Need to make a decision ASAP new build plot! Help

[MakeADecision]

We have been wanting to move house for years.

A new build has come up locally, the house price, size and frontage is perfect. In fact everything is apart from the fact that there will be numerous shared ownership properties directly behind the house.

I know new builds have smaller gardens and most now have a certain number of homes as affordable housing, that’s fair enough. What I am worried about is seeing into peoples bedrooms from the back of the house although the main bedroom will be at the front opposite a nice green area.

Garden will be 36 feet deep and the garden of the smaller properties will be 26 feet, therefore from back window to back window it’ll be around 62 feet. Is that a decent distance?

Ive also heard of house builders selling shared ownership properties to the council, I’m worried about nuisance neighbours but then I could have one next door?! Am I overthinking this?

It’s plot 12.

@MetalFences oh do bore off...

The road ends before the shared drive begins. I would be very surprised if your row of houses wasn’t responsible for its shared upkeep. It can get messy very quickly. The person who lives closest to the actual road may say they only are liable for 1/4 of the bit of shared road leading to their house. The person at the very end may not accept they need to use it the most! Oh believe me it can cause a real headache!

I wouldn't have a problem with shared ownership properties. I know several people who have availed of this. One is a social worker and her nhs working dh. Another is an accountant living in London. It's quite snobby to assume more social problems just because they aren't eligible for a 100% mortgage.

What would concern me is being overlooked- I like my privacy. It was my number one criteria when I was house hunting a few years ago.

I’d have no issue with the shared ownership properties but would be wary of the shared road to the houses from the main road. I’d be asking if it is part of the road (pictures seem to suggest not) If so then you and the other home owners using it to access your driveways will be liable for its upkeep and this has been known to cause issues when not all houses want to pay.

@MakeADecision

Very similar situation to you. New build owned for five years.

Three shared ownership properties at the back of us, they are absolutely lovely people. Never noise or problem.

My house does feel overlooked, have a silver birch at the back, they will grow fine in north facing gardens. Mine is south facing. But am aware that more tall trees will cut down the light for me too. The birch is swishy and light.

We have a green space, no ball games, no dog walkers, it is very quiet.

Worth it just for the garages, drive, and not facing out onto that busy, busy road.

All the best with your decision.

It looks like a shared drive to me as it appears to end at the garage at the last house. If it is a shared drive then you only need one thoughtless neighbour who parks on the shared access and it will drive you mad.

If your builders have assured you (in writing) that it is a road and not shared then you may be ok, but in my experience once the builders have finished building they will not care where/how you park as they will be long gone.

You will be able to see straight in theirs and they will be able to see straight in yours. This is what I don't like about new builds, the tiny, tiny gardens and the overlooking. I have a 50s semi and the gardens are about 70ft long, so c. 140ft between neighbours back to back and if it weren't for the trees and vegetation (70 yrs worth) you would be able to see into each others houses so at 60ft, it will be like a goldfish bowl.

I wouldn't as you will have the potential for noise from three families at the back of your garden. One family makes the odds of a peaceful garden higher. 🙂

You’ll be 60 feet from your neighbours’ windows - that sounds pretty ok to me. It’s greater than the distance between our side of the road and the opposite side, and we’ve never felt overlooked. It sounds much more peaceful than your current main road situation.

On the shared ownership, remember these are owner occupiers with jobs and mortgages. Like any owner occupiers they have a stake in the place remaining attractive and retaining its value. I used to have a shared ownership flat and the neighbours were impeccable, we sold after ten years to an equally respectable couple.

There were more problems with the fully-owned homes, as those could be rented out (generally shared owners have to live there, they can’t treat it as a buy to let). Meaning people on private tenancies of just a year or two, with no stake in the neighbourhood.

Any other plots available?

Enjoy 😉

Hopefully the price will reflect having so many houses overlooking at the back. I'd also be quite concerned about new build quality. My parents had a nightmare with theirs.

How would you feel if the centre 4 houses all got trampolines?

