New Build or Older Home?

Jmcrt

Hi All!

I’m a newby here and wanted an opinion on wether I should buy a new build or an older house. I’ve always had my heart set on a brand new, shiny new build,m. A blank canvas I can create in to a loving home. But now I’m unsure.

To cut a long story short, my boyfriend and I recently found a new build home on a barratts development and fell in love and so we put a £500 deposit down. This house was not exactly what I wanted, but for a first home I thought it was a pretty good one! Semi Detached, 3 bedroom, upgraded kitchen, big garden that was south facing! I thought yes this ticks most of the boxes :j

I must mention, although this house was a new build, we didn’t get to chose the interiors etc as the house was already finished. The interiors etc had already been picked by the couple that were going to buy it before us, who has to pull out apparently due to their chain falling through (who knows if that is the real reason!)

We were due to move in mid September, 2 weeks from now. Last weekend, we thought we would have one more sneaky look at the house to admire it before moving in... and thank god I did, I peered through the living room window and what did I see? The whole of the downstairs covered in water, all down the walls, ring marks on the ceiling!!! No one had told us this had happened and the EXACT same thing happened to my friend who also bought a barratts home on another estate. Something to do with the boiler and pipes.

After this happened, I felt really negative about the house, I knew this was going to delay us moving in by months and I started to wonder if it would be the first of many problems to come? At £330,000, I didn’t want to feel negative about it... and so we’ve pulled out.

My question is, are new builds good quality? And does anyone know if barratts in particular are good to buy from? I’m gutted I’ve pulled out of this house and want someone to almost tell me I’ve made the right decision! Do you get more for your money with older houses and are older houses built to last more than new builds?

Also, is it silly to pull out of a house you love due to just having a gut feeling?

Mojisola

I don't think there's a "right" answer - different things suit different people.

Feeling the way you do about that house, it was probably right to pull out.

I would never buy a new-build - but that's my choice and many others don't feel the same.

Waterlily24

I agree with Mojisola that there's not a right answer. We bought one new build and would never again. Most of our houses have been built around the 1930s give or take and one 1960s. The new house was the only 'estate' we've ever lived in but it was a very small one of about 20 houses.

D_M_E

Old established place is what I would buy, and preferably freehold, because there's no estate fees, no management fees and it's been standing for some time so all defects have mostly been fixed or are visible and if there are any fresh new looking patches then that's either something covered up which needs looking at, or it's been recently fixed.
Also, the rooms are most likely to be bigger, not like the rabbit hutches being constructed these days and being sold for vast amounts.

New or nearly new build - could be leasehold (think this is either banned or is in process of being banned) and will most likely have estate fees, management charges, deeds containing clauses which mean that to do anything such as change windows, change garage to room, put up satellite dish and anything else they can think of, you will have to pay a fee to the developer to get permission to do whateveritis to your own home.
If leasehold, onerous leasehold fees and, depending on how they increase, a reduced chance of selling should you want to move.

In either case, old or new, you can put your own stamp on the property and make it yours.

ProDave

I am building my own new build, the only way I know I am getting what I want. There are not many mass new builds on an estate that I would want.

However if buying "second hand" I would look carefully at what you are getting.

Personally I would not now want a house with an EPC less than D, and ideally C or better. You already can't let a property with an EPC of F and that will soon change to E, so older, poorer houses must reduce in value as demand for them will fall, and who wants to be pumping lots of heat in just to leak out? And many will be hard or very expensive to improve.

So probably the sweet spot is something 10 to 20 years old that should be built to a reasonable standard and will have had all the problems ironed out.

P.S I am biased, I am building a well insulated air tight house that I expect to get an EPC of A when complete.

