New Build

joewa

Hi

We were interested in purchasing a new build home. At a 2nd viewing we notices dampness in the bathroom and I a cupboard which has made us worried.
Would you purchase a new build that had dampness in it?

ssparks2003

I would be telling them that they need to resolve the issue before you get too far, I would also be looking for someone to come in and do a full inspection and produce a snagging list that would need cleaning before you move in. Pay for a professional, it will be cheaper in the long run

Cakeguts

I am not sure that I would buy any new home just now. They all seem to be very badly constructed. If this house is damp at this time of year what will it be like in the winter? There is a major construction fault causing this.

Why not save yourself some money and go for an older house?

joewa

Thanks for your responses. The builders are saying its condensation but I don't think so. Also there is no wiring been put in for Broadband.
Shame as we really liked the house

ComicGeek

Major construction fault? On what ground would you say that, absolutely rubbish.

New builds have a lot of moisture internally from the build process, such as plaster drying out etc. Very normal and not to be concerned about. Just needs heating and ventilating when you move in, and it will dry out.

joewa

On our first visit the cistern in the toilet was making noise, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what has leaked TBH

ComicGeek

So you've made a decision that it's damp without investigating properly, and that's going to stop you from buying the house? Simple things to fix, and no serious damage that the builders can't repair if it's only be leaking for a short while (although I would be very surprised if that's actually the problem).

No incoming telecoms at all, or just no additional data points that you might want?

I really can't see why these 2 issues would stop anyone buying, if everything else is what you're looking for.

Cakeguts

I have bought several new houses over the years in the North West where is is damp and none of them had visible damp when new. There is something wrong with the way this house has been built and it has not been corrected by the builders before they showed it to you. Guess how much they care about how well they do their work and also about customer satisfaction. Run away fast.

ComicGeek

Cakeguts wrote: »

I have bought several new houses over the years in the North West where is is damp and none of them had visible damp when new. There is something wrong with the way this house has been built and it has not been corrected by the builders before they showed it to you. Guess how much they care about how well they do their work and also about customer satisfaction. Run away fast.

So did you follow the NHBC guidance for drying out the new house slowly over the first 9-12 months? Condensation internally due to the drying out process is very common, and isn't an indication of something being built wrong. Could very well have been your fault if you didn't follow the guidance. New build houses need more manual ventilation than older houses as they are less naturally leaky.

It really annoys me with the new home bashing on this forum - yes, some new builds aren't built as well as they should be, but that's also the same with existing houses.

Marvel1

ComicGeek wrote: »

So you've made a decision that it's damp without investigating properly, and that's going to stop you from buying the house? Simple things to fix, and no serious damage that the builders can't repair if it's only be leaking for a short while (although I would be very surprised if that's actually the problem).

No incoming telecoms at all, or just no additional data points that you might want?

I really can't see why these 2 issues would stop anyone buying, if everything else is what you're looking for.

There will be plenty to sell without this issue, so I would be moving on and looking at something else.