New build v old build

Swizzle1066

Moved into my new build in mid September, besides a couple of simple snags everythings been fine. We're a young couple but have a retired couple in the other semi next to us and a retired couple in the detached house next to us, with a pair of doctors in the house behind - certainly can't complain.

I'm sure there are some bad new builds out there, just as there are old properties that suddenly need a new roof or the like. Get a good survey which ever way you go!

Kynthia

OP, which house do you think you'll love the most in 5 years time. Which is the best location, size, road, transport links, garden, etc? Which will best suit your needs in the future? After realistic work, what will each look like in five years?

bclark

Everyone always seems to attack new build sizes when threads like this come up but you surely have to assume that the OP is comparing two houses of similar size or surely they would have specified that the newer house was smaller?

We have recently moved from a lovely Victorian semi to a nice detached new build which is much bigger, the little tip here is that we looked for a house where the rooms were the size we wanted.

As others have said new builds come in many shapes and sizes, the only thing we really miss from our Victorian house are the ceiling heights and our fireplace. We no longer have to worry about the damp in the bay windows, the dodgy walls, the old drains and the endless drafts. We now live in a much bigger house and our energy bill has gone down by almost 50%, lovely.

phoebe1989seb

Older house every time - newer properties are characterless IMHO, although that's subjective of course

Yes, it does help if you're good at DIY. We've taken on a handful of *projects* over the years and have learned a lot of new skills along the way as we do majority of the work ourselves.

DS (now 24) grew up on building sites - when he was 8 we bought and renovated a 3500 sq ft 6 bed Victorian jobby that had previously been converted to 4 flats - and we thought it had put him off older properties for life, but now he's bought his own (Edwardian) place he is grateful for all the tips he picked up helping us.........he even recently fitted his own kitchen

Northerness

I find Edwardian and Victorian properties are generally built to last and I love the high ceilings and various quirks, such as fireplaces in the bedrooms.

Aside from often needing to spend on interior decor in older properties, you should also consider that very expensive updates/maintenance may be required in the near future. This includes the roof tiles, boiler, electrics, damp proofing, new windows, joists, floorboards, etc. All this depends on how much work previous owners have put into it, and a full survey is always a good idea.

If all this scares you, then go for a new build for peace of mind! It will probably be more energy efficient too.

Talc1234

A fair amount of snobery by some of the other posters, both have their advantages and disadvantages, however the argument that 'it is better because it has been there for the last 120 years' is a fallacy. You or your children won't be around in a 120 years, but there is a fair chance that at least some of the new builds built today will be. I remember watching a TV program where a person stripped a Victorian house before rebuilding the interior. While the facade was lovely, the interior / party walls etc was made from half burnt bricks and rubble. Cost cutting is not just an invention of the 21st C. However....

New builds

Have more bathrooms - i.e. a toilet on each floor and often include ensuits
Are cheaper to heat
Don't need expensive repairs / renovation
Don't suffer from damp
Include parking

But

Have smaller gardens
Often don't have dinning rooms
Have lower ceilings

While older properties.....

Have higher ceilings
Dining rooms
Larger gardens
And fireplaces if that is important to you

But

Suffer from damp
Are expensive to restore and maintain
And expensive to heat
Lack parking
Have too few bathrooms in inconvenient places i.e 1 toilet for 4 bedrooms, bathroom behind kitchen, no toilet on the ground floor

You pay your money and make your choice

However for me, the bedroom in my new build is larger than any of the bedrooms I saw in the Victorian /Edwardian terraces I viewed. I love my pressurized shower and that I will always have a place to park.

Lord_Baltimore

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

Where are these older buyers and what are they buying I wonder???

In bungalows and new build retirement flats!

As for the professed 'character' of older houses - I take this to mean high ceilings (heat all that high up empty space), fireplaces (unnecessary, ugly and draughty), coving (usually cracked) and internal corridors and steps (groan).

Don't get me wrong, I have spent many happy years in older houses but always with a sense of "what-is-going-to-go-wrong next-and-how-much-will-it-cost"

Talc1234 sums it up rather well I think.

ethank

katejo wrote: »

And which may have thin plasterboard walls through which you have to listen to loud music and your neighbours arguing.

Either my neighbours never argue, or I am deaf. I also have never heard their baby crying either.

There have been changes in sound proofing regulations. All the walls between our houses are brick with cavity insulation and a soundproof membrane.

borkid

Lord_Baltimore wrote: »

In bungalows and new build retirement flats!

Out of the 25 houses on my new build estate (most 3 storey) at least 9 are owned by retirees, some over 80 years old.

Dan-Dan

People either assume new build as in built yesterday , or old propertys as in 1900`s!

Theres loads of us in 60/70`s houses , i wouldnt say ours is better than a new build , but its LOCATION is , majority of new builds (i know not all) especially where we live , are all built on edge of town , sprawling developments , i`ll be frank , if i could have bought a new build , where my house is now , i`d have snapped the sellers hand off! , but i might be being dramatic because our previous owners were tramps