Why do people buy new builds??

bclark

I don't understand when people say they want a house with period features and therefore couldn't live in a new-build! My new build has plenty of period features, the period of the early 21st century.

somethingcorporate

I guess if you are fishing at the bottom of the market then the new builds are likely to be done on the cheap, given the state of the economy. Still, there are lots of £700k+ new builds in our part of the world that I wouldn't expect to be full of substandard work.

1 year ago I was convinced I would never, ever buy a new build (and so was my wife) until we found an amazing one at a great price.

System

bclark wrote: »

I don't understand when people say they want a house with period features and therefore couldn't live in a new-build! My new build has plenty of period features, the period of the early 21st century.

Some people would want a genuine period property and not one that is made to be like one.

claire16c

somethingcorporate wrote: »

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.

4m by 5m is spacious??

jackomdj

The reason we went for new build was our old house had problems every time we went to do anything. Old pipe work sprung a leak, Amy lev trial work was a nightmare and to top it all when we came to sell it they (mortgage companies) had introduced a new test in our area, and the house was unmortgageable as it had mundic (concrete cancer).

When we moved we bought a house which fitted our then needs, 3 beds, 1 bathroom, but it was at the end of a close so had a lovely big garden which was only overlooked by one neighbour.

We have since moved again to another newish house. It has high ceilings, large rooms (our living room is 9m by 4m, so is our bedroom), lovely large garden which isn't overlooked.

We crossed out some new builds as they did not match what we were after, but everyone has their list of wants, needs and a price. Who is one person to say that their list of house wants and needs is a better option for a given price than someone else's list.

Principia_2

Walcott wrote: »

Some people would want a genuine period property and not one that is made to be like one.

I think he's saying it's of its period ie now and the period features are up to date ones.

Building_Surveyor

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..

I bought a new build in march and non of what you have claimed for all new builds applys to my home. Decent size, good quality. I've got tvs on walls no problem. Your friend is not everyone. I know plenty of people who have bought old homes that they've had no end of problems with.

And as a surveyor, guess which buildings have the most problems... Old ones

System

Principia wrote: »

I think he's saying it's of its period ie now and the period features are up to date ones.

My mistake

moneyistooshorttomention

Building_Surveyor wrote: »

I bought a new build in march and non of what you have claimed for all new builds applys to my home. Decent size, good quality. I've got tvs on walls no problem. Your friend is not everyone. I know plenty of people who have bought old homes that they've had no end of problems with.

And as a surveyor, guess which buildings have the most problems... Old ones

Which does remind me that it would feel safer not to waste money on a survey on a newbuild (unless there was a mortgage company demanding you had one).

I had to have a survey (Homebuyers level) on my last house (ie a Victorian) and it was a waste of money because the surveyor didn't identify defects that would be obvious even to a seasoned homebuyer layperson. I didn't have a requirement to have a survey on my current house (as it was purely my choice whether to or no this time round), but I hadn't learnt from experience had I?:o:(:o. I had a survey and wasted my money for a second time because the surveyor didn't identify even the most obvious defects that I can spot myself now layperson me is actually living here:(:mad::(

If I change my mind and decide to buy ever again, then I think I will buy a quality type new build and save myself risking throwing a third lot of money away on having chosen a bad surveyor and just find a "How to be your own surveyor" book and buy that instead. I've come to the conclusion an intelligent layperson is probably able to do at least as good a survey as an incompetent type surveyor and just how on earth is it possible to know just which surveyors are competent and which are equivalent to the 2 I wasted money on paying.

bclark

Walcott wrote: »

Some people would want a genuine period property and not one that is made to be like one.

What is a genuine period though? It just refers to an undefined perod of time.

What period does period cover?