Advise on first time buyers in 2023 - preferably NEW BUILDS

Silvertabby

We bought our house as a new build just shy of 30 years ago.  The builder was a small(ish) local company and they did a great job - our snagging list was just 3 minor items, which were dealt with within a couple of days.

Sadly, they have since gone bankrupt because they couldn't compete with the 'usual suspects' builders while maintaining the build and fittings quality they wouldn't compromise on.

We recently had a look at some new build show houses (well known builders) and were shocked at the poor overall finish and obvious short-cuts taken.  And note I said 'show houses' which are usually built/decorated to a higher standard than the rest.

This was always going to be our forever home, and we have made changes along the way.  New kitchen and bathrooms, added an orangery/conservatory, engineered oak throughout most of the ground floor, 2 year old boiler, etc.  We love our home, but would we buy a new build again?  After seeing these show homes, I would have to say no.  Much more likely to go for a well built older home that has been well maintained and improved upon over the years,  such as our house.

Ehi

knightstyle said:

We bought a new build several years ago as we were working abroad and wanted a property in UK which we let for holiday lets and I would make the following points.
1. Parking most new estates have narrow roads and people now have 2 or 3 cars per household so is there enough space?  Is there a parking company/cowboy there?
2. Ground rent, estate management, do you own the ground or is it leasehold and is there an annual fee for maintaining public areas?
4. Public transport, good links increase value.

On the whole new builds are OK, have good insulation, small gardens but if terraced or semi noise from neighbours houses can be a problem as sound insulation is not always good.

HOw do you escape parking cowboys ? Free loaders exists irrespective of new builds or not

I currently live in a newbuild and have 2 alotted parking spaces infront of my house and a free one, by my living room window.

 My neighbour parks his dented jalopy right infront of my window and when his parents come, they take over the entire place, as he has only one parking lot in his 2 story house. The most annoying thing is that he parks so close to my car, at times I get so scared that his kids might scratch my car (when there is plenty of space around the estate)

Everytime he sees me, he gives me a thumbs up with a big smile

As irritating as he is, there is nothing I can or anyone do


I always inquire about ground rent (fleece-hold), most have none, as I am told it depends on location and if the land was completely purchased or not

Ehi

Silvertabby said:

We bought our house as a new build just shy of 30 years ago.  The builder was a small(ish) local company and they did a great job - our snagging list was just 3 minor items, which were dealt with within a couple of days.

Sadly, they have since gone bankrupt because they couldn't compete with the 'usual suspects' builders while maintaining the build and fittings quality they wouldn't compromise on.

We recently had a look at some new build show houses (well known builders) and were shocked at the poor overall finish and obvious short-cuts taken.  And note I said 'show houses' which are usually built/decorated to a higher standard than the rest.

All builders I am viewing have excellent finishing. I love their upgraded kitchens and my current house insulation is near perfect. I have hardly used heating since I moved it and Bulb ( my energy provider ) always refunds my credits regularly to me. I have posted a few questions about this on this website. 

Neither have I ever had the heating on for longer than 2 -3 hours, as it keeps warm. Same goes for the boiler, I let it heat for 30mins and use the hot water for about 5- 6 days without turning it back on ( As I live alone in a 3 bed house)

I saw a property recently, that was built about 5 -10 years back and the doors where like cardboard. Such builders I avoid

Silvertabby

Ehi said:

knightstyle said:

We bought a new build several years ago as we were working abroad and wanted a property in UK which we let for holiday lets and I would make the following points.
1. Parking most new estates have narrow roads and people now have 2 or 3 cars per household so is there enough space?  Is there a parking company/cowboy there?
2. Ground rent, estate management, do you own the ground or is it leasehold and is there an annual fee for maintaining public areas?
4. Public transport, good links increase value.

On the whole new builds are OK, have good insulation, small gardens but if terraced or semi noise from neighbours houses can be a problem as sound insulation is not always good.

HOw do you escape parking cowboys ? Free loaders exists irrespective of new builds or not

I currently live in a newbuild and have 2 alotted parking spaces infront of my house and a free one, by my living room window.

 My neighbour parks his dented jalopy right infront of my window and when his parents come, they take over the entire place, as he has only one parking lot in his 2 story house. The most annoying thing is that he parks so close to my car, at times I get so scared that his kids might scratch my car (when there is plenty of space around the estate)

Everytime he sees me, he gives me a thumbs up with a big smile

As irritating as he is, there is nothing I can or anyone do


I always inquire about ground rent (fleece-hold), most have none, as I am told it depends on location and if the land was completely purchased or not

Another advantage of buying an older property.  On our estate, 90% of the properties are detached, with the larger (4 beds) houses having double drives.  Longer drives, such as ours, can take up to 4 cars if necessary.

Plus, in addition to being freehold, the estate roads and green areas have been adopted by the Council, so no extra fees to pay.  You won't get that with most new builds now.

Ehi

Silvertabby said:

Another advantage of buying an older property.  On our estate, 90% of the properties are detached, with the larger (4 beds) houses having double drives.  Longer drives, such as ours, can take up to 4 cars if necessary.

Plus, in addition to being freehold, the estate roads and green areas have been adopted by the Council, so no extra fees to pay.  You won't get that with most new builds now.

Very very good point. Thanks

I will have to look into that, as I cant stand freeloaders and parking cowboys

Maka344

Do timber framed new builds bother anyone? Lots of developers seem to be using this construction method in England more and more these days. 

MikeJXE

Ehi said:

Does anyone know what replaced the HELP TO BUY SCHEME ? 

I am told it has ended and there is a new one. I asked 2 builders locally to me, and they said they dont know. the only one available was for key workers, which I dont qualify

From the government website 

First Homes scheme: discounts for first-time buyers

If you’re a first-time buyer, you may be able buy a home for 30% to 50% less than its market value. This offer is called the First Homes scheme.

The home can be:

• a new home built by a developer
• a home you buy from someone else who originally bought it as part of the scheme

The First Homes scheme is only available in England.

Eligibility

You must be:

• 18 or older
• a first-time buyer
• able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home
• buying the home as part of a household where total income is no more than £80,000 (or £90,000 if you live in London)

The local council may also set some eligibility conditions.

For example, some councils may prioritise giving First Homes discounts to:

• essential workers
• people who already live in the area
• those on lower incomes

Ehi

https://www.gov.uk/first-homes-scheme

Many thanks. Found the website

This would be my focus to see if I can find my dream home. If not would resort to plan B

Postik

Surely replacing kitchens and flooring just because they not brand new is a bit OCD?  Don't get me wrong if the kitchen and floors are 20 years old they probably need replacing anyway, and I am pretty OCD myself when it comes to things like grubby taps and scummed up plug holes and overflows. But there are 5-10 year old houses out there in fantasic condition (and also older houses that have been renovated more recently).  In those cases a bottle of limescale remover and bleach is all that's needed.

I myself am very anal about such things, I don't even like using "public" cutlery much when eating out.  But I just bought a 4 year old house and it was so clean and "new", since disinfecting the sinks, taps and toilets I haven't given it a second thought.

Bear in mind when buying new, the kitchen, carpets, etc will be the cheapest money can buy and might not last.  You might also get a fair few snags which end up proving impossible to get the developer to rectify and you have to roll up your sleeves and sort them yourself.  My house has snags and I don't know if the previous owners were just less particular than I am, or whether they gave up trying to get the developer to sort them. I know sometimes when they come out to fix something, they break something else in the process so you end up just giving up.