New Build or Older Home?

gycraig_2

Ooooh I get to be different, I absolutely love my new build. Brand new carpets appliances boiler and everything else. Stupidly efficient on gas and electric compared to the houses we rented.


Was a regeneration project so no social housing in the area and a stones throw from town.
If you get a well designed one despite being smaller they can often be just as usable as bigger properties due to rooms being designed without 3 doors in the front room etc, ours has 2 ensuites rather than a bathroom upstairs which IMO is far better than one normal bathroom.

Had 0 issues in the first year

armchaireconomist

I find new builds tend to attract a less than desirable clientele, the one near me is full of some truly repugnant individuals with superiority complexes.


See above

InterestedParty2018

Another "vote" for the anti-new build side.

Personally, I prefer property with a solid history, both in terms of physical construction but also running costs.
New builder are often in clusters on estates, which are subject to estate charges. Also, it take a few years for the neighbourhood to become established.

Quality of new builds will depend on the developers, but sadly, again they are mass produced. In my experience homes built at the start of a project are given lots of TLC versus the last homes which can sometimes be rushed to meet deadlines and because trades are eager to move to their next job.

Room sizes of new builds are often smaller than older homes because they try maximise the floor space. Squeezing in an additional bedroom, en-suite or a utility room to make it more marketable.

Having said, most people can understand the idea of a "shiny new place" - so maybe you should genuinely consider a "do'er upper" that you can refurbish to your exact requirements.... including all the interior finishes!

pimento

The one thing that would make me more likely to buy a new build (and it is the only thing) is the fact that most older houses only have one bathroom. That's a complete deal breaker for me.

SpaceUp

I would not buy a new house. I like the old wooden houses. Especially as if the house near the forest.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

My house was a new build; many decades ago. Back then the estate was carefully planned with lots of green space, roads detoured around mature trees and enough amenities such as schools, surgeries, a huge new hospital, cinemas, shops and pubs. Although not big, the houses all have fair-sized gardens and plenty of useful storage.

The new builds I've visted seem to be more poky (although they technically have more bedrooms and bathrooms), with tiny depressing gardens and minimal storage (no porch, no under-stairs cupboard, no useable loft space). Everyone seems very close to the road and their neighbours. The builders just throw up houses and there's no consideration for parking, schools, surgeries, parks etc.

comeandgo

I'd go new build all the time but not built by the multi nationals. I do think the build them cheap sell them high builders skimp as much as possible but not all new builds are like that.
All houses were new housing at one time.
The other thing to watch with new developments is the percentage of affordable houses that have to be included.

HanPop

There is no right or wrong answer to this question as everyone has different taste. Most people I have found are very anti New build. I however love them. I was brought up in a large 5 bedroom Victorian house which did have its plus points (with 6 of us living there we were never on top of each other) but it did have its downsides. The top of the house was always freezing and when the boiler did go it cost an absolute fortune to fix as they had to get a top of the range one to be able to heat the whole house. I also couldn’t care less about Minton tiles/marble fireplaces/ceiling roses etc etc because I looked at them my whole life so they’re not that interesting to me. I currently live in a 5 year old redrow house and have never had any issues. We also picked the plot so we are not overlooked and everyone on my estate has two car parking spaces so the roads don’t tend to be overcrowded. We are looking to buy another new build next year, it is a 5 bed which is much cheaper than an older 5 bed property and also I like kitchen diners, not a separate dining space which you get in older houses.
Ultimately it is up to you what type of house you pick but I just wanted to say that I have not had a bad experience with a new build.

doryprevin

Personally I am also considering buying a new build simply for financial reasons. I know a couple of people who bought new builds recently and haven't had any serious complaints (probably 5-10 snags each, the main issue for both was construction delays).

I have read all the horror stories, but quite frankly house prices in my area (near Southampton, close enough to London that prices are jacked up) are absolutely ridiculous for both new and old houses. So I'd be paying about the same as for a new build, but then have to pay for all the renovations on top. Not only that, but I'd need a much larger deposit which is the real crux of the matter - for those of us who don't have that much in savings, HTB is the only option and that means new builds...

I also can't seem to find any of these mythical 1960s or older spacious houses that everyone recommends - they all seem to have rooms fairly similar in size to new builds, and as another user mentioned, they only have one bathroom, many not even a downstairs loo. Not to mention they look incredibly dated and probably are less efficient to run.

From what I've seen around here you only really get spacious rooms if you're willing to spend a fortune or buy anything with more than 3 bedrooms (and therefore also spend a fortune), and for childfree people that just seems like a waste.

NeilCr

I've bought two new builds - one a flat in London - the other my house down here.

Both built by smallish builders and I've had absolutely no problems with either of them. I like new - I don't do renovations and I hate the mess and hassle of having someone in my space. Both of them with lots of room for me on my own and a moggie. High ceilings,

This is going to be me but they also (especially my house here) are/were my own and it feels nice that no-one else has lived here. My partner has a similar size Victorian house and there are always things going wrong - and it's draughty. As I get older, I appreciate the convenience (particularly the downstairs loo) of a more modern house.

As others have said it's horses for courses - and your experiences inform your views. Maybe I am lucky or am just a good house picker. Pretty certain it's the first of those!