why does everyone hate new builds?
Discussion
They are built poorly, in the whole that's the only issue I have seen.
Three friends have bought new builds in the last 5 years, every one has had a LOAD of issues that has need to be corrected after handover including some major works.
Big blocks of flats can be good, I'm even tempted by some and they should be built better if they're actully concrete not just the carboard s
t they make most new houses from.
Three friends have bought new builds in the last 5 years, every one has had a LOAD of issues that has need to be corrected after handover including some major works.
Big blocks of flats can be good, I'm even tempted by some and they should be built better if they're actully concrete not just the carboard s
t they make most new houses from.Built on the cheap basically. I have a chap coming round tomorrow to fix the massive damp patch by my french doors. Additionally, the thermostat was inoperable and didn't control the boiler, the shower was hooked up the wrong way, my toilet flushed hot water, and they managed to fit fixed windows where they should have been opening ones.
To their credit, after the first 4 customer services managers had been fired/made redundant the new chap is very good and had stuff fixed it short order. Still, for the money I spent on what is effectively a box, I expected more.
To their credit, after the first 4 customer services managers had been fired/made redundant the new chap is very good and had stuff fixed it short order. Still, for the money I spent on what is effectively a box, I expected more.
haworthlloyd1 said:
1. new builds have a drive and integral garage which is good if you are a ph'er. not many older houses have this facility.
Have you tried getting a car into said 'garage'? Everybody I know has converted theirs into another downstairs room as if you have anything bigger than a Smart you haven't got a hope.haworthlloyd1 said:
2. new builds are under warranty for repairs etc
Yeah, right...and NHBC are well known their easy-going, hassle-free claims procedure. I don't know of a single person who has managed to get a penny out of them.haworthlloyd1 said:
near me terraced houses that need upgrading and have overgrown gardens and no driveway are the same price as a new build detached house with a garage.
Not in my experience. All the new-builds I've seen have been well overpriced.And let's not mention character, individuality, room sizes, shoddy workmanship etc. etc. Give me an older house any day.
haworthlloyd1 said:
1. new builds have a drive and integral garage which is good if you are a ph'er. not many older houses have this facility.
2. new builds are under warranty for repairs etc
3. new builds are all newly decorated with new kitchens, bathrooms etc
1. The garage is so small it's pointless.2. new builds are under warranty for repairs etc
3. new builds are all newly decorated with new kitchens, bathrooms etc
2. Because a warranty is needed
3. So are plenty of older houses, failing that you can decorate etc yourself in a style you like.
Add to that the solidity, size and character of an old house and I can't see why anyone would buy a generic new build.
My mum's just moved into one and while the off-street parking is convenient, it's small and the estate gives me claustrophobia.
haworthlloyd1 said:
I don't really understand the logic. Yes new builds are of worse quality but they are probably less hassle.
Do you also apply this logic to your car purchases? I have to ask as you haven't seen fit to fill any in on your profile. Assuming you can drive and own a car, do you favour a badly built unreliable car with a warranty over an older well-engineered car out of warranty?Lol, our new (well 2 years old) build is a massive 4-bed semi with detached double garage and gated off-road drive and parking.
It's a William Davis house and externally nothing to look at but internally a little more interesting due to the attaching walls being angled.
I think they built the garage double as it was one of the first houses on the site and they wanted people to think that was the standard. As it is it is the only semi with a double on a site with only a few doubles anyway.
It's a William Davis house and externally nothing to look at but internally a little more interesting due to the attaching walls being angled.
I think they built the garage double as it was one of the first houses on the site and they wanted people to think that was the standard. As it is it is the only semi with a double on a site with only a few doubles anyway.
My experience has been totally different to those above. I bought a David Wilson home (now owned by Barratt unfortunately) over two years ago and had next to nothing in terms of snagging. The house is still snag free now.
The garage swallows my E36 comfortably, and the drive way is big enough for it too. Some of the neighbours' driveways are big enough for two average sized cars.
It's only a three bed semi, but I have views over fields, the neighbours aren't in my pocket and it was reasonably priced. I found the customer service to be very good too.
New builds aren't always bad news!
(Although my wife bought a Barratt flat at the same time I bought the house and had no end of trouble, so I'm not blind to what can go wrong.)
The garage swallows my E36 comfortably, and the drive way is big enough for it too. Some of the neighbours' driveways are big enough for two average sized cars.
It's only a three bed semi, but I have views over fields, the neighbours aren't in my pocket and it was reasonably priced. I found the customer service to be very good too.
New builds aren't always bad news!
(Although my wife bought a Barratt flat at the same time I bought the house and had no end of trouble, so I'm not blind to what can go wrong.)
Went to see a few a while back. They seemed good value for money. -5 bed houses were in budget and this appealed.
In terms of the insides I quite liked the use of space, new kitchens/bathrooms etc. All was great until we got to back gardens. Too small, some weird drainage issues here and there (squidge) and overlooked by other houses in the same way that prison guard towers overlook exercise yards.
Just couldn't get past that.
Also some 'developments' can tend to be quite isolated and ammenties within walking distance are limited.
In terms of the insides I quite liked the use of space, new kitchens/bathrooms etc. All was great until we got to back gardens. Too small, some weird drainage issues here and there (squidge) and overlooked by other houses in the same way that prison guard towers overlook exercise yards.
Just couldn't get past that.
Also some 'developments' can tend to be quite isolated and ammenties within walking distance are limited.
Low maintenance / guarantees etc are a major selling point.
We bought ours at 3 years old so any teething problems had been sorted. In 6 years apart from the odd lick of paint, a dodgy controller on the CH (fixed by BG) and an overflow leak from the header tank which cost me £6 to fix it's it's not needed anything else. I agree they're built on a budget and I do hanker after an older property but whilst the kids are still young and we need a low maintenance house that does it's job adequately then a 'new' build home will do just fine.
We bought ours at 3 years old so any teething problems had been sorted. In 6 years apart from the odd lick of paint, a dodgy controller on the CH (fixed by BG) and an overflow leak from the header tank which cost me £6 to fix it's it's not needed anything else. I agree they're built on a budget and I do hanker after an older property but whilst the kids are still young and we need a low maintenance house that does it's job adequately then a 'new' build home will do just fine.
A few years ago, before I bought my current property, I was looking at a new development and it so happened that my father was working on that particular site. I asked him what they were like, him having seen them go up from the ground and being not unfamiliar with the process myself. "Don't bother, Son" he said. They're st. All quickbuilds - shaky wooden frame and one skin of brickwork up the outside. From footings to people moving in was not more than nine weeks. Absolutely thrown together.
And that was back when margins were reasonable. Given that developer margins are much less now, I would be even less inclined to buy a newbuild, unless I commissioned and oversaw the build myself.
t. All quickbuilds - shaky wooden frame and one skin of brickwork up the outside. From footings to people moving in was not more than nine weeks. Absolutely thrown together.And that was back when margins were reasonable. Given that developer margins are much less now, I would be even less inclined to buy a newbuild, unless I commissioned and oversaw the build myself.
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