Help me choose a new build

[kv85]

I am looking at up-sizing and have 2 properties that we are struggling to choose between. Pretty similar in terms of square footage but some glaring differences

Builder A
4 Bed House - West Facing house, East Facing Garden
Downstairs Study
Gas Hob
Gas Central Heating
Shared Driveway with Single Garage

Builder B
4 Bed house, North East facing entrance, south west facing garden
Slightly larger kitchen, no study
Larger Master Bedroom
Induction Hob
Air Source Heat Pump with Underfloor heating downstairs
Private driveway with garage, master bedroom acts as a car port.

Any opinions please?

[z4RRSchris]

location, transport, plot size, location on estate, layout of roads, amenities, where is the affordable, will views be built out. incentives offered

etc etc etc.

[Countdown]

kv85 said:

I am looking at up-sizing and have 2 properties that we are struggling to choose between. Pretty similar in terms of square footage but some glaring differences

Builder A
4 Bed House - West Facing house, East Facing Garden
Downstairs Study
Gas Hob
Gas Central Heating
Shared Driveway with Single Garage

Builder B
4 Bed house, North East facing entrance, south west facing garden
Slightly larger kitchen, no study
Larger Master Bedroom
Induction Hob
Air Source Heat Pump with Underfloor heating downstairs
Private driveway with garage, master bedroom acts as a car port.

Any opinions please?

I know this is PH but parking the car in the Master Bedroom seems a tad excessive

[Harpoon]

How many bedrooms do you need? If you WFH, can one bedroom in the second house become a study? Or would you be sat at the kitchen table (or similar) and can't shut the door on your work at the end of the day?

What's the shared drive arrangement for House A? Is a lazy Amazon driver going to accidentally reverse over your lawn when delivering to your neighbours? Is a tradesman visiting your neighbours going to block you in (eg "I'll only be 10 minutes mate")?

Edited by Harpoon on Monday 12th May 16:42

[remedy]

Just going by what you have posted, B all day.

SW garden so light into the evening in the summer. Easy facing as per A gets you morning sun but it will be a cold dark autumn winter after 11.
Shared drive is a big avoid for me.
Bigger kitchen too.

Not bothered about ASHP as a new build will be very efficient for retaining heat.

[Richard-390a0]

B for the garden & driveway.

[Cow Corner]

A shared drive and an east facing garden would be hard nos from me.

[Chucklehead]

As above. Shared drive is an absolute no from me, and the garden is the final nail.

[Chumley.mouse]

Link the properties for a clearer picture ? From the description it seems like you prefer b.

There could be a sewerage plant across from it ?

[Bazil Bush]

Cow Corner said:

A shared drive and an east facing garden would be hard nos from me.

100% this

[wyson]

Would help if you posted plans and prices.

[abzmike]

B.

Only thing to check - what may get built at the bottom of the garden. New build estates tend to grow in unexpected ways.

[leef44]

remedy said:

Just going by what you have posted, B all day.

SW garden so light into the evening in the summer. Easy facing as per A gets you morning sun but it will be a cold dark autumn winter after 11.
Shared drive is a big avoid for me.
Bigger kitchen too.

Not bothered about ASHP as a new build will be very efficient for retaining heat.

Yep, I totally agree with this.

With the north-ish facing front you have less issue with the sun when washing the car.

I would avoid shared driveways whenever possible. And here you have an option to avoid it.

[OutInTheShed]

I agree about shared drives and all that, but some people need a study to do their job.
You have to consider not just your current jobs, but any future job options and who you're eventually going to sell to.

Which house will be more desirable in 10 years time?
Many couples will want parking with charging for two EVs by then.

Location and lifestyle wins most of the time though. Being able to do what you want without driving miles, nice places to go without getting in your car, shorter commutes, more choice etc, can outweigh some non-ideal features.

[kv85]

Thanks for all your responses.

There is nothing between the 2 houses in terms of cost (£45 difference on list price - £519,950 vs £519,995 ) or location - both on the same estate, just on opposite sides of the spine road that runs through the estate.

Builder A might be more open to negotiation but had a nosey around a couple of finished properties before they were handed over. Build quality quite poor, especially the brickwork and internal finishing.

Builder B might be more strict on what they can give away (stamp duty / flooring etc.) but quality seems a lot better.

Only dilemma is that Builder B is now totally mains gas free - ASHP and Induction Hob. Whilst that's the way the Government overlords want us to go in the future, I'm slightly nervous about not having a gas backup.

We live on the same estate currently - bought our place 6 years ago as a new build but our builder whilst good have finished up a couple of years ago. Currently our garden is overlooked by neighbours - cant avoid, semi-detatched, however, both builder's layouts are better suited for privacy - garage roofs should block line of sight into the garden.

Edited by kv85 on Tuesday 13th May 08:51

[Quattr04.]

Who are the builders? Builder B sounds like Redrow? Builder A maybe David Wilson

Redrow you might get 10k out of them? David Wilson and most others seems to give 5% of the price

I would also be looking at where the houses are in relation to social housing

Do either of them have a tandem vs double driveway?

Are the driveways down the side of the house? (I live on a estate where the biggest houses have drives at the side and loads of people with SUVs can’t open their doors wide enough to get kids etc in)

East facing gardens aren’t that bad, depends if you’re a sun worshiper or not, a south facing house will get solar gain all day long and be really stuffy

I have no experience with ASHP but I do love the comforting sound of the gas boiler starting up in the winter and not sure I could ever go back to having a water tank if there’s a few of you in the house taking showers or baths everyday.

On B the car port could cause the master bedroom to get quite a bit colder, there’s people who complain the bedroom over the garage is noticeably cooler than the rest of the house

I would also budget for air con, but I’m sure you know what it’s like in a new build, even on a day where it’s been 22ish outside my west facing bedroom can be 25 at night from the solar gain in the evening.

Edited by Quattr04. on Tuesday 13th May 08:59

[Drawweight]

I’d go for B. Shared driveway is fine..till it’s not.

Can you get a plug in for an EV in both houses? Even if you don’t use it, it’s a selling point for the future.

If you’re all electric I’d whack solar panels over everything. Which house is best for that?

[LooneyTunes]

Quattr04. said:

I would also budget for air con, but I’m sure you know what it’s like in a new build, even on a day where it’s been 22ish outside my west facing bedroom can be 25 at night from the solar gain in the evening.

Might be a point in favour of the ASHP if it can be set to run backwards.

FWIW, I reckon B sounds better but for somewhere to call home would be choosing based on location (in general and specifically on the development), the broader appeal of the development, and what sort of neighbours (and their kids!) you think you're likely to have.

[GuyW]

Shared driveway and poor build quality, why is A even still being considered?

[RC1807]

B every day
orientation for sun
ASHP and induction hob
own drive / garage