New build - what comes with it + delays

AJ84

Hi all,
A couple of weeks ago, we reserved a build that is due to complete end of June on a new build.
Unfortunately, the development company is all over the place in terms of contact with the sales people.
Call us naive but after two viewings of the show house, we decided we wanted the house (a different one to the show house) and reserved, selected the tiling, carpets and kitchen worktops/draw.
The issue now is that while everything is rushing ahead in terms of solicitors, contracts ready to sign, mortgage DIP/AIP is as good as complete…the questions are not being answered in good time by the development company.
So firstly, what is the norm in what you get with a new build?
We’ve just found out that unlike the show-house, there will not be light fittings but instead, light pendants whatever they are.
We were told carpets/tiling is not included for the floor but walls are so that’s fine and we agreed a price on the flooring however today it suddenly dawned on us that the show house had feature walls and others were painted cream. So what do new builds actually come with? Just white walls?

Very frustrating as we cannot see the plot due it still being unsafe to walk to it, we can’t get sufficient answers yet it’s the house we want.

Thanks in advance

AnnaLMLH

Hi
new builds dont include carpets, floor coverings, etc unless stated
they definatly done include feature walls, unless your buying the show home
light pendants are what you attatch light shades to

charlamine

It depends on the developer. We are looking at purchasing a new build and have been to a number of sites. We have discovered there are 3 tiers really, sites owned by Taylor Wimpey and persimmons seem to come with white walls and that's it, then u have your middle range developers who include extras so Belway include zunassi appliances, flooring in bathrooms, and turf in garden, and then u get your top range ones like Berkeley where u get Bosch appliances, carpets throughout, turf and patio, light fittings, towel rails.
But there is also a huge price difference - a Taylor Wimpey 4 bed house here would be around 300k max, a 4 bed Berkeley home 415,000 so u have to quantify how much all the flooring etc is worth

The developers brochure should detail what is standard in their builds

AJ84

Thanks Anna,
So it's the white round thing danging from the ceiling I assume?

In terms of flooring, this was made clear to us so we were fine with it but what about just normal paint on the walls? Are they painted white or cream or unpainted?

AJ84

Ah thanks Charlamine so it's really a case of just double checking it all with sales.
I think we were slightly blinded by the show-home and only now are these questions coming out.

We have agreed on flooring prices so it's just knowing that once built, do we need someone in to paint before we can move in and I think it is sounding like a yes

charlamine

I know it's white walls as standard regardless of developer. I think that they also advise to painting stright away and leaving at least 6 months to allow plaster to settle. My sister in law kept getting cracks as everything settled down, and you would have to keep repainting if that happened. She got them to come out and repaint White before she eventually painted herself.

AJ84

excellent thanks again

PasturesNew

When you walk into a bog standard new build you can expect to immediately need to buy: curtain poles/curtains/blinds, lampshades, floor coverings. Walls will be the usual magnolia, woodwork is likely to be white gloss.

A pendant is where you have a length of electrical flex in the middle of the ceiling, with a socket for a lightbulb to be fitted.

knightstyle

It isn't only the inside of the house that does not have things you see in the show house, does the price include grass in the front and back gardens? What fence/wall separates you from neighbours? Also check on sockets, doubles or singles and where are they? Phone points, TV aerial lead from loft to TV points these are all things to consider.
We bought a new build that was finished before we bought, buyers dropped out, and there were so many silly omissions, the study had just one single power point and the only phone point was in the hall, nowhere near the office!
Plus can anyone explain why developers hide the toilet and bathroom light switches? They are now put on the outside, hinge side of the door!

chris_m

knightstyle wrote: »

Plus can anyone explain why developers hide the toilet and bathroom light switches? They are now put on the outside, hinge side of the door!

Safety - it keeps them well out of reach of wet hands, especially useful if those hands are connected to wet feet standing in the bath.

Jon_B_2

To anybody else reading this, it is a prime example why you should always do your research when spending hundreds of thousands of pounds.


Had you asked this question before reservation, you probably will have realised that you can haggle the majority of what you are missing into the sale. Instead you have walked around a showhome without a clue and you are now PAYING a developer to fit a builder standard carpet.


Getting flooring/carpets negotiated into a deal is almost a given these days.


Who is the developer? You should be able to go on their website and look at the specification, which will detail what is included with the house.


As someone else said, they all vary. A primary reason we have just bought a Bovis is that it comes with double oven, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, wall tiles all as standard. We also had the choice of white or magnolia walls.