Why do people buy new builds??

somethingcorporate

We bought an amazing new build just a few months ago. Traded up from an old 3-bed victorian terrace and the difference is staggering. We have insulation everywhere, thick, cavity walls and insulated loft, efficient air source heat pump, modern double-glazed windows, wood burner, energy efficient everything and best of all no damp

All the rooms are reasonable sized, we have 2 living rooms - one being 4m by 5m and the other being 5m by 5.5m and a hallway and landing that is over 2m wide so it is really light and spacious.

Seriously, suggesting all new builds are the same is like saying all food is the same. Some is Joe McGreasy Krap Kebab and some is Michelin Star. Trading up to this eco-new build has been amazing and the best purchase of my life. If you want a new build pick a developer that cares about what they are doing rather than the normal rank and file pile them high and sell them cheap.

AnnieO1234

We bought a detached new build just over twelve months ago with a now 2 year old it was by far the most practical option, both from pov that there is nothing to replace or repair, it's a blank slate and we weren't pushed around by a chain.

Equally we've bought in a small village, the house was double the cost of the local market in older homes but we could fit the house again on the plot. (The builder was restricted on number of homes allowed on development.). Some homes here are on postage stamps or with funky layouts (better than a lot we saw though where it was just whaaat?! Why would they put that there?!)

We're happy with our new build, plan to extend overtime and with the views we have alone it really is and will be our dream property. As others have said too the energy rating is top too xx

phoebe1989seb

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I scored 3 on that one Dan-Dan.

- old electrics
- poor heating system
- some asbestos

All three have now been dealt with and a lot else....

Cue shattered. Where's that "fast asleep and snoring smilie" again when I need it?:cool:

We found the following

- Damp
- Old electrics
- Woodworm (although had been treated by PO)

.....in our 200+ year old thatched house. All re-wiring now done and we're getting there with the damp, although as the house is built into the side of a hill there are always going to be some ground-level issues

For me it's the history and character of older houses that makes them the winner every time. We've looked at some of the *nicer* new builds (Border Oak and the like) and whilst they are built with character features, they just don't have the same feeling (no, not the ghosts :eek: although three sisters apparently died in our current house.....of old age, I hasten to add!) as period houses. We love all the nooks & crannies and history oozing from every crevice

Although our project is taking its toll and I keep threatening to sell up to buy something *finished*, it would never be a new build for me.......unless I built an exact replica of a Voysey house for example The one thing we would never do is buy a house on an estate. Our last house - much much older than our current one - had a new estate built up around it, comprising houses from the 1950s to 2000s and the atmosphere was just terrible.......soulless and unfriendly.

daniel80

From what I am led to believe a high majority of houses over a certain age will have some form of woodworm. Mine included.

makeyourdaddyproud

The cheapest Victorian house in its day will always be better than the cheapest newbuild today, with respect to earnings.

With newbuilds...

1. Tiny plot sizes
2. Thin walls
3. Chipboard everywhere, except
4. Where there's plasterboard
5. Thin roofing timbers
6. Upvc with 20 yr lifetime
7. Claustrophobic Low ceilings
8. No character.
9. Few round features - nearly everything is square. Builders can't understand PI
10. Selling on. Older and wiser buyers wont be interested, only young ftbs
11. Cheap bricks that are likely to spall over time
12. And then some

All in return for...

1. Warmer rooms

moneyistooshorttomention

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

The cheapest Victorian house in its day will always be better than the cheapest newbuild today, with respect to earnings.

With newbuilds...

1. Tiny plot sizes
2. Thin walls
3. Chipboard everywhere, except
4. Where there's plasterboard
5. Thin roofing timbers
6. Upvc with 20 yr lifetime
7. Claustrophobic Low ceilings
8. No character.
9. Few round features - nearly everything is square. Builders can't understand PI
10. Selling on. Older and wiser buyers wont be interested, only young ftbs
11. Cheap bricks that are likely to spall over time
12. And then some

All in return for...

1. Warmer rooms

Ah...but there is then the "many Victorians have modern extensions" scenario.

