New build houses, yeah or nah?

[weeksy]

As you may have seen elsewhere we’re moving house next year

One of the places we’re looking at is Lynsey. I know one of our members lives there and I’m meeting up with him tomorrow but this is about new builds as much as the area.

The development is Charles Church. Reading up, they’re now owned by Persimmon and have potentially gone down in quality since being bought out.

But, well, let’s hear your good and bad.

[Yorick]

If you wander around a current area, you'll get a feel of the occupants, tidiness, noise etc. Make your own list

Can't do that with new build.

[Count Steer]

Docca went through the joys of buying new not so long ago. Employed a professional 'snagger' and that worked out to be a good idea iirc.

Only ever bought one new build - our first one, so it's a long time ago. No big issues apart from they'd just covered a load of spare bricks/breeze blocks and kerbstones with turf and called it 'lawn". (I dug 'em all out and used 'em).

[weeksy]

If you wander around a current area, you'll get a feel of the occupants, tidiness, noise etc. Make your own list

Can't do that with new build.

Well I expect it won’t be the first house being built, I expect most are built currently.

[Rockburner]

I wouldn't do it again.

Houses these days are made to such slipshod standards that it's amazing they're still standing after 10 years.

[KungFooBob]

My house was built in 2001. It's required more attention that the 1920's house I lived in before.

[Rockburner]

My house was built in 2001. It's required more attention that the 1920's house I lived in before.

I think 20s/30s builds are probably the sweet spot between too old and too shoddy

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I know a couple of people who've bought new houses recently, both have had lots of minor problems with them.

[Yorick]

Just pick 10 local houses with big garages.

Then let the missus choose which you buy

Wins all round

[Horse]

One of the 'snaggers' on YouTube does an annual summary of the major companies' quality.

[MingtheMerciless]

Check out FB and see if there is a local residents group and employ a professional snagger. We told my trainee at work to do this as he has just bought his first house and it's a new build, he didn't as he knew best and now he has found some issues which they are being tardy sorting out as they have his money.

Turns out due to a poorly routed pipe his washing machine won't slide fully home into its recess so he can't get the cupboard door that covers it to close (door was an optional extra he paid for). Pipe needs moving which is apparently a big job.

He had to get them to install a gate so could put his bins in his back garden. His back garden needed re-turfing as it wasn't watered after they put it down.

He's constantly chasing the builders to resolve issues.

[Yorick]

You might get any old neighbours.

Black, yellow, Asian, Pikey.

Or hell, might even get Scousers as neighbours

[Sunny]

My major issue with the new builds we looked at (and we looked at a lot) was that they all felt squashed together, lots of shared driveways/weird unadopted cul-de-sacs and the like, and the gardens were tiny.
Felt like you'd be living in next-door's armpit.

[Dodgy69]

My niece bought a new build, well shared ownership last year. The whole row has cracked walls, water running in around the windows. Was there the other month, its a proper shit show for them, no one taking responsibility.

Buy older with a nice garden, trees and stuff.

[weeksy]

You might get any old neighbours.

Black, yellow, Asian, Pikey.

Or hell, might even get Scousers as neighbours

At this price bracket the neighbours won’t be flipping burgers for a living

But whatever their colour, I won’t be talking to them

I’m sure our neighbours have names now, but I don’t know them

[Count Steer]

Just remembered another (non-critical) example of new-buildery (Barratts). I took the bath panel off at some point. They'd swept everything on the upstairs floor - bits of plaster, wood etc under the bath and then put the panel on.

Came home one day to find my neighbour had most of the bathroom suite out on the front 'lawn'. It started with the plastic(?) bath* flexing/sinking on the cradle and parting company with the tiles every time he had a bath. They hadn't put the cradle on battens either and the chipboard floor flexed too. But they'd also put the cradle on top of the sweepings-up and they were gradually getting crushed. Then the bog started leaking because it moved when you sat on it, so that was on the 'lawn' too.

PS I always thought it was best to buy a 3-5 year old one and let someone else do the snagging. The danger is you get one that the owners are quitting in despair.

* Avocado was all the rage in the 80s

[The Martian]

As someone who's worked in the construction industry since the 90's and domestic building refurbishment for the last ten years I absolutely would not buy a persimmon home and would be very wary of 90% of new builds because the quality is shocking.

I honestly think there will be mortgages lasting longer than the buildings and in 20 ish years it's going to be a national scandal.

Home buyers surveys are utterly pointless, need to be much more in depth. I did my own survey on our housem

A Martian never forgets a favour and I still owe you one so if you would like an impartial survey (that will be more in depth than a regular survey) on a place before you drop half a million on it, give me a shout.

[Nordboy]

I think you only have to see the extra work and cost that new build owners have or tend to do in the following years to realise that new builds are generally pretty shoddy.

My 'new' house is now about 23 yrs old and has had pretty much everything replaced by the last owners which I'm grateful for. I wasn't looking for a newer house when I moved in August, we were looking for older with more space, garden etc, but the one we ended up buying is right on the end of a cul de sac and it's at an angle so we're surrounded by trees, not neighbours. It also has a huge garden for a new'ish build.

The place we moved from was on a small estate, but was built very differently from the others, proper thick walls etc. They built a new bit of 10 houses in the last 3-5 yrs to fill the space they had. The owners have all pretty much totally remodelled them, so many new bathrooms, kitchens, I'm guessing because they were all a bit shit. And these weren't cheap houses, £600k+.

My lad's new build, which is about 10-12 yrs old is right on a busy road, the neighbours are 8 ft away, parking is a nightmare, even though they have a drive and the garden is small and surrounded by everyone else's garden.

Charles Church were one of the better builders, but if they have been taken over by Persimmon, then that may not be the case anymore.

I think having a look at the show house, really carefully, then getting a feel about the company etc. If they're not offering a lot over older houses in the area, then I'd be looking elsewhere. New build, especially off plan, wouldn't be my first choice of house unless you're getting a really good deal. And they do good deals off plan.

[Taipan]

As others have said, the build quality of a lot of new builds is shocking. My daughter lives in a brand new house and the upstairs floors aren't even level! Only good thing I can say, is they cost about 10p a year to heat and tbh that is appealing as i head towards the pension era...

[Count Steer]

On a positive note If a new build is to a decent spec and put together properly they're probably as good as most places built in the last 60 years. Let's not get carried away thinking that eg the 70s and 80s were the golden age of house-building. Barratt built a lot of them.

Old houses aren't always problem free and weren't designed for 'modern living'. Extensive rewiring and lots more sockets needed, often solid but badly insulated and you have to hope all the rewiring and alterations inc. additional plumbing/en suites have been done properly. (Some of the wiring done by the previous owner of this place is exceedingly shonky and was actually dangerous in places).

Houses generally are a pain in the arse/wallet and a part-time job.