THERE’S NOTHING LIKE NEW Kay Hill looks at the top 10 reasons to choose a brand new property for your first home BUYING NEW
improvements, such as flooring insulation or cladding can be very disruptive, so it’s good to know that when you move into a new build it will meet the very latest standards and bills will be much lower. 2 PEACE OF MIND New builds come with a 10-year warranty, which will protect you from any major structural defects. The first two years are normally covered by the developer, who will respond to any complaints about snagging. After that, an insurance-backed warranty covers a wide variety or problems that might occur if the builder failed to follow the correct technical standards.Various parts of the building are covered, such as roofs, flues and chimneys, external walls, stairs, windows, doors and foundations, giving you additional peace of mind.
or style, bathroom cabinet colour and other variables, especially if you are buying off- plan.You might also have the opportunity to upgrade from the standard finishes. 5 SQUEAKY CLEAN One of the best things about buying a new build is the fact that everything is indeed new, so you won’t have to scrape someone else’s pizza crumbs out of the oven, scrub grime from the
There’s a lot to think about when you are becoming a homeowner for the very first time – but at least when you buy a brand new home, working out how to combat rising damp or get rid of rodents doesn’t have to be on your worry list! If you want to make the transition to being a homeowner as smooth and simple as possible, then a new build home has many advantages: 1 WARM AND ECONOMICAL It’s easy to be seduced by the thought of a thatched cottage with roses round the door or a Georgian townhouse, but the reality is that the older the home you buy, the more likely it is to be cold, draughty and miserable in the winter – and your first electricity or gas bill could bring with it a very nasty surprise. New homes are proven to be considerably cheaper to run thanks to improvements in Building Regulations over the years – homes sold today will have better insulation, more thermally efficient doors and windows and more efficient appliances than similar properties built even a couple of decades ago.You can get a good idea of how energy efficient a home will be by looking at the energy performance certificate (EPC) that every home that goes on sale (with a few exceptions such as historic buildings) must have. The EPC rates properties from A (the best) to G (the worst). In 2022, 84% of new build properties were given an EPC rating of an A or a B, compared with just 4% of existing homes. In fact, 85% of older homes that were assessed received a rating of C or D, 9% scored an E and the rest an F or G¹. This translates directly into how expensive the home will be to run. According to the latest Watt a Save report from the Home Builders Federation², released in July 2023, those who live in brand new homes can expect to save 55% or £1,628 a year on their energy bills, paying around £1,318 a year instead of the £2,946 average annual bill paid by those in older properties, alongside reducing their carbon emissions by 60%. Upgrading an older home with energy saving measures like cavity wall insulation, double glazing and loft insulation can work out very expensive, and more serious
bathtub or extract pet hair from the carpet. Instead, you will move in to a fresh, blank canvas, with clean
tiling, paintwork, kitchens and bathrooms. There will be no rush to decorate, you can simply move in, unpack and take your time as everything will look perfect just as it is.
3 NOT IN THE CHAIN GANG
When you buy a secondhand property you are likely to be trying to move in on the same day as the owner moves out (and into their new home, currently occupied by someone else who needs to move out and into a new home – and so on). This is called a chain, and it can be one of the most stressful aspects of moving house.You might have all your finances ready and your boxes packed, but all it takes is for the solicitor of the third house along to find a problem, or someone’s mortgage to fall through, and everyone grinds to a halt. With a new build home, the only people involved are you and the developer, so there’s no chain to worry about. Sometimes new builds might be delayed a little, because of bad weather, for example, but you should know in plenty of time when your moving date will be. 4 CHOICES, CHOICES Depending on the developer, and at what stage of construction you put down a deposit, you are quite likely to be able to customise your new home. So, no avocado bathroom suite – unless, of course, you really want one! With a new build you
6 EXTRAS INCLUDED
It depends on the developer, but in many
are often able to choose a colour scheme, flooring, kitchen colour
8 | nationalhomebuyingweek.co.uk
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