders may have different approaches.

On upgrades, one of the things that disappointed us about Redrow was that their upgrades were almost uniformly much, much more expensive than Bloor's for no discernable reason. And while some were things you could easily do yourself after moving in as Dougie says above, others you can't. For example, on this development most of Redrow's houses had integral garages, but none of them had internal doors to the house. If you are in any way normal you'll end up using your garage for household storage, so no internal access is a bit of a non-starter but Redrow wanted an extra £1000 for it which frankly just left a sour taste in our mouths.

Other extras/upgrades we thought were worth it:

• Granite work surfaces, upgraded kitchen unit doors (which then included a few drawers, which were missing from the standard kitchen), and induction hob instead of ceramic.
• The master ensuite came with a white towel rail and the other ensuite and family bathroom had plain radiators only. We upgraded to chrome rails in all three.
• Wall tiles in bathrooms besides the wet areas
• Shaver sockets in all bathrooms
• Floor tiles in the kitchen and all bathrooms (then included in the builder's warranty so when one was damaged by the kitchen plinth being refixed they replaced that too)
• Additional electrical sockets in the kitchen, garage, and the hallway spot we'd earmarked for the Christmas tree.
• Sink in the futility room.
• Outside tap and sockets.
• Wiring for extra wall lighting.

One extra to definitely avoid: turf in the garden. The rubble-strewn soil will have been compacted by massive diggers constantly going over it and will not drain properly without serious work and/or time. Turfing a new build garden is a total waste of money.

@Otherpeoplesteens

what are your solutions for the garden… sorry I’m fairly new to this!

Also I’m keen to have downstairs flooring done by an external company as I suspect they won’t have the option I want (think parquet dark wood style) and patterned floor tiles in en suites…
How does this work with Redrow and other builders?

@Somanyquestions1984 I think the solution to the garden will depend in large part on what the soil is like. Ours was very compacted clay, almost no organic matter, with a layer of cheap topsoil on top, but there were a lot of rocks and builders' rubble in it. The soil also had nothing in the way of worms to begin with - it was 'unhealthy' (my term, not a technical one - properly horticulturalists may be better placed to describe it!). The whole estate has had problems with drainage, probably not helped by the fashion around here to flag over large parts of gardens and then install raised beds elsewhere.

We dug out the entire back yard down to about a metre, a bit at a time because I could go swimming in every hole I dug, broke the clay up with a spade and mixed compost and other organic matter in. We also installed a soakaway in the lowest corner and lay drainage pipes under what would eventually be turfed. We put the soil back in to about 30cm below the final height, then a layer of sharp sand, then some decent topsoil, then turf. And we planted several dwarf willows in borders next to the soakaway to suck water out. We ended up disposing of several tonnes of surplus soil.

Every neighbour who paid for turf from the builder has had problem after problem until they've thrown thousands at it.

All builders give you a concrete ground floor. What would concern me about parquet is that the better (solid, rather than engineered) stuff is often 2-3cm thick which, with underlay, raises the height of the floor considerably compared to LVTs or carpet. This might or might not be an issue, depending how precious you are about the non-parquet surfaces (kitchen, downstairs bog?) on the same floor being at the same height.

If you want flooring done by an external company, you'd probably just have to wait until you've got the keys then get them in. Can't speak for Redrow, but Bloor were happy to let our carpet supplier in before completion for measuring up, but not to lay flooring.

As above, Redrow will allow firms in to measure up but they can't do any work until you have completed.