Thoughts on new builds........

Gavin John Hyde · Jul 9, 2018

Been to quote for some work today and the house is a new build.
Built by Linden Homes. At first glance looks good but when you stop and look a little closer you see several of the walls inside are not straight that there are big curves and deviations in them. when you look down on the accessories, there is gaps big enough to slide a 50p down behind in the middle due to the curvature... put a spirit level on wall to check for a tv bracket and on one wall i can put my little finger behind the level at one end as the wall is so warped.
They installed aerial points in lounge and master bedroom but told them cable is in attic, for you to connect an aerial... Linden dont supply one, but the best bit is that due to being in a low enclosed area surrounded by excavated mounds and other buildings, the signal is so poor everybody is putting up sky dishes but some houses cant get a line of sight, so no sky either!
Linden dont lay the back gardens anymore it seems, left them a pile of slabs and said for you to decide how you want it.
the most damming from my view is an outside tap, which is directly outside behind sockets, thought to myself a bit iffy... took socket off wall and behind the plastic back box in the plasterboard wall I can see the joint and pipe, so in the event of a leak or dodgy joint the water will be spraying into the back of the socket!
proves my point, never buy a new build house....
whats the worst thing you have seen on a new build?

ruston · Jul 9, 2018

Widows fitted with expanding foam . Fell out when door was slammed shut . No fixings at all to building fabric.

Joshua · Jul 9, 2018

Sounds about right. I've been on new build sites around London for the last 7 years. All the contractors care about is get it done as soon as possible. "Qualifications? Who cares just make it work."
I was first fixing new build flats before I was qualified. I had been working with another unqualified electrician for around 4 months and then thrown in the flats on my own. I had a decent supervisor who would keep an eye on me but the main contractor couldn't care less as long as I was giving them 3 flats a week he couldn't care less about how neat it was.

The Ghost · Jul 9, 2018

Yeh working on them I made a note to self ...never buy a new build...they are crap construction. Shower wall disintegrated no primary seal under secondary seal. Plasterboard literally taped together around shower. One screw per hinge on doors. Absolutely disgraceful. Working as contractor is worse. You finish the job tiler comes in takes off all the sockets you get to come back and put them on for free. Bad plans mean you put sockets on wall where told, oh sorry kitchen sink is going there, you get to come back and re-locate for free. And on and on it goes snagging 'til pension time.

Gavin John Hyde · Jul 9, 2018

Vortigern said:
And on and on it goes snagging 'til pension time.

I dont think they did the snagging on this house... lots of bits I would never have passed if inspecting it.

Octopus · Jul 9, 2018

Avoid like the plague ............. anyway, I would be too expensive for that type of work ..................... all builders want are unskilled, cheap labour

Joshua · Jul 9, 2018

If it was just builders we had to worry about we'd be ok, it's the multimillion pound new home companies that are the problem. They like to give out an impression of good health and safety but on site they wouldn't be able to tell a safe install from a death trap.

telectrix · Jul 9, 2018

new build?????

Squid · Jul 9, 2018

Depends, as there is a difference between a £250k new build and a £10M new build.

Leesparkykent · Jul 9, 2018

I was on a newbuild last year where the sole plates of the stud walls hadn't been fixed before boarding and you could push the walls and see them move

Dave OCD · Jul 9, 2018

Just 1st fixed an annexe [the size of a 3 bed semi] and all the stud work has no cross noggins, asked about it for wiring and was told not needed.

Andy78 · Jul 9, 2018

Was just chatting to a fellow sparks tonight. Him and his apprentice are bashing out 2 x 3 bed first fixes a day. Scary.

Deleted member 26818 · Jul 9, 2018

I must be really slow.
Had trouble knocking out a 3 bed flat in 6 days last time I did new builds. That was me and another Sparx working together.

123 · Jul 9, 2018

I do a few new builds each year, but these are more one off private new builds and all done to a really good standard.

The big developments are just getting thrown up with the cheapest and quickest ways possible. Oddly they get are sold at the top end of the local market as well, it's not something I'd consider buying at all.

123 · Jul 9, 2018

Murdoch said:
Avoid like the plague ............. anyway, I would be too expensive for that type of work ..................... all builders want are unskilled, cheap labour

Echo that totally. I do a few new builds each year, but they are one off jobs each time. My price and my standards are far higher than what the big developments around here are after.

Deleted member 26818 · Jul 9, 2018

The ones I worked on were luxury types with umpteen lighting circuits, 3 or 4 just in the living room, electric curtains and what not.
Everything controlled from a screen or your smart phone/tablet.

Joshua · Jul 9, 2018

123 said:
Echo that totally. I do a few new builds each year, but they are one off jobs each time. My price and my standards are far higher than what the big developments around here are after.

Definitely don't pay enough considering how much they sell for. Last job I was on they were paying £420 for a 2 bed high spec flat, it was possible to do 3 a week but not the neatest work I've done to be honest. But they get what they pay for.

Midwest · Jul 10, 2018

I'll let you know.

I've just bought a new build, after living in a new build for the last 30 years. House before that was a new build, and the house before that was an existing property, that the previous owner had attacked it with his trusty DIY skills, that cost me some pretty pennies to put right. Only had one problem with me new builds, which was put right by the builders.

My latest one has metal stud & track partitioning on the first floor, I'd preferred wooden stud work, but hey hoe.

I'd asked for the back garden not to be landscaped, so I could do it properly myself, as previous properties had bricks, scaffolding etc laid under the turf. Had to sign a wavier, to allow the NHBC sign off to go ahead.

Got a shed load of mastic, to remove from the bottom of the skirting, installed to achieve the pressure test, before we can fit the flooring. It also has some annoying trickle fans in 'wet room's', which will need 'adjusting', so we can sleep at night without the constant whirring.

If you behave yourselves, I'll post a pic of the CU etc.

telectrix · Jul 10, 2018

Dave OCD said:
Just 1st fixed an annexe [the size of a 3 bed semi] and all the stud work has no cross noggins, asked about it for wiring and was told not needed.

i'dagree with that cross noggins are unnecessary. the are put in to stop the stud timber moving laterally. once the board is fixed, the board itsef serves that function.tin hat.

marconi · Jul 10, 2018

It does not auger well for a big nationwide building programme to provide 'affordable' homes. Personally, where there is a demand I'd favour offering grants to folk to renovate those empty older properties in some towns and cities. I'd then have approved pre-vetted contractors and tradesmen/women in a catalogue, renewed every year, for these folk to choose from to do the necessary work.

Midwest · Jul 10, 2018

There comes a time when some very old existing properties, have reached their shelf life. Bricks & mortar can't exist forever. But with a range of different ownership, how do you knock down a whole street.

I've been back to my parents old semi, built in the 1800's. The old neighbours had been previously bought by someone and slightly refurbished, but my parents side has been bought by a developer, and is unoccupied. The two houses are on a very large plot, prime for redevelopment. Wonder how long the neighbour will hold off for, before he gets a too tempting offer.

telectrix · Jul 10, 2018

Bricks & mortar can't exist forever

if constructed well, they can. 120 years with this:

Midwest · Jul 10, 2018

But that wasn't built by George Wimpy.

telectrix · Jul 10, 2018

and this lot has been around since pete999 was in his pram:

marconi · Jul 10, 2018

Re #24 - Rumour has it that Pete999 provided the site electric arc lighting to allow 24 hour working which was powered by Leyden jars and thousands of slaves rubbing fur cloths along ebony rods. Inspired thinking methinks by him.

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