New Build Estate Charge HELP

[Balaclavarama]

Hi,
I am currently trying to choose between 2 new build houses.

House 1 is on a large estate built by a big developer.
The council will not be adopting the roads. The estate charge is currently 200 per annum and the developer will manage the site until all properties are built and it will then be handed over, I expect to a residents association and we then have to choose who we use for various services, or continue to use the services previously agreed.

House 2 is one of 20 houses on a small estate - the charge is 200 per annum but the developer have stated that the council will adopt the road once the last property is built. I assume there will still be a maintenance charge for communal parts, or will this be taken over by the council?

Can anyone with experience help me - what are the potential outcomes here ? What could go wrong? What do I need to ask in order to make sure I'm protected?

I would always go for the property that is to be taken over by the council. We actively avoided any new builds with charges.

Companies generally take over and manage the larger estates. They can charge what they like and give crap service. We are caught up in such a situation and there’s nothing you can do. Plus you are still paying your council tax, so in effect you’re paying twice.

I would go for the one where the road will be adopted.
I recently pulled out of a nearly new build where the roads and sewers had not been adopted. I found there was no cap on what the potential costs could rise to, and I had no say in the management of the estate so could do little if the road maintenance or sewerage wasn’t managed properly. Also, the council can technically refuse to collect rubbish if there are problems with the road.

Also, the council can technically refuse to collect rubbish if there are problems with the road.

Yes, sometimes it's because they are too narrow to be roads and are called 'private drives' instead.

I've lived in a street where the bottom of it was a so called private drive and some houses became very territorial about it and parked their cars on it because it was 'theirs' and if a kid kicked a ball on to it or something like that they would be out shouting.

I would run away from both and buy a house that doesn’t have any restrictions. We bought a new build off plan with Help to Buy, and sold it 7 years later and the paperwork for both when selling was absolutely horrendous. The property management company took a year, endless phone calls and emails and threats of legal action before they resolved our issues and took our names off the bills. I would never look at a house that had those terms again, and would look elsewhere.