The joy of a new build home

I’ll hold my hands up. Where we live on the South East London/Kent borders, It’s predominantly 1930s housing central, and within our little suburban London haven, so I haven’t had a whole lot of personal experience when it comes to buying a new build home. Although, these are now more popular than ever, both in the UK and in the US. For example. there are now a large number of new homes in Horsham PA. 

Having moved to our own 1930s terrace 4.5 years ago, and undertaking a whole house renovation, I assumed that I would always want to re-do any future home from top-to-toe, the same as we have done with this one. However, after deciding to move house at the beginning of April, much sooner than we thought we might, I have to admit the thought of starting all over again has made me feel quite apprehensive and not as enthusiastic as I might have once been. 

Renovator’s fatigue, if you want to put a name on it! 

Let’s not beat around the bush: Building work is stressful, and whilst the end goal is often great, renovating a family home is not often compatible with family life. Mess and the lack of your usual comforts and facilities, not to mention eating into valuable family time, means that buying a property that needs a lot of work doing to it is a HUGE decision (trust me, we’ve been there!).

In the past, I’d always had a slightly negative view on ‘new build’ homes, my preconceived idea (totally stuck in the past) being that they were poky, feature-less and built in less-than-desirable-areas on small plots. But after viewing several blogger and old school friends’ new, fresh, modern places, how wrong could I be?! It’s just a case of finding the right building team, such as a luxury home builder cincinnati (or wherever you are based).

I am totally in love with Jess’ fabulous, spacious new build home in Worcestershire, which has blown my past thoughts on new build homes out of the water- it’s beautifully proportioned with a HUGE kitchen/diner (always a must in any house of mine!), and I’m enjoying seeing how she is currently putting her stamp on a new family home, really showing that personalisation is possible, and that ‘a soulless shell’ is a thing of the past. 

Here are some of the reasons why I would consider a new build home given the chance:

• It won’t fall down/need repairing straight away! Sounds obvious, but you want to be able to move into a home that is ready for your family, and that you’re not going to have to be fixing straight away. I’m all for a bit of changing things up, but it’s depressing to be having to repair the basics from the word go. We recently pulled out of a house buy we loved for that reason- a full survey discovered that it just needed too many things doing immediately, before we’d even got cracking on the ‘pretty’ bits, so with a heavy heart we said goodbye. With brand new appliances, plumbing, heating, and air, carried out by home builders in Brisbane, you should be repair free for at least a few years.

• Fantastic features tend to be included. New homes tend to come with some of the design elements that today’s family lifestyle demands: open, eat-in kitchens, walk-in wardrobes (the dream!), and large master baths and/or en-suites to name but a few. Which brings me to…

• The latest technology. New build homes are often equipped with the latest technology built right in – state of the art alarm systems, speakers (hello, surround sound!), Internet wiring… in turn saving you lots of time, money, and holes in the walls (aaargh!)

• Customisation. This is a big draw for me, and something I never knew could happen until fairly recently. You can sometimes have the builder customise your new home before construction is completed, meaning that your new pad will be built with your personal touch and painted just the way you like it colour-wise- #winning

  One practical thing I picked up while browsing listings is to be clear about whether you should bring an agent to viewings or can work directly with the builder’s sales team. If you want a quick, straightforward explanation of the pros and cons, check out this concise guide on using a real estate agent to buy a new construction home, which outlines how some builders support buyers through every step while also explaining when an agent’s representation is helpful. Having that context made my visits to showhomes less stressful, and it helped me ask the right questions about upgrades and contracts.

   

I have been spending some time playing fantasy-new-build-house-move on the fab New Home Finder website. Here, you can find a whole array of brand new houses and housing developments within a certain radius of your chosen location, and within your chosen budget, and get planning your move. I was surprised to find more new build houses than I knew of where we live, and it’s definitely made me think about taking a look at a couple near the children’s school, should our current plans go awry. 

Do you live in a new build home, or have you considered moving to one? I’d love to know! 

*In Collaboration. 

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.