Anyone bought a Barratt Home recently?

Soldato
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I'm considering buying one on a new development and am wondering if the bad rep they had in the 80's and 90's is still relevant?
I've been to a few show homes and have found a style of house I really like, that is not boxy like many new homes, and seems to be well built.

I'd like to hear if anyone has any direct experience of their quality or service in the last few years.

Also, is it the done thing to haggle over price or extras on a new build? I know that on a private sale it is customary to offer betneath the asking price, but what about new builds? they are paying legal fees and stamp duty, but I know the overall price of the house is increased to cover those 'gifts'!

Any help or advice gratefully received.

Luke
 
Soldato
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As far as I'm aware the general standard of workmanship is very high these days and I can't really see Barratt being any different. Any modern property will be covered by a fairly extensive 10 year warrenty so your pretty covered in that respect.

IMO new homes represent pretty good value for money as you know your not going to move in then de-old person the place :p Myself and my gf considered a new build but all the developments around our way are just too clostrophobic for us country bumpkins :p which is partly why we're going to look at a nice victorian terrace at some point this weekend which seems to have bags of character.
 
Soldato
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Thanks for that, it's nice to hear a view opposed to the normal "tiny boxes which are thrown up in 10 minutes!" comments.

I'm moving out of London, so will find a new development less enclosed than I currently am!
 
Soldato
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My house is Barratt, about 7 years old - Richmond design, 2 bedroom.
Perhaps peoples beef is the fittings and finishings, you tend to get the bare minimum in that respect. A rad rather than a heated towel rail in the bathroom for example. Whereas a friends flat which was just built had a lot more nice little touches like that.
Like most modern houses, the internal walls arent solid, but that was to be expected in a modern terrace house.
The design is good, no big problems at all, and the walls between our house and next door are very well sound insulated - cant hear anything unless someone runs up the stairs or bangs on the wall.
That's the main thing, last thing you want is to hear someone making out next door! :D
 
Soldato
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I live in a Kensington house :( I could have done a better job on my own. Cardboard walls, pap tiling, rubbish joinery. Barrett ones are supposed to be nice. This isn't neccessarily for you, but for anyone thinking of moving to a Kensington property. Look here: DON'T.
 
Soldato
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Kensington? I've not heard of those. I've been looking at Barratt, Persimmons and George Wimpey. (In decending price order for similar properties)
 
Soldato
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emailiscrap said:
"tiny boxes which are thrown up in 10 minutes!" comments.

There is a reason folks say that, my mates new builds downstairs bathroom wall maves in at the bottom when the front door opens because the skirting is too close and it's not fixed down to well. For that price (what he paid) he could have bought a 3 bed semi and had it re done inside.
 
Soldato
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Exentia said:
Moved into a brand new Bovis home (not Baretts but hey) and its built extremely well none of the "paper walls" crap. HTH.
As I mentioned before myself and my gf are looking at older properties but thats just our personal preferance and there are pro's and cons for both. However when we say that to people they come out with comments like "very wise. new houses are built to the same standards, you should see how thin the walls are" etc etc which really winds me up!

Yes the walls are thinner than those of a property built 100 years ago... thats because 100 years ago the walls had to be that thick to stop the place falling down! Modern properties are built in a completely different and more efficient way.

Funny thing is in 100 years all these new builds will still be standing and people will look at them and say "ah they don't make them like that anymore" as the new builds of 2100 are built from some kind of new polymer or something!
 
Associate
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lordrobs said:
Funny thing is in 100 years all these new builds will still be standing and people will look at them and say "ah they don't make them like that anymore" as the new builds of 2100 are built from some kind of new polymer or something!

i might be wrong but i'd be very suprised if the design life of a lot of these new build houses is 100 years. i'd expect them to stay up for 60-70 years at the very most.
 
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To be fair, I think any new house builders, Barrats, Bryant, Wimpy, etc, all make nicehouses...............but

I personally have always bought (if possible) a new house. However, in recent times. I have politely asked them to just build me four walls and add in the necessary services. Waste and water tails.

This way, I can build my own interior with wall thickness to my specifics, put my own 'cheap' kitchen in and supply my own flooring and carpets.

However, although you gain a massive discount doing this, you forgo NHBC coverage on interior specifics.

Dont forget, you'll get a tiny garden!! :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
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My old man viewed one recently and said it was far too over-priced and "you couldn't swing a cat in that living room". Probably just the location. Ones down the road from me are beatiful, not a clue on their price though.
 
Man of Honour
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I've lived in one recently. The windows were tiny and let no light in and it was always freezing downstairs and roasting upstairs no matter how you fiddled with the radiators. And the sewer riser to the toilet runs down the middle of the house, not down the outside like they used to so if it blocks up like the one in my brother's house is you can't unblock it. So his toilet regularly backs up and there's nothing they can do about it. Just something to think about, an older house is sometimes better when the building regs were a bit more flexible.
 
Soldato
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emailiscrap said:
Kensington? I've not heard of those. I've been looking at Barratt, Persimmons and George Wimpey. (In decending price order for similar properties)


My last house was a persimmon house.

It was beyond average.
 
Caporegime
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standard of workmanship on new houses is hit and miss

as most of these house builders will subcontract out work

the quality of these sub contracters vary. If like on our development for every roof they did, they put 2 bags of cement in their van, and used 2 for mortar. You end up with EVERYBODYS roof tiles in the development comming off the first strong gale we had

Same with "Dave the plumber" whose handywork can still be admired in my mum and dads barratt house. The loo that flushed hot water was a classic :D

seriously though, it depends on who they sub contract stuff out to. This is where things go wrong.

but at least with a new house, they are bound to supply you with a house in working order. so are bound to fix anything thats not satisfactory. So go for it, and realise that one house builder isnt necessarily better than other. The subcontracters are what makes the quality of the house
 
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