New Build houses

[C8RKH]

With the number of stories circulating like this, and due to general stories re appalling building standards, would any of you on here really be happy buying a new build house from outfits like these?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/persimmon-builds-entire-block-flats-25211166

[Barrykearley]

They are without doubt the worst of the lot

[Kimbers]

I have to ask @C8RKH............. What are YOU doing reading the Mirror??

[Chillidoggy]

The Morning Star website must have been down.

[Colin P]

It is true that new houses are cheaply and poorly built, but do we really think that building companies of the past were any better? Plenty of horror stories on older properties as well, just that a lot of it has since been dealt with. Some of what I uncovered during my current works made me consider this again. I can honestly say that I am amazed that the front 3 foot of flat roof across house has stayed up.

I think that probably the biggest issue is that new properties are build so "marginally" that when the builders do bodge something the impact of that bodge is more of an issue as there is no contingency/resilience in the rest of the property to make up for it.

Major failings (all of which are a consequence of the modern methods lack of resilience): Missing Fire barriers - not too much of an issue if you have cavity walls rather than timber frame, Incorrect window fitment - not an issue if you close the cavity walls rather than rely on cavity closers (which are combustible) - this is a pet hate of mine, all about cold bridges, which is bollox when the inside wall is thermalite block, Under specified roof trusses - not an issue if you used 9x2 timbers instead of trusses, ventilation - not an issue with traditional cavity or solid walls

Historically though the actual bodges are not new and have gone on for years: Laying bricks upside down to avoid filling frogs, Dumping rubble under the lawn, Bungaroosh, missing cavity ties, missing roof braces.

The problem is, most of the UK public are completely oblivious to even what their homes are built of let alone how they were built. Prices being determined by colour schemes and quality of kitchen appliances. The fact that the house is a glorified shed passes them by.

 

 

[Kimbers]

And in Answer to your question. If you need to build quick and cheap they are going to be Crap aren't they!!

In the next "Village" to me, called Hethersett, which had a population of around 5000 10 years ago. Then they approved a New Housing Estate of 600 houses. It took them 4 years to build.

Next they approved another estate of 1500 more houses ......... Now take into account there is no plan to increase infrastructure.......... This time it has taken around 2 years. They have just applied for another 200 houses. Now take into account several things:

1. There are 4 Doctors in the Surgery and they service all the surrounding area as well as the Village, 2 Dentists, One Tesco Express, a chippy and a Farm shop. No extra roads or infrastructure has been built. The schools have a waiting list, the Doctors is failing and is now shut from 3pm even online to cope with the demand, its now shutting one day every 2 weeks. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/gp-warning-hethersett-surgery-at-breaking-point-8082594
2. It took less time to build 1500 houses than it had 600. The new 200 Houses they have applied for are on the "Green Area's" they had allocated and the area for a new School, in the agreed plans.
3. They are using Apprentices to build some houses unsupervised
4. My Friend runs a building company that "puts right new build issues". Its all they do. He condemned several houses there recently as they would cost more to put right than rebuild.
5. Profit. Profit. Profit. They build on Greenfield sites instead of Brown because its cheaper. They cut corners and use cheaper and cheaper materials as the builds go on. My friend said that on the majority of estates the gardens in the last houses built are much smaller than plans because they have fitted an extra house or 2 in by cutting gardens and Green Areas.
6. They often agree things in their plans with the Council and then change them without permission because they know the councils don't have the money to take them to court. For Example: The 1500 housing estate in Hethersett said it would Protect all the Oak Trees on the agreed Site. However, as the build has gone on they have slowly been disappearing to excuses like "The roots were accidently undermined" etc. This culminated earlier this year in nesting season, when they cut down all the mature hedging and Trees surrounding the site that weren't even theirs!!!! 
Please read this if you think I am exaggerating https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/persimmon-and-taylor-wimpey-cut-down-trees-hedgerow-7955230
7. We are next. My village of 400 or so houses will look like this soon. Also with no more infrastructure. Its all about the money people! We need to be protecting our natural habitat to help combat climate change and flooding (a mature Oak drinks up to 400 gallons of water a day) not building on them! "But people need houses" Great! build up not out! Why are we one of the only developed country where people think it's their right to have a house instead of an apartment? 

