buying new build

3KIDSNOMONEY

would love to hear about any experiences of purchasing a new build = things such as part exchanging, time scales, actually living in the house. Currently in the process of doing this and would love to hear about other peoples experiences. thanks

PasturesNew

My friend bought a 4 bed detached new build in 1990.... and couldn't get her car in the garage, so carpeted it and uses it for storage/utility room instead (kitchen was too small for a washing machine and freezer anyway.

Then her water tank exploded (?) and sent cascades of water through the ceiling and down the wall. She had to have all that fixed hhorerself and the bloke said that the boiler wasn't man enough for the job really.... not sure of the details but something like that.

When she first moved in, the central heating boiler wouldn't fire up at all. No worries because in the living room she had a new living flame gas fire.... until she got the bill. She was out of the house for 14 hours/day and the cost of running that for even a couple of hours a day was horrendous.

Carpets, as it was new, cost her about £3,000... and she spent another £3,000 knocking the small garden into shape.

Benji_Brown

There are loads of threads on the boards about this, especially part exchanging. It might be worth searching the forum. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for.

gabyjane

Hi you will find certain people on here dislike new builds and you will only ever hear the bad points! but i will share out experience with you!

We bought ours in oct 2007 and love it! it is a 2 bed town house with garage and driveway, it has a big back garden split level grass and patio down the bottom and it's flat! (the bottom is partly wonky but due to the slope so we are getting that decked but nothing major) but perfect garden and the best out of the row we live in. Inside you go into a hallway and then up the first set of stairs, there is the lounge, kitchen dining room and toilet and big cupboard. On the next set of stairs there are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, all rooms are a lovely size and the bedrooms both doubles with big fitted wardrobes in.
Boiler we have no trouble with, we always have it on for the shower if not the heating and havent had one prob since we moved in (done it now havent i!)..the flooring we had top pay for which was a shock at first as we just assumed they came carpeted but tbh we got to choose what we wanted which is nice and we now have our choice of flooring opposed to the cream they put in the i'll say 'full price ones' up the rd! which wouldn't last 2 mins here!
Anything else just ask (if you want pics just ask!)..good luck with it all too x

3KIDSNOMONEY

Hi, i have browsed the site but couldn't find much useful info.

Gabyjane - Good to hear something positive about new builds compared to what i have been told. We are really stretching ourselves financially and i have so many doubts as to whether we are doing the right thing. Sounds a bit like pot luck as to whether you have problems with a new build.

Need to look at getting the garden done which i can imagine is going to be expensive.

gabyjane

Hi..what's wrong with the garden? is it not something you can get rectified before you move/buy? honestly i have lived in lots of houses and this is one of the better proportioned, we were amazed when we viewed and so many people say the same when they come round! i love the fact that we have lived here for almost 2 years and not had to spend a penny on anything! sure it wont last forever but still! nice not having to worry about having to fund a kitchen etc!

chickmug

I have spent many years handling the sales do many old places and they often give me the creeps. Period property, period features - to me often means woodworm, damp, mould, poor design and a shed load of money needed to bring up to scratch and keep the maintaining going.

So I prefer new homes.

When we bought brand new some years ago with quite a large back garden we had quotes for the garden and in the end decided to get it all lawned which wasn't too bad and then as time passed we awere able to carry out more interesting features. It ended up with 2 pergolas, 1 gazebo, 6 hard areas (slabs, paviours, cobbles & gravel) where we could sit, well stocked and looked a treat when we sold. The couple who bought it admited they didn't like our kitchen, bathrooms or plain walls inside but found the garden was the really big turn on.

Richard_Webster

Don't buy it unless it is finished or almost finished - to minimise problems with mortgages.

pink68

I'm trying to buy a new build too and am finding it extremely frustrating at the mo!

we are on the market with no buyer in sight and the builders have said they will consider part exchange but seem reluctant to give us a price so we can work out of we can afford theirs! we are stretching ourselves as tight as we are comfy with for this and desperately want the planned house but because they are a relatively small local company they dont have the unlimited cashflow some of the big boys have and therefore dont want to be caught up with our house to sell when their staff need paying!

i love the thought of having the house exactly as we want but admit i too was a bit shocked when i relaised how much WASN'T included in the price.

barnsleygal

Hi Everyone

Pink...you took the words right out of my mouth!

At the weekend we went to price up extras in a house we were looking at on a Persimmon site.

£850 for shower in family bathroom
£640 for courtesy door to garage
£45 for single socket, £55 for double
£85 !!!!!! for shaving point!:rolleyes:

The house is completed on the outside but still waiting for internal walls, etc to go in so it's not like there is a lot of extra finishing to do.

Maybe I'm either extremely tight fisted or very green when it comes to these things but I think those costs are a bit extreme!

Needless to say, we didn't proceed as they didn't offer enough for our house.

irn_bru

Can't believe those prices! We moved into a new build, built by Newland Homes and absolutely everything was included, even carpets and lawn.

There are pros and cons to a new build but at least you won't have any major bills for a fair few years and your heating bills will be lower than most older houses.