New Build - What's the build quality really like?

Fire_Fox

carefullycautious wrote: »

Idiophreak would love to know who your builder was? and what location you are in. I would love to find a well built soundproof flat

I suspect you have payed a premium to get such a property.

I cannot imagine buying a new build house, I think they tend to be boxy and you pay a premium for the 'newness' which is gone as soon you move in. Don't like the garden not being established either. Wouldn't buy in a block comprised mainly of one bedroom flats either as these make the most profit for the builder so not well laid out/ too small, also often end up as BTLs with very young tenants who are more likely to be inconsiderate neighbours.

However I own a five year old 55 square metre two bedroom flat which has only ever had a couple of minor problems with the build itself, a dodgy wall light and I *think* the extractors are only vented into the ceiling void. My kitchen, main bedroom and living area are very generous but my bathroom is fairly small. I did not pay a premium, in fact I live in one of the cheapest blocks in the city due to lack of parking, being on a main road (bus route so quiet at night) and the communal areas not being well cared for.

All new build and new conversion flats have to meet stringent sound proofing regulations, although I suppose some developers try to cheat the system. Although we are almost exclusively BTL being mainly two beds we have a mix of young couples, families and sharers so it's pretty quiet here. :T I have been disturbed by a couple of parties but they were LOUD; I can occasionally hear my next door neighbour's heels clicking on the laminate but not talking, TV or music at normal volume.

My flat is converted from a sixties office block, my parents and several friends own apartments in old mills. All of these are rock solid construction with the benefit being brand spanking new internally.

brit1234

muhasib wrote: »

I'm confused as in previous posts you have said you were looking to buy a new property?

Looking to but a property not new build. You can get an older property which has a great shell and bigger rooms for same money and less. Yes I accept you may need to pay for a little modernisation, but its got to be a better choice.

New build quality is pretty much a joke for most homes, all the companoes are interested in is getting maximum price for smallest area using cheapest materials.

Plus the density of newbuilds is so much closer than conventional properties.

KS1977

I am in the process of looking for property at the moment. I'd like to say thanks to the people who have commented on this post. I was looking at some new builds, but I don't think I will even contemplate them now as the majority of comments on here seem to veer towards not recommending new builds.
Thank you :@)

TeamLowe

My parents house was built on a street that was built six foot too narrow! not the sort of thing you'd notice when looking round a building site like they did, but then once the street was built there was no pavement and parking is now a nightmare.
the next street across is six foot too wide.
apparently the guy responsible was fired. shockingly x

Norma_Desmond

We gave our friend's son a lift to view a little new-build house a year or so ago, and of course accompanied him on the viewing as he was a FTB.
It was all I could do not to laugh.
The walls were like cardboard; in fact there was evidence of dents and holes where things had been bumped against them and you could clearly hear the TV from next door.
There was a huge puddle in the garden, so big and deep you'd have been proud of it as a boating lake.
The rooms were tiny - developers had set it out with the smallest sofa I have ever seen and the overall finish was dire.
He didn't buy it and now owns a lovely Victorian terrace that's built to last - and he paid less for it than the new-build was on for.

shane42

many new builds are bad many are good
most victorian builds are now bad as are rotting away with soggy brick work (unless fixed) yet people love them and pay stupid money to have no garage parking and a bathroom down stairs, so each to their own

mrsmcfly

Our last home was a traditional stone built welsh cottage, our new home was built just prior to being sold. While the actual sizes of the rooms are good here (as its not affordable housing) the quality of the build is not great. Everything really to uneven flooring, unstraight walls (which you dont expect in a "new" home), and the exterior render. my first bought house was also a new built house on a massive development of houses we bought it in year 7 of the NHBC gaurantee. We should have learnt from then really, but bought this as we were stuck at the time and needed somewhere.

I can hand on heart say I will NEVER buy a new house again.

gabyjane

Well as i said we are very happy with ours..i am guessing IF it is completely dire in years to come we will have either sold up and moved or will be so old i won't be able to hear/see as well so wont care lol!!

Our garden we were lucky with as i have to say the rest of the rd isn't as great. We live on a slight upgrade but are more at the bottom, our friends have one at the top and her garden is lovely but the ones in the middle are small and useless..we have a nice biggish top area and the bottom we have just had decked and looks fab..tbh i think unless you have hoards of kids why the need for a huuuge garden anyway..just more work? ours is fine for us.

I'm a childminder and so have kids running round all day..things get knocked etc and doors banged but all has been ok so far..one of my youngest hit our dining door very hard last week and i have to say i dreaded looking but there wasn't even a mark so must be fairly good and thats a partition wall.

Sound is fab as iv'e already said, we are semi detatched and obviously never hear the other side and the one attached again i think ive heard them once putting a shelf or something up..they are now likely to be moving due to personal circumstances so will see what the new neighbours are like!

I feel compared to other houses where we live it is very good value for money still 3 years on.

Muhasib

jonewer wrote: »

Its not impossible to get a well built new build, my issue with them is them is less to do with room sizes which can be smaller or larger, or the gardens, which are almost always of postage-stamp proportions, my main issue is with the potential for serious defects in the construction.

Now, when you buy a victorian or 30's place, then you can be sure the place wasnt bodged together with string and selotape. Not so with new-builds. And if you find serious problems with your new-build, then the NHBC guarantee is worthless.

I was on a trades forum a month or two ago where someone wondered why his toilet extractor fan wasnt extracting. So he took some of the 1st floor apart to trace the path of the vent. He found that the builders had hacked a whole through about 90% of the main structural element keeping the 1st floor up and squeezed the venting through it. Utterly dangerous and an utter bodge.

Sorry, I know not all new-builds are rubbish but from what I've seen, thats not a chance I'd be prepared to take.

I remember a 'Grand Designs' episode where a couple from London were making a large modern open space in a Victorian Terrace and they did find that the structure had been badly built and needed serious strengthening - 'Hackney Terrace Conversion'.

Lets not get rose tinted glasses about Victorian Builders.

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/grand-designs/episode-guides/hackney-the-terrace-conversion-08-06-11_p_1.html

bodgerx

I think a lot of the comments on here about new builds are rather cliched and hackneyed.

I've lived in several houses built between 1910 and 2006.

Whilst I'm sure there are a lot of bad builders out there, my experience of two new builds over the last 6 years, both were very good.

In terms of running cost there is simply no contest. Gas and electric consumption on a house I lived in built in 2006 and another in 2004 were significantly lower than my current rental property built in the 80's.

I have no complaints about sound insulation either - in fact in the house my brother has just bought - built this year - his neighbor has a pretty big dog - inside the house you simply cannot hear in barking, until you go outside the property and can hear it in the kitchen/utility.

Quality of interiors various. In my experience fixtures and fittings and internal wall quality on Redrow homes seem to be much better than say Taylor-Wimpey (Geogre Wimpey).

Don't tar them all with the same brush.