SG27

New builds are generally poorer quality than say pre 2000. Personally for me I would never buy one. I have owned a 300 year old house and just bought a 1960s house. A friend bought a new build year before last. He has had a lot of snagging issues including, poor plastering, plumbing issues and an entire garden that sank and turned into a bog! It all got fixed under guarantee.
He also says if he pushed the wall hard enough he could push through into his neighbours living room!
The other thing that would put me off is they are so much more expensive. New builds in my town for a 3 bed with little parking cost £50k more than a 1960 with nice driveway and more floorspace.

bouicca21

I would be put off a new build for reasons unrelated to build quality. I would not want to live on an estate where I needed to drive to shops, cafes and restaurants. I would not want to live in a house or flat with tiny rooms. Add to that my concern about build quality and inflated prices, and it's a no no all round.

Equally I wouldn't want to buy a house that was so old that it would need constant maintenance ...

scottishblondie

It’s all so dependant in exactly what you’re looking at, there really is no right answer. My first flat was a newish build, I was the second owner. It was fine, but the bedrooms are small, although the living space and kitchen are a good size. I’ve also just had to shell out several thousand for major works in the building which is only 17 years old, so I would say the construction is poor.

My second property, a townhouse, was a brand new build within a small development in an established area. It’s been fantastic. I loved being able to tailor it to what I wanted and it’s of very solid construction. No noise from the neighbours, really low heating bills. We’ve loved living in it.

On the other end of the scale the house we’ve just bought is a 1920s villa divided into 2 flats back in the 70s. It’s very spacious, a nice south facing mature garden and a garage. It’s also not that well insulated and is full of quirks and poor workmanship that have built up over the years as things have been changed. I’ll miss a lot of things about my new build townhouse, but this new (old) property is the right move for our family for the future.

If you weren’t comfortable going forward with the house you reserved then you definitely made the right decision in pulling out. But it doesn’t really boil down to new build vs old house, you need to assess each property individually on what it can offer you.

Smodlet

Again, it's individual taste but I would not touch a new build with a barge pole. If I had a couple of million quid, I would find a nice, character property with a huge garden which needed little or no work. I would never choose anything built later than the 1960's because that is when the plague that is stud walls hit; I hate them. Some earlier properties have them but they did not become common until the 1970's as far as I am aware.

If you want a new build, buy a new build but be aware of all the extortionate, semi-hidden fees attached thereto, as already covered and know brand new houses lose value at the same kind of rate as brand new cars. The day you exchange, the value will drop unless it is a really, really great house in a lovely area which I am sure ProDave's will be.

SG27

Smodlet wrote: »

Again, it's individual taste but I would not touch a new build with a barge pole. If I had a couple of million quid, I would find a nice, character property with a huge garden which needed little or no work. I would never choose anything built later than the 1960's because that is when the plague that is stud walls hit; I hate them. Some earlier properties have them but they did not become common until the 1970's as far as I am aware.

If you want a new build, buy a new build but be aware of all the extortionate, semi-hidden fees attached thereto, as already covered and know brand new houses lose value at the same kind of rate as brand new cars. The day you exchange, the value will drop unless it is a really, really great house in a lovely area which I am sure ProDave's will be.

It always makes me wonder what goes through peoples heads when a they pay £500k for a 3 bed end terrace new build when they could have bought a 5 bed semi with huge garden in an arguably better location of the same village less than half a mile away.

[Deleted User]

You could look for a newly renovated older house. Then you get the 'shiny new pin' look, and hopefully a bigger place than you would if buying a new build.

The problems with that idea is you have to be sure the renovation has been done properly and will be paying a premium as the owner will be expecting their costs back plus profit, exactly like a new build.

The other option is to buy a do-er upper, not move in and get a builder in. Then you get exactly what you want and don't pay a profit element. But its a lot of hassle, particularly if you find unexpected problems. And someone who isn't used to DIY or renovation could find it difficult to cope with. You'd need a thorough survey before buying and such houses are in demand, you'd be buying against professional flippers.

Or you buy an older house that matches what you want with just one or two jobs needing doing.

I'd advise having a good look round what is available in the area you are wanting to move to, figuring out what compromises you are prepared to make. Try and take a friend with you who is more experienced so you get another point of view. It always amazes me how often people buy houses that don't meet any of their criteria but they fall in love with them for something that they didn't even realise they wanted, and that outweighs all their criteria.