An email i nearly sent to a new home builder... but wimped out...

sonastin

hudgebadger wrote: »

I will also add

No choice of heating systems (always GCH), I would love to see a developer opt for greener technologies.
No rain water harvesting systems
No solar panels
No wind turbines
No smart energy systems in place

Sorry to rant, but with prices on domestic fuel not getting any cheaper these options should be there for people to be able to help cut their foot print and also cut their out goings

I would love to see plots of land sold rather than houses. I can then build what I want, and not what is pushed onto me!

We're doing major renovation works at the moment and the house currently has no heating systems in place. I visite the Energy Savings Trust website to find out about putting in alternative technologies. Turns out that as we have a mains gas connection, GCH is going to be the most economical by a LONG way. And adding mains gas to a whole estate is more economical than adding it to an individual property. It is not surprising that developers go down the GCH route when it is cheaper for them and the buyers.

oasisfeverish

Have you thought about looking at the developments going up in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey. About 10 miles from Sittingbourne

Bovis, Jones, Bloor, Persimmons, Ward and I think one or two others are all building 3 beds, some also offer a P/X route to take yours off you if you think you can't sell.

New builds are generally overpriced, but I guess it's up to the individuals concerned if they are looking at trying to make money on their new purchase or seeing it as their home for a number of years and happy to accept the purchase price they pay will drop initially and then eventually claw back.

Personally I bought in 1992 and at that time was happy to just have my own home, am about to P/X on a new build and although know I'm paying top rate for the new place. The layout is great, end of a road, street parking also available, south facing garden although smaller than I would have liked, solar panel included for hot water. it will suit our growing family for many years.

I have always been against new builds, but sometimes they can tick many boxes, plus with not many houses near me selling, it's a chance in today's conditions to get rid and let someone else worry about trying to flog it. If they get more than they offered me for it, then good on them, but saves me the hassle.

bclark

hudgebadger wrote: »

I will also add

No choice of heating systems (always GCH), I would love to see a developer opt for greener technologies.
No rain water harvesting systems
No solar panels
No wind turbines
No smart energy systems in place

Sorry to rant, but with prices on domestic fuel not getting any cheaper these options should be there for people to be able to help cut their foot print and also cut their out goings

I would love to see plots of land sold rather than houses. I can then build what I want, and not what is pushed onto me!

The Redrow development that we looked at and I mentioned above have solar panels as standard and also rain water harvesting too.

Pink_butterfly_3

Linky

This is a news story that is about an estate near where I live. It is yet another reason why I would never buy a newbuild in a new estate like this. The developers are curretly meeting with the council to try and wriggle out of their promises to build green areas etc. And instead put in more houses.

Mayflower10cat

I'm pretty sure a downstairs cloakroom is a legal requirement now in newbuilds. Along with wider doors for wheelchair access.

My parents retired to a new three bed terrace nearly ten years ago. Built by Bloor Homes. Over the road, the houses are also terraced, some two and some three beds, built by Persimmon. The prices for the three beds were identical. However, when checking the small print, Persimmon were charging for various 'extras' that Bloor included as standard. For example, Persimmon charged extra for a coat of white trade emulsion on each interior wall. And a few paving slabs outside the back door. And carpets. And fitting external lights. Their range of standard kitchen finishes, tiles and sanitaryware were poorer quality than Bloors. And, within a very few years, the external render on the Persimmon homes started to crack and peel off. The whole lot had to be stripped off and replaced. Just amazing that there was such a difference in build quality and finish for homes of the same price on the same estate.

They have found some advantages to their new build home - it's very cheap to heat with being a terrace and also the insulation is very thick. Also, none of the interior walls are loadbearing, only plasterboard. So they've been able to take down walls and alter the room sizes to suit themselves. They merged the small third bedroom into the master bedroom
to create a lovely dressing room area. Again, if they ever sold (unlikely!) the third bedroom could be reinstated very easily. The current kitchen is very small admittedly, but I've been encouraging them to consider taking down the wall between the dining room and kitchen to expand into that, just keeping a small breakfast bar. They eat mainly in the conservatory anyway. Then put a doorway, where an archway is now, from the lounge into the newly expanded kitchen/dining area.

On the whole they've been very happy with their purchase. Unlike the neighbours over the road.

pinkteapot

Actually twirly I have just noticed that you mentioned that the ceilings were too low. Do you know how high they were? I only ask because our house is 20 years old and the ceilings are 2.3m high (recently been measuring up lol). I can't imagine that they are any lower in new-builds. The only higher ceilings I know of are in period homes which are pretty expensive.

paulsad

There's some near us - look good on the photos - trouble is when you view them they are only big enough for action man and his girlfriend barbie to live in.

twirlypinky

pinkteapot wrote: »

Actually twirly I have just noticed that you mentioned that the ceilings were too low. Do you know how high they were? I only ask because our house is 20 years old and the ceilings are 2.3m high (recently been measuring up lol). I can't imagine that they are any lower in new-builds. The only higher ceilings I know of are in period homes which are pretty expensive.

Crikey no, i just felt really closed in walking round. But to be fair you're right, i could be making period home comparisons as i've lived in various listed houses too.

twirlypinky

oasisfeverish wrote: »

Have you thought about looking at the developments going up in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey. About 10 miles from Sittingbourne

Bovis, Jones, Bloor, Persimmons, Ward and I think one or two others are all building 3 beds, some also offer a P/X route to take yours off you if you think you can't sell.

New builds are generally overpriced, but I guess it's up to the individuals concerned if they are looking at trying to make money on their new purchase or seeing it as their home for a number of years and happy to accept the purchase price they pay will drop initially and then eventually claw back.

Personally I bought in 1992 and at that time was happy to just have my own home, am about to P/X on a new build and although know I'm paying top rate for the new place. The layout is great, end of a road, street parking also available, south facing garden although smaller than I would have liked, solar panel included for hot water. it will suit our growing family for many years.

I have always been against new builds, but sometimes they can tick many boxes, plus with not many houses near me selling, it's a chance in today's conditions to get rid and let someone else worry about trying to flog it. If they get more than they offered me for it, then good on them, but saves me the hassle.

to be honest no, we've not considered the island. We both work in Dartford, the journey to work from Sittingbourne is killing us enough, without adding extra to the journey. We need to move into the m20/m2 corridor really.