The blue area to the North is an "Ancient Woodland" planted about 10 years ago with British Native Trees. The "E" in Melton is my house
 

[C8RKH]

41 minutes ago, Kimbers said:

I have to ask @C8RKH............. What are YOU doing reading the Mirror??

I was merely trying to connect with the lower classes my dear boy!

[C8RKH]

39 minutes ago, Colin P said:

Prices being determined by colour schemes and quality of kitchen appliances. The fact that the house is a glorified shed passes them by.

This in spades. We get sucked in by the superficial, less important, less longevity things, whereas the quality of the "shell" and permanent features is what really matters.

[Colin P]

...and @C8RKH that these days seemingly no one is able to even change a light bulb without calling an electrician.

16 Houses in my leg of the close and my study provides me with excellent observational positioning (aka sat here all day working I can see everything that goes on in the close whether I want to or not). There's me getting repeated comments, "it's amazing you can do that yourself", but aside from that, despite there being constant work being done it is all done by contractors, cleaners and gardeners etc. OK one guy does a bit of decorating and a couple cut their own lawns, but otherwise barely anyone else even washes their own cars. This means that they have no idea whether the job has been done well or not.

[mdw]

My son recently bought a house from Persimmon  and paid to have a snagging report.   It came back with 170 faults most of which were minor.  These were things like poor silicone around shower,   mark to dishwasher door etc.    The worst one was the oven fitted 25mm lower than the nextdoor cupboards as the half wit who fitted the hob left he gas pipe in the wrong place.    So rather than refit the hob they dropped the oven and cut the plinth.    The main bits seem to be built ok.    Their big problem seems to be its all built by subcontractors so nobody really cares as they  probabaly wont be on the next job anyway.

[C8RKH]

17 minutes ago, Colin P said:

barely anyone else even washes their own cars

Ah, so you have met my wife and my son then?  My wife or Son would not even know that you shouldn't use washing up liquid in a bucket of water to wash your car.  In fact, in almost 30 years I don't think my wife has ever washed HER car, once!

Yes - it seems these days every complains they are poor and has no money yet has no time/can't be arsed to do anything themselves! The irony is that the stuff I have built at home (walls, patios, sheds, etc has lasted longer, or needed less remedial work than so called "trained" professional builders.

As for decorating - after our extensive water damage the Insurance company (who themselves by the way were great) employed some "professional decorators" to redecorate.  I am still finding shit shoddy jobs done. The bathroom ceiling they replastered but then just painted normal emulsion straight on to it without priming the fresh plaster - so all the paint above the shower has peeled and cracked off!  Fooking muppets.

Other rooms they skimmed the plaster on the walls and system was the same - so the paint is just peeling away in places.

My beautiful Oak Staircase that was handmade and sealed with danish oil they didn't bother to sand back and just varnished over - looks a fooking mess etc.

End result, I complained like mad, the insurance company said they would get them back - I said "no way, and don't even think about paying them as i'll send you photo's re how bad their work was" - Insurance company then coughed up a cash settlement for me to do the work/get it done (again, they were great) and I found out that from the surveyor that refused to pay the cowboys!  i laughed.

Lesson is, if you can DIY then DIY - I try to not play with electrics other than real, real basic stuff. I get someone in local who knows what he is doing for that.  The rest, my approach is I'll DIY and even that will be better than the shyster cowboys so called "trades"!  I now only use people personally recommended to me, and some of my faith is being restored, but even then, I wonder how they run a business as their time keeping is poor, appointments usually are missed, invoicing is slow, and communication is like what I'd expect from a 2 month old chimpanzee. But at least they do quality!

