Would you buy a new build house?

[Horizon22]

Right now, probably not. I've heard too many horror stories about shoddy materials, unfinished work, terrible customer service and all sorts of ground rent and servicing charges that don't make the offer seem as good as it claims to be. Especially with Help to Buy properties. Also a lot of them are on the edge of towns with few amenities and lots of dead-end streets which seems to promote car driving and I'd like my commute to be a walk to the train station and into work.

That being said if the right one came up and was properly surveyed and found to be in good working order, then sure. And I wouldn't be opposed to a "newer" build (post 2000 say) that had been lived in already so had worked through the kinks but was still modern and airy etc. Standards really seem to have dropped since around 2010.

I've never owned a house but will hope to do so in next 5 years. It would likely be a flat anyway, and then that comes with its own cladding risks to stay well away from...

 

[route101]

Right now, probably not. I've heard too many horror stories about shoddy materials, unfinished work, terrible customer service and all sorts of ground rent and servicing charges that don't make the offer seem as good as it claims to be. Especially with Help to Buy properties. Also a lot of them are on the edge of towns with few amenities and lots of dead-end streets which seems to promote car driving and I'd like my commute to be a walk to the train station and into work.

That being said if the right one came up and was properly surveyed and found to be in good working order, then sure. And I wouldn't be opposed to a "newer" build (post 2000 say) that had been lived in already so had worked through the kinks but was still modern and airy etc. Standards really seem to have dropped since around 2010.

I've never owned a house but will hope to do so in next 5 years. It would likely be a flat anyway, and then that comes with its own cladding risks to stay well away from...

Noticed in my town, more new development on the edges, miles from any station or bus route. Becoming car central. Even older new builds from the 1980s have problems with the building fabric now life expired.

 

[Horizon22]

Noticed in my town, more new development on the edges, miles from any station or bus route. Becoming car central. Even older new builds from the 1980s have problems with the building fabric now life expired.

Yes it's quite frustrating especially when we're supposed to become less car-dependent. However I imagine local councillors, planning rules and "NIMBYs" have driven a lot of this policy over the past decades.

 

[Red Onion]

I have a new build (well, 2019) and it’s been absolutely fine, no complaints here.

Likewise, I’ve been in mine since I bought at the start of 2017 and had no problems with it. Before that I was in another new build for two years which was fine.

I’m looking at another new house by the same builders as my current one.

 

[Urobach]

Can't say we've had any problems in this mid 2017 build either, which encouraged us to buy new again this year

 

[Gostav]

Yes it's quite frustrating especially when we're supposed to become less car-dependent. However I imagine local councillors, planning rules and "NIMBYs" have driven a lot of this policy over the past decades.

I think a major reason is that the "American Dream" - car, independent house, private garden is so tempting.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I think a major reason is that the "American Dream" - car, independent house, private garden is so tempting.

It was a blessing over the last year, that's for sure.

 

[HSTEd]

The challenge for housing in the post coronavirus world, is providing comprehensive public transport whilst simultaneously providing people with private outside and indoors space.

I think flats are probably dead for this reason - noone wants to risk being caught in another year long lockdown in one

This challenge will require innovations and probably means that most of the housing stock is not suitable for conversion to this new standard.
We could square this circle by bearing down on all unecessary use of land in residential areas, every square metre exposed to the sky must be used.

(In my opinion, this means:

1. All residential streets to be one way, with no on street parking for residents
2. All residential units provided with a garage on the ground floor of the property, with most of the unit above it
3. Roof gardens to be the rule
4. Basement provided for utility room, boiler/heat pump equipment, hot water cylinder, storage etc etc
5. Automated rubbish collection
6. Utility tunnels to remove the need to close the road for significant periods, as all utility work can be done out of the way

)

 

[Strathclyder]

If it was properly surveyed and found to have no nasty surprises lurking just under the surface, then yes. I'd apply the same standards to a house built in the 70s, 50s, 30s etc.

This is purely hypothetical however, as 1) I'm unemployed, 2) not likely to be able to afford a decent-sized house even if I did get a decent paying job (itself extremely unlikely) and 3) the only remotely realistic chance of my getting a roof over my head after I leave home is either renting or sheltered housing. Anything else is, quite frankly, a fantasy. Not to cast aspersions on such forms of housing of course. I'm just being realistic.

I'll stop there before I start rambling, as topics like this both depress me and tend to remind me of my failings in life. Would explain why I rarely reply to them....