My starter house was a Victorian and had a modern era extension. Cue chipboard floors in the extension. Cue a modern era back yard wall with really poor-quality bricks. Cue old roof...which I had to replace. Cue I didn't get the thicker walls between the neighbours and I that I had expected (I could hear Him Next Doors with his loud voice and loud sneezing and ahem certain recreational activities if I were the adjacent bedroom). With that, I did wonder about my privacy in reverse. Cue if Them Next Door have some sort of damp problem in the party wall it can then migrate into your house and they try and look all innocent when you ask them to remedy it (yeh right....I knew their honesty level left something to be desired....and they were lying....but was at a loss as to how to make them remedy it).

makeyourdaddyproud

Many of the earlier posters reporting issues such as dry rot and cold are quite right, but it is the homely ambience of a period house that cannot be challenged.

Yes, there is much work to our 7 bed Edwardian semi, probably £25k+ of work, but I would choose it hands down over a new house any day.

BMW_Mike

Unsolvable question.

With new-builds...

1. Tiny plot sizes - Not tiny but small - Suits me fine, - I had a 128 foot garden previously, too much for
me take care of, now 1/2 hour on a Saturday and it's done.

2. Thin walls - Internally Yes, Externally - No, the sound proofing on Code 4 new homes is excellent. Cannot hear our neighbours unless they are very very loud or drilling for example.

3. Chipboard everywhere, except - Where ??

4. Where there's plasterboard - Yes, the External walls are double thickness, cavity filled and then lined with plasterboard.

5. Thin roofing timbers - kind of - can put loads of up to 50kg in the loft, - seems OK to me, I couldn't lift much more up the ladder.

6. Upvc with 20 yr lifetime - Will let you know

7. Claustrophobic Low ceilings - Not so, I am 6ft 7 and have plenty of height.

8. No character. - Depends.

9. Few round features - nearly everything is square. Builders can't understand PI - True, but square is easier to manage.

10. Selling on. Older and wiser buyers wont be interested, only young ftbs - Not so
11. Cheap bricks that are likely to spall over time - Who knows, A brick is a Brick, - maybe

12. And then some - New heating system, cheap fuel bills, no draughts, hot water, kitchen I can sit in with my family ... No maintance and warranties on everything.


All in return for...

1. Warmer rooms

Swizzle1066

alwaystryyourbest wrote: »

I can't understand why anyone old buy a new build, they are basically made out of cardboard. The inside walls are not strong enough to hang a flat screen telly on. The room sizes are normally small.
I just don't get why anyone would buy them.

So if you are buying a new build ,,or have brought one why did you buy one??

My friend totally regrets buying one now , she fell in love with a show house but hers was nothing like the show home one..

Hmm, my 50" TV is still hanging up fine - maybe I need to reinforce it :rotfl:

ging84

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

The cheapest Victorian house in its day will always be better than the cheapest newbuild today, with respect to earnings.

With newbuilds...

1. Tiny plot sizes
2. Thin walls
3. Chipboard everywhere, except
4. Where there's plasterboard
5. Thin roofing timbers
6. Upvc with 20 yr lifetime
7. Claustrophobic Low ceilings
8. No character.
9. Few round features - nearly everything is square. Builders can't understand PI
10. Selling on. Older and wiser buyers wont be interested, only young ftbs
11. Cheap bricks that are likely to spall over time
12. And then some

All in return for...

1. Warmer rooms

Why do people write such rubbish about new builds, very little of this is true, but absolutely none of it has anything to do with a building being a new build, it is simply one person's subjective perception of modern homes.

1. Tiny plot sizes
land is at a massive premium, so the average plot size now in most areas will be smaller, it doesn't mean you can't get a decent size property, or that all properties in the past were decent sizes.
2. Thin walls
as stated in post above, completely incorrect, building regs and building codes help ensure a reasonable standard on this, it used to be perfectly acceptable to build single skinned brick wall properties.
6. Upvc with 20 yr lifetime
this sounds like a good thing, 20+year maintenance free why is this a negative thing? Why would so many people with older properties have replaced their old windows and doors with modern upvc ones if it's such a terrible thing?
7. Claustrophobic Low ceilings
Have you actually been in many old houses? yes there are the nice grand houses built for the wealthy with high ceilings, but there are also plenty of old houses with dangerously low ceilings which would not meet modern building regs.