Why do people buy Persimmon / Barratt / New-built houses ?

weeg

And the flood plain thing? Red herring. In order to get planning you need to demonstrate that the houses won't flood.

HanPop

I personally love new builds, currently living in our second one. Never had any major issues, both of them were a bargain price for what they are and in comparison to older houses in the area, both have been well picked plots with good sized gardens, and both had a floor plan suited to what we wanted (downstairs toilet/en suites/kitchen diner etc). I like that no one has ever lived in them before and that they are a blank canvas. We’ve also had some snags and they’ve been rectified immediately. 

I appreciate that not everyone likes new builds but I was brought up in a big Victorian house and it was so cold and always needed work doing to it it put me off older houses. Each to their own, you just have to do your research with new builds because you can get a good deal with them if you buy towards the end of the development etc.

JamoLew

Scotbot said:

JamoLew said:

New houses tend to have:

Good insulation
Modern double glazing
Brand new heating system/boiler
Brand new electrics
Nice smooth, unspoiled plastered walls
Nice straight,flat walls and floors
Everything is new and probably wont need any maintenance for 5+ years

Old houses

For all their plus points - have none of these

each to their own

its like asking why does anyone but anything brand new over used

Not true my 60 yr old house has all of these, it has been refurbished. 

True - I should have stated "as standard"

Apodemus

Scotbot said:

Not true, my 60 yr old house...

1961?  Pah! That is practically a new-build! 

Caitykinss

I'd love a big old character-filled property, but I can't afford one. Within our budget, it was either 'Second-hand' new build, or an ex-council semi. We went for the 'second-hand' new build option. Our house was 9 years old when we bought it, and although we know the boiler will probably need replacing in the next few years, the kitchen and bathrooms are still modern and don't need touching. We know our windows, insulation, electrics, heating, walls, floors etc are all still in the early days of their life and we don't have to worry about them. We also picked one that had the layout and space we wanted, and a decent sized garden. Essentially, it is a modern house (which we prefer to ex-council), but we didn't pay the new build premium.

We plan on doing exactly the same for our next house, as we still won't be able to afford that dream countryside character property. We're keeping an eye on the new build estates near us and waiting for them to start reselling in the next few years. We just don't have the funds or savings to risk a property that will cost us endlessly in maintenance. 

Joyful

I bought a new house with Walker last year. I love the house, but have the problem with water in the garden so have just fitted drainage( which the builder should have done). I think many need a fixed price to buy now. In Edinburgh older houses are going way above the asking price, ( 30%). My house is spacious as is my garden. The fittings inside I love. I looked at Barrat across the road and the fittings did not compare even though they were higher priced.

James-may

I just had a look at those companies homes near me and they seem to be tough priced at at least 40% more than the equivalent older house.
Granted it's a brand spanking new....well everything, but the houses seem "pokey" compared to many, and from what I understand new builds bring their own snag lists you might need to contend with.

Marvel1

I'm opting for 3 and 4 of your answer.

Natbag

Instagram lol - it's a big fashion right now amongst the millennials.
Also, I guess, if you're a young couple just starting out you might also choose a brand new house thinking there'd be less chance of repairs or improvements needing doing for a few years, plus the reassurance of the NHBC guarantee.

davidw123

OP alot of the things you posted are merely opinons, especially if you haven't had experience with this... but hey ho heres my answers.


1) They don't look like they were built with good materials and look as if they could fall apart easily.

On what basis is this? because they are brick then plasterboard rather then brick and brick? The UK doesn't have hurricanes or weather that requires such materials and they are made in this manner for speed of build and for energy efficiency. My 4 bedroom new build house costs me less energy per month then all of my three previous properties, and its bigger. I dont think i've heard of a single new build that has just fell down...

2) They're priced well above what nice old houses go for around here. Around £60k or more - plus these nice old houses tend to have more space internally and externally.

Depends on the area in general, I live in a village in West Yorkshire. My home is a 4 bedroom detached, with separate garage and large garden. I paid 260K for it, with a guarantee for 10 years on the build, and two years on everything else -  meaning I won't have to fork out anything for a considerable time. Additionally, there is nothing even remotely close to this property and price within my village or a remotely "nicer".

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=POSTCODE^4213963&minBedrooms=4&minPrice=250000&radius=3.0&sortType=1&propertyTypes=detached&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

3) They tend to age quickly and lose value if you sell it 3+ years down the line.

They lose value if your on a larger estate as your competing with the builder to sell your home, without the warranty or the justification for the cost. My house has increased by 20K (RICS) and its been two years. The builders sold their last "house style" of my property recently for £289.99 

4) The space inside is quite cramped and garden tend to be small.

Depends on the house, the smaller new builds are rabbit hutches; I think most of the new build houses under a stricter budget are tiny and you do not get your money worth, but for the larger houses it can be a decent investment. I would not say they are huge, but its definitely not cramped. I have a two storey garden and its roughly 9M X 10M (I've had to measure for decking quotes recently).

5) Lots of reviews on here and online about issues with Persimmon / new built homes.

I agree. I would say its not the issue necessarily about the house itself but the workmanship involved. Many are thrown up and there are so many snags it can get ridiculous. I still have a few snags to sort and its been two years... I would say the house has been a great home, but the customer service has been awful.

6) These homes are being built on floodplains and they get flooded almost every 2 years

Cant be true, they wouldn't be allowed to build. Even on sites where flooding has occured they HAVE to put in machinery or flood defences... They are usually built on farmland or brownfield sites. My garden is very clay like and it required drainage to be put in on both tiers, now its a beautiful lawn. I pushed the builders to sort this (took along time).

Generally, i think they are a safe bet for first time home owners that have struggled to keep up with saving a deposit, never mind buying a older home that will  need work of some kind and can easily add up; pipe burst? Boiler gone? Damp? Movement? Boundary issues? I dont have to consider any of these. 

I can literally move my things in and then im done