 

 

[pete]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16488892/mop-river-water-rain-new-build/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunmainfacebook&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1635515080.   This young man used to service my Renault. Sport cars and this is his first home with wife and child. Such a poor response from their so called customer service

[NAC63]

My house was built in 1841 I wonder how many new builds will be stood in 180 years 🤔 

 

 

 

 

[chipp]

1 hour ago, pete said:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16488892/mop-river-water-rain-new-build/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunmainfacebook&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1635515080.   This young man used to service my Renault. Sport cars and this is his first home with wife and child. Such a poor response from their so called customer service

Apart from all the other issues the damp one throught he window (velux) would probably be quite easy to rectify.

[Barrykearley]

It’s about time there were some real legal teeth to allow consumers to reject these properties and bite back fecking hard. The utter bullshit that uk folks have to put up with from these big developers is a joke.

as for cladding and high rise issues - when they find fire protection stuff missing when it should be there - then the companies should be legally liable  and have to correct it. Should this bankrupt the developer then that’s fine - the directors of said businesses should have there assets removed using the proceeds of crime act.

[oneshot]

4 hours ago, NAC63 said:

My house was built in 1841 I wonder how many new builds will be stood in 180 years 🤔 

 

 

 

 

Ditto - our house was built in 1844 - still going strong.

[Chillidoggy]

5 hours ago, pete said:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16488892/mop-river-water-rain-new-build/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunmainfacebook&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1635515080.   This young man used to service my Renault. Sport cars and this is his first home with wife and child. Such a poor response from their so called customer service

 

He must have some serious dosh to be able to afford a £400K house as his first one. Actually, my son is looking at new houses to buy right now. The ones I've seen so far with him have been OK, but with some snagging I spotted. New houses are flying off the shelf. I went to one local development this afternoon, if the sales person was to be believed, she said the last batch they released were sold in 30 minutes.

My mum's house, a 3-bed terrace built in 1933, is dreadful by comparison. There's not a straight wall in it, the woodwork is crap, insulation is non-existent, and the bay window leaks. Oh, and the garage floor has subsided.

[C8RKH]

46 minutes ago, Chillidoggy said:

My mum's house, a 3-bed terrace built in 1933, is dreadful by comparison. There's not a straight wall in it, the woodwork is crap, insulation is non-existent, and the bay window leaks. Oh, and the garage floor has subsided.

So after 88 years it's got some issues. These new houses are barely 88 days old and I doubt they be standing in 88 years time. I think that's the real issue, alongside like @Barrykearleysays the lack of real consumer protection!!!

 

[Chillidoggy]

20 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

So after 88 years it's got some issues. These new houses are barely 88 days old and I doubt they be standing in 88 years time. I think that's the real issue, alongside like @Barrykearleysays the lack of real consumer protection!!!

 

The problems were there from when the house was built. Or they were waiting in the wings. I happen to remain unconvinced that newer houses are going to fall down in five minutes time. I think it’s an urban myth, and in most cases they’re better homes than than old ones will ever be.

[mdw]

They are certainly much better insulated.     The rads in my sons newbuild are single panel and tiny  and thats for a decent sized double bedroom ( by new house standards) yet keep the room warm.     We converted our double garage into an annexe this year, it has 100mm insulation above, 75mm below floor and 75 stuck to the inner walls.  I am pretty sure just body warmth alone will keep it at a resonable temperature with a little backgrounnd heat from  fridge freezer, oven  etc.    Only big problem was the heat in the summer through the large windows meant it needed AC until I put mirror film over the glass. 

[windymiller]

started work converting an integral garage in a new build into further accomodation today but the "garage" must be for smart cars as i cant see, if you did manage to drive into it, how you would get out of it !!! v small 3 bed semi poorly finished and just shy of 300k back garden has ten houses looking into it 😒

 

mind you having just watched the final of britains best woodworker ive increased my self worth level of carpentry from "1st fix" to cabinet maker 🤣