Housing estates

Ximian

My wife and I have been looking at some new build housing estates and some of the show houses we have seen are quite nice but there are a few questions in my mind.

Hopefully there are some MSE members that either live on a new build housing estate or have lived on a new build housing estate that can help with a few questions/concerns.

The representatives at both of the new build estates said that houses are selling very fast and are very popular. That got me thinking, I wonder what the appeal is.

Construction of the house: although from the outside the houses are new and look good, in the inside it's a different story, the walls are plasterboard and the doors are very thin and cheap. We were told that house buyers really like the fact that they are buying something new ... and you get a 5 year builder's guarantee. Is the guarantee actually worth something? I've seen shows on TV where the house owners have complained about the house only to be given the run around by the builders. What is your experience?

Living in a community: although some housing estates look nice and are spaced well there are some that offer little privacy. You have neighbours on all sides even overlooking your garden. What is your opinion, did you find that you had little or no privacy?
Have you had any issues with parking on the housing estate?

Regarding safety, are housing estates regarded safe, or even safer than normal residential areas?
Would car insurance and house insurance be any cheaper if you lived on a housing estate since it might be considered safer?

Any comments and opinions welcomed!

TIA

ACG

Your questions are very open ended.

Typically the buildings should be quite secure - new doors/windows so new locks etc.

As for the actual building - i personally think they leave a lot to be desired and i certainly wouldnt buy one unless it was detached (which in all honesty i probably couldnt afford anyway).

There is a thread on here about the stairs in new builds.... i didnt even know you could build cheap stairs - in my mind that shows the lengths the builders will go to to keep costs low.

They look nice and smart but so do a new pair of trainers or a car, after time it will lose the shine and your still left with it.

paddyrg

Remember, sales agents will tell you anything you might want to hear in order to get a sale. Selling fast? Create a sense of urgency. New is best? Or you're the poor sap who'll be using that 5-year guarantee that just isn't needed on a 400 yr old farmhouse which will outlast the whole estate.

Personally, it really wouldn't be for me - ceilings are lower than I like, room proportions generally on the cosy side. Sure it suits some people, but I prefer places with a little breathing space.

ACG

Also i have read they use 3quarter sized beds and not proper double beds to make the room seem bigger than it actually is.

hazyjo

My last house was under 10 years old.

Didn't buy from new, so not sure how much of what the sales people (remember that SALES word lol! It's their job to sell sell sell...) is total spiel, and how much is true.

The walls may be thinner, but generally they are packed with (not very techie so not exactly sure) some sort of insulation. The heating never went over 20 degrees in the two years I was there (and I have the heating on if there's a slight chill in the air!).

No idea about the builder's guarantee. Have never hears anything positive about so called new-house guarantees though.

Mine was fairly overlooked, but people seemed to keep themselves to themselves more. There were lots of levels around, and fences, and it's not like you could really see anyone over the fence or anything. My patio area was lower than my garden. Next doors was on a higher level, and the other side (we were end of terrace) was the back of a garden on a crescent shaped bit of road, so different angles again. Never bothered us. Rarely saw anyone!

Had 2 private parking spaces and 2 garages, so not a problem. Also had double yellows outside house so good and bad - I got a ticket after stopping there 2 mins to collect something I'd forgotten. Grrrr. But at least we never had people parking outside our house which would have bugged us far more than having to traipse round from the back parking area to the front of our house (the 2 similar houses next to us used their back gardens/doors).

Safety wasn't really something I felt I had to worry about any more or less than normal.

It was cheaper there to insure my car, but then I had a garage, so can't really compare! I'm back on-street now in London rather than Essex, so it does make a difference anyway.

I doubt the fact it's an estate that would make it cheaper, it'll just go on postcode (car and buildings).

Jx

pinkteapot

I currently live in a large town and I absolutely cannot see the appeal of any of the new-build estates going up around me. Rules about how many houses they can build per acre have been relaxed in the last 20-30 years, so they can cram lots more in now. Cue horrible narrow roads crammed with townhouses. Each house has one parking space and inevitably each household has two cars, so parking is an absolute nightmare. Gardens are teeny tiny and horribly overlooked.

Still, I must be old-fashioned because they do all sell!

I would much, much rather buy a 20 year old house with a decent plot , off street parking for 2-3 cars and lots of storage space in the house. But I guess a lot of people don't want the maintenance that a non-new house comes with?

There are some nicer new-builds out of town, in surrounding villages. But only where it's small developers putting 2-3 detached houses on a smaller plot of land.

hazyjo

ACG wrote: »

Also i have read they use 3quarter sized beds and not proper double beds to make the room seem bigger than it actually is.

Lots of 'tricks' such as using furniture you can see under or through. You'll often find furniture on raised legs rather than say a chest of drawers/bedside table all the way to the floor. As above, if you have a king-size bed or larger, definitely take a tape measure with you to the show home! Also check built in wardrobes/cupboards as they may have rails front to back rather than side to side (ie the clothes would face you as you open the wardrobe). Keep your eyes wide open!

Jx

Mobeer

From 2 experiences:

Construction of the house - I have not needed to use the warrantee as all issues resolved as snags, including items found up to a year after moving in.

Living in a community - lots of privacy by choosing the right plots. Some gardens are horribly overlooked but the estate plans will normally help identify these

Parking - no issues, but you can probably judge from the estate layout whether there will be issues. e.g. I live on an estate with roads wide enough for onstreet parking, in addition to off street spaces, garages, car ports, hence no issues. A friend lives on a small estate with no onstreet parking, 1 space only per flat and nowhere nearby to park either. Problems are obvious even before people move in.

Safety - one small advantage is that there are no pubs\clubs directly on the estate. Having a garage wide enough to fit my car has helped save on insurance.

witchy1066

we looked at one new build in our house search, it was in a lovely rural village,
they showed us the 2 bedroom house , (only the 2 of us) much to small , they then went on to show us the plans for the 3 bed, it was the same size as the 2 bed but arranged differently , again much to small for us
I know people do live in these houses but where do they put anything ?
would not entertain one myself ,

dimbo61

Now when you say " NEW BUILD" are you talking brand new house on an estate that is still under development?
Do you want to wake up every morning Monday to Friday and maybe even Saturday to the sounds of BOB the builder!!!!
Now if you take your time and look at the estate you are interested in maybe you can find the house type and house plot to suit your needs.
My estate has a small shopping centre with Pub, chippy, Coop, Chinese, dry cleaners, hairdressers.
Our house has parking for 4/5 cars on the drive and a double garage. The house has plenty of storage with extra wardrobes, cupboards built-in.
Now we have had work done to the property under the NHBC cover as the roof tiles were not right.
We like modern houses and have good sized rooms spread over 3 floors and a garden big enough for our needs.
well insulated and modern double glazing with plastic soffits, gutters, dry verge etc.
I am not saying that new estates do not have problems but check before you buy

AndyPK

They cram house closer and closer together these days so have a look round at other houses less than 10 years old (I think these may still have a guarantee?)

They may also have another floor which is a pain.

They are bound to tell you they are selling fast.

You will have alot of extras on new houses too, carpets, turf, curtains etc.