New Builds - what's normally included?

Kat88

Fencing isn't included between plots?! What....? :eek: Doesn't NHBC sign off look at things like that, seems crazy? And I thought I had it bad when I had to pay extra for a garden gate! :rotfl:

TBeckett100

You should certainly check what's included before reserving. If the sales person is coy, walk away, you are being sold the biggest investment of your life and therefore they should be very clear

We are buying a completed new build so it's very clear what's included, as standard we get 5a circuit, fitted wardrobes, front and back lighting, white goods, a rather expensive Smeg range oven. We also asked for stamp duty, wood floor to hallway and carpets in all the other rooms.

Tiling was standard and she didn't offer me a list of extras. I think we could have opted for a wine fridge.

Another new build show home on a different estate was equally as lovely inside but when we enquired (same
Price) we discovered the tiling and basics shown in the show home were mainly extras and if you want the same tiles and the amount of tiling, these were added extras.

Their sales were more pushy. As with most developers the show home is fenced in within the confines of the sales office so to get out one has to walk the plank.

The house we are buying had a very relaxed sales lady, when we popped in initially she said "go and have a look at the show home over the road and come back if you want a chat"

There was no organised tour and we were left to our own devices. I then enquires about a specific near completed house and she just gave me the key and told me to have a look.

It was her relaxed approach that sold it for us. We pop by most weekends and she just gives us the key

goodwithsaving

You can definitely guarantee a garage that's too small or one allocated space for houses requiring two cars..... I'd say that's all you can guarantee finishing touches wise with new builds! ;-)

ethank

They want you to buy the extras thats why. They make a massive profit on the people who don't negotiate on the extras.

SuzieSue

marlot wrote: »

As someone who used to work for one of the major housebuilders (ten years ago), I would only recommend buying from someone who gets 5 stars in the HBF survey.

http://www.hbf.co.uk/policy-activities/customer-satisfaction-survey/2015-results/

Getting 5 stars isn't that hard if you create a quality product. If you can't get 5 stars then you're not building them right. Just my opinion!

And if you only get 3 stars, then run away even faster!

Persimmon have been getting a lot of bad press on the BBC's Watchdog programme.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02rzkxh

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4VNJyVS7Z56pRTQm3j4bSYY/persimmon-house-builders

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/11jN8ZbVsDjNl4vXrGVCkJc/persimmon-homes

Cornucopia

marlot wrote: »

As someone who used to work for one of the major housebuilders (ten years ago), I would only recommend buying from someone who gets 5 stars in the HBF survey.

http://www.hbf.co.uk/policy-activities/customer-satisfaction-survey/2015-results/

Getting 5 stars isn't that hard if you create a quality product. If you can't get 5 stars then you're not building them right. Just my opinion!

And if you only get 3 stars, then run away even faster!

What's the significance of your builder not being on the list at all?

Jon_B_2

I see Bovis only got 3 stars this year, who are who we have bought with and moving in November.


You do get a lot included in the price though, including dishwasher, washing machine, double oven, wall tiles etc.


We managed to negotiate ceramic floor tiling to kitchen/diner, hallway and cloakroom. No movement on price though.

sniggings

dgtazzman wrote: »

I actually put a reservation down on a Persimmon home last week in Wales. I liked the house, but had my reservations about Persimmon, but the sales patter won me over. Every time however when I started prying what was included, the sales lady became evasive, saying we could discuss that at a later stage.

It wasn't till I got home and started reading through all the paperwork provided that I realized actually pretty much nothing is included as standard, you pretty much just get a shell with basic fittings and if you want to put things in to make it livable, it costs an absolute fortune (at least a 100% mark up over trade prices). Fencing between plots isn't even included as standard, nor is lighting on the outside of the property (would cost me 20 quid per light to do it myself, Persimmon charge 150 quid per light) as well as many other things I would consider to be standard this day and age.

This is completely opposite to the newbuild I am living in now, the house was delivered with almost everything included and the rest I managed to negotiate, while Persimmon wouldn't negotiate on incentives, period, all they could do was knock a few grand off the price. If you look at what they charge for extra's, those few grand are soon made back again.

Also, I knew there was a motorway nearby, but looking at the map afterwards, the motorway bends off and actually comes in much closer to the development than I though. That is my mistake, of course.

I've pretty much decided to pull out and loose 250 pounds of my reservation fee. I feel the sales lady deceived me as to what would be included, hell the garden fencing isn't even included as standard.

Off again tomorrow to look at a development by a small local builder, looks far more promising... I don't take kindly to sales staff withholding information of intently deceiving me until a signature is put down on paper.

so you ask the question, was told they will tell you later, yet still signed :eek:

Yep I would walk away, that's crazy having to pay for a fence.

dgtazzman

Well, it wasn't that black and white. I was shown various properties, suggestive comments were made, but no clear confirmation of things. Anyway, saw another house today with a small local developer, much much better and I used the fact that I had a reservation with Persimmon as a bargaining chip and got a good deal out of them, so my 250 pounds going to Persimmon isn't a total loss ^^

New developer is throwing in fridge, freezer, dishwasher, brushed steel sockets downstairs, cabinets under the sinks in the wetrooms, upgrade to induction hob and partial flooring (or an allowance towards the flooring I want, to be more exact, with the agreement that I will get charged at cost to them, so no hiked margin) and a few hundred liters of heating oil on top of what they usually deliver the houses with. All that and I got them to knock 8k off the asking price (or 4% of market price).

This developer also gives turfing as standard and yes, there is actually full fencing

sniggings

£250 well spent it seems