Buying a new build

[MovingNewBuild]

We have seen a new build house we would like to buy (Barratt Homes if relevant).

We are first time buyers so obviously never bought off plan etc before.

Talk to me like a child, what questions do we need to ask. What ever costs are we likely to have. What bits will we assume are included but find they are not and any other bits of wisdom you want to share?

Depending on how far down the build you are makes a difference to the options available to you but yes, you need to pay for these up front and I have heard (although never come across anyone it has actually happened to) that if you drop out of the sale, that money is lost.

Depending on the progress of the build, the more options available to you.
We had 12-months + so everything was available from lights, sockets, ethernet points (additional ones and repositioning some originals) to upgraded bathrooms & kitchen (things that cannot be changed when installed).
Easier options are additional tiling (although plenty of notice is still required for this) all the way through to flooring which can be specified even on a ready built house.

You have to weigh up what you are willing (and can afford) to have done.
A couple of extra sockets in the living room may sound expensive but compare that against the disruption of having them added later.

Great comments, thanks everyone.

The most important thing is to avoid the dreaded 'fleece hold':

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5469750-anyone-else-now-avoiding-freehold-houses-with-estate-management-charges?page=2

The fleece hold is impossible to dodge on new build estates of any size. I’m currently tied into one of these contracts.

Basically you pay your council tax and then pay a management fee to look after your estate. So in effect you are paying twice for services.

The management company puts a charge on your deeds, so you have to pay. They can charge whatever fee they want to and do whatever work they choose. Anything they deem as extra, gets charged for. For example a fence might need replacing or a tree chopping back.

Residents have absolutely no say in how much they pay or satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the work carried out.

Barratt homes are one of the worst for scaming people into this system. I hope the op is listening...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14635959/furious-residents-newbuild-estate-claim-locked-fleecehold-agreements.html

Barratt will have a list of "house types". So you should be able to find examples of the specific house type pre-built to look at in person even if its not been built on the estate youre interested in. If it's a show home, sit together on the sofa, the kitchen chairs, open the fridge and oven and see if theres really enough space around them. Is the bed in the show home really full sized? Is it easy to move around? Is the wardrobe deep enough inside? Stand in the shower cubicle, etc etc.
I find room dimensions really useful, but set them against actual furniture sizes.

You're buying a "ready made" house, but stuff wears out - you need to put money aside as every room /window will "need" redone at about the same time iyswim.

Our house came with carpet to the living room and bedrooms and hard flooring to the kitchen/dining room, utility, cloakroom and bathrooms. Integrated fridge freezer and dishwasher and washer/ dryer in the utility room. The appliances are Neff, the back garden was turfed and the front garden planted. The garage is bigger than average and there’s an electric charging point. A relatively small local builder.

If the estate management fees are run by the residents, does this change the risks? What questions do I need to be asking?