It's official; Barratts build rubbish houses
Discussion
This perception that poor workmanship is a new problem is nonsense. Houses have always been built shoddily, although I admit that previous generations of builders didn't need written instructions on how to hide the evidence of their laziness.
I've lived in various houses built over the last 150 years or so and, under the skin, none of them have been particularly well built. The fact that they'd remained standing this long was a constant source of amazement. The last 'old' house I had didn't have any foundations for example. Simple concepts like the right-angle have always been an elusive goal for house builders of any era.
My problem with most new builds is that any individuality or privacy they may have is lost when they're built in close proximity to 500 others, all the same. They attract the same sort of people, who do the same sort of jobs and send their kids to the same school and go to the same places on holiday.
There's no variety, no mix of established families and new residents, no old people, no history to the place. You feel like you're living in a television advert - everything is new, everyone is average age, earning average money, with an average family.
To some extent these issues would have been common to any Victorian terrace when they were new, but the passage of time creates variety. I suspect that in time, some of these new estates will become more interesting places to live but at the moment, I don't have the urge to buy into one.
Why anyone would want to live in a place exclusively populated with other people just like them, I've no idea.
I've lived in various houses built over the last 150 years or so and, under the skin, none of them have been particularly well built. The fact that they'd remained standing this long was a constant source of amazement. The last 'old' house I had didn't have any foundations for example. Simple concepts like the right-angle have always been an elusive goal for house builders of any era.
My problem with most new builds is that any individuality or privacy they may have is lost when they're built in close proximity to 500 others, all the same. They attract the same sort of people, who do the same sort of jobs and send their kids to the same school and go to the same places on holiday.
There's no variety, no mix of established families and new residents, no old people, no history to the place. You feel like you're living in a television advert - everything is new, everyone is average age, earning average money, with an average family.
To some extent these issues would have been common to any Victorian terrace when they were new, but the passage of time creates variety. I suspect that in time, some of these new estates will become more interesting places to live but at the moment, I don't have the urge to buy into one.
Why anyone would want to live in a place exclusively populated with other people just like them, I've no idea.
Edited by Risotto on Wednesday 25th February 18:37
Risotto said:
Why anyone would want to live in a place exclusively populated with other people just like them, I've no idea.
Birds of a feather .. though i tend to judge people on their IQ or political ideals rather than the amount of bling they possess. Sadly most of my suburban neighbours don't share this view of the world.I've overheard customers mentioning how they have buried stuff (even big bits like broken digger tracks) underneath lawns, which as DAVEST220 says is not news.
They are (clearly from this article) thrown together so, as well as the numerous architectural issues with new houses and teh appaling layouts of the developments, there is a paucity of real fabric within these properties.
They are (clearly from this article) thrown together so, as well as the numerous architectural issues with new houses and teh appaling layouts of the developments, there is a paucity of real fabric within these properties.
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