New Build / Part Exchange - No Shower in Main Bathroom?

SuzieSue

All the major house builders try to get away with doing the bare minimum. Every pound they can save is a pound extra profit for their shareholders. If the quality of your bathroom and kitchen fittings is the same as the new build I bought then you will have to replace them soon any way.

Fortheloveofmoney

We've just bought a 4 bed detached new build in Berkshire and yes what you've described is normal.

What doesn't sound normal to me though is that your build won't be ready until the summer but they have already tiled???

We reserved ours at the end of August and the house was still in the very early stages. It had a roof and windows but no internal walls. The tiling was done in September and we moved in at the end of October.

Our main bathroom has a shower attachment on the taps so you can sort of shower if you don't stand up (only half tiling). We plan to do more tiling and fit a proper shower at some point. At the moment what we have is sufficient as the only person to use the main bathroom is our 2 year old.

scottishblondie

I just moved into my 4 bed new build. It has 2 en suites with showers, and the main bathroom has a bath with full height tiling and a shower over. I would not accept a house without a shower in the main bathroom - it just isn't practical!

HouseMoo

Thanks for all the replies here!

Is there any room for negotiation with the builders or is it a definite no?

They indicated at first it was a possibility but subject to extra costs, but when I asked them to give me a definitive figure for it before I reserve they have now said they wouldn't consider it at all, so is a definite no. Seemingly this is a bit cheeky with them hoping I would reserve before they said no! :undecided

Buy. Move in. Stick up some tiles and get a shower!

You are right, I could quite simply proceed and do it myself, but its not something my DIY skills are upto so would need to get someone in and then have to purchase the same style tiles through the developer, as well as extra plumbing to do it properly. Its probably just my stubborn nature, but one of the reasons for buying a new build is so it doesn't need much work after moving in. However I take your point, as it might seem to some like I'm crying over nothing!

What doesn't sound normal to me though is that your build won't be ready until the summer but they have already tiled???

That plot is progressing quicker than the others, I presume it will be in a near complete state for quite a while until the others are ready when they can do the exteriors / garden / drives at the same time. But you are right we were surprised to find this had already been done when a lot of the other plots available are currently not much more than foundations!

It is absolutely ridiculous and poorly thought out. i live in a two bed new build, ensuite shower but the main bathroom simply has a bath. Any guests have to use our ensuite and it would be unsuitable for anyone other than a couple.

This was my thinking, I find it bizarre that this is standard practise, but as others have mentioned it just seems like developers trying to do the bare minimum. However I suppose that does keep the property prices down a bit on new builds, and the "optional extras" is their chance to make a bit more cash!

This is normal in my experience but I can highly recommend getting the word done yourself. It won't be as expensive or as disruptive as you think it will be.

Thanks for the advise, its definitely something to consider.

So at the moment I've decided to hold off for a week anyway, just to give us space to think about everything rather than being swept up in the excitement of buying. I suppose our main reluctance is due to us being pretty much at the limit of what we can afford. Monthly costs are not an issue and we have 20% deposit, but we are only just balancing our spreadsheets. So didn't really want to do much work on the place for quite a while after moving in.

I think I might just have been dreaming to think new build = perfect for a number of years before we have to do any work or redevelopment on it. Its all a learning experience for us anyway, thanks again for so many responses and perspectives on this!

- HouseMoo :www:

googler

Just checked our installation - builder put electric shower in en-suite and bath shower mixer in family bathroom. 60A main fuse for the whole house, if we installed two 9.5kW electric showers, and ran both at the same time, that would total 19000W, and to calculate current draw, I gather we divide that by 240, giving 79.16A, almost 20A over the main fuse rating.....