Loads of really valid points, I mean reading this thread has put me off new builds and moving altogether 🤣

I think noise at the back would piss me off a little, but I have young kids and they will probably be just as noisy, and I like the idea of them being able to play out the front, of course that doesn’t include all the kids in the estate! No idea how I’ll feel once they’re teens and spending time in their bedrooms 🤷‍♀️
Also the main bedroom and lounge are at the front which I like, so I would be opening my curtains to the greener area. Thanks for the poster that mentioned their birch trees I like the look of them.

It is definitely not a shared drive, I understand the first pic I posted does look slightly confusing with the cobbled appearance.

This is a house that is below our budget, so we would be able to probably pay the mortgage off sooner, be able to spend more on holidays etc. they are also offering to part exchange ours at market value. No more plots available currently as these are the first houses on the site, the show homes aren’t even open yet. There are only 5 of these house types on the whole estate with 2 already gone.

i Wonder how many calls they get from people weighing up which house to buy. What other decisions can they help me make?

I don’t think it’s me that needs to get out more

Still think the biggest problem with that house is the garden orientation - that is if the map is north orientated.

If you don't like the sun then it doesn't matter if it is overlooked.

But ... it is an executive level house, and most people buying that house would want to entertain with BBQs and maybe build a conservatory. So when you try to sell it on it could be an issue.

The conservatory there would be freezing cold most of the year (in the height of summer it would probably be quite nice). Growing grass might be quite hard, and if neighbours grew trees then it would shade it even further.

I think the garden knocks off considerable value, so if I was buying it I would want to make sure that is priced in.

You can do a shadow analysis to find out what the sun is like into the garden.

Absolutely hate the sun and no problem buying a N facing garden, I agree it will probably impact future value. Also really dislike conservatory’s and will not be building one, the house won’t need it it’s big enough for us.

A bonus with having a South facing front is that the house comes with solar panels so guessing will do quite well with producing energy although I don’t really have that much knowledge on how they work!

Yes, your plot will be overlooked. Not uncommon.

What would put me off is the shared drive and the green area at the front.

Those together would be a big no.

It is a shared drive by what I understand a shared drive to be - i.e. it's not part of the road, there's no pavements beside it, it's single width and it's shared by a number of houses. So for example, the bin lorry is not going to come up to your house - you'll have to take your bins out to the street each week.

The issue is that the neighbours between you and the street can put anything they like on their drives and spill out on to the shared access. Round here we have caravans on the driveway and cars parked half on the grass, half on the access. Or visitors parking all along the access. Nobody I know who lives in this type of set up has not had some bother or aggro with neighbours regarding this. I'd only even buy in this situation if I was the plot nearest the road.

Shared ownership wouldn't bother me, it's what my DD and partner will have to go into to get in the property ladder (house prices ridiculous here eg £375k for tiny 2 bed). Housing association I would have concerns about but then you can have rough/difficult neighbours in privately owned properties - it's just the luck of the draw...

Aah. I get your point. I’ve looked at the planning application online and it seems the bin men would come halfway up that part - opposite plot 13. That doesn’t confirm re it being a road etc and the upkeep of it. I will have to ask all these questions before committing!

The more you post the more it sounds you want this house. I'd buy it and make my priority getting some trees at the end of the garden to give you some privacy

You’re right I do want this house, we’ve been wanting to move for so very long - we put ours up on the market a few years ago with no takers, if you’d have told me then that I’d be able to part exchange it for a brand new shiny one I’d have bitten your hand off.

This thread has definitely given me lots to think about though, I realise there will need to be compromises, we could afford a bigger mortgage but I don’t want to impact on our lifestyle as much. The extra funds would probably pay for a proper landscape of the garden.

It’s such a big decision as I don’t really want to move again until retirement so I need this to be right.

Just want to reiterate my thanks to all that have responded!

It's meant to be.

So if there's only 5 of the style you like but only 2 are sold, when are the other 2 available and is the position better?

Are plots 14 or 43 available? Are they mors expensive? Same house but better plots as they are barely overlooked, so I'd expect plot 12 to cost less to buy.