New Home Owners And Snagging Forum
Advice on buying a brand new home => Development reviews => Topic started by: Kirsty on January 02, 2013, 10:58:48 am
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We are looking to buy a new home this year and whilst out for a walk yesterday we came across this Taylor Wimpey site.
Taylor Wimpey brochure states "the site is next to Nutbourne train station providing direct access to Chichester, Brighton, Portsmouth and Havant." What it fails to indicate is that it is right beside the railway line that provides the direct access!
Even worse the railway line is not even shown on the development plan shown in the brochure, which I downloaded from their website!
Stated as "shared ownership" and "rented" in other words the Social Housing quota, is not clearly shown on the brochure either, indicated just by a small 'r' or 'so' by the plot number rather than on the coloured key.
When we visited (January 2013), it was clear what homes were Social Housing as they were the only homes "Sold" or occupied.
We could not see any sold or occupied 4 bed-detached homes even though several had been finished.
The brochure uses words such as "stylish" and "stunning" to describe the homes on offer. Cramped, overcrowded, and small would be more accurate in our opinion.
The homes built thus far were extremely close together, with road access barely wide enough for one car with no footpath.
There was already some evidence that the grass verges had been driven over.
Clearly given time parking would be an issue although at the present time parking was in designated spaces.
Perhaps not everyone already living there could afford to run a car!
We were unable to view the "stunning" show homes as the sales office was shut despite the Sales 'A' board being left outside!
The open meter cabinet door and stained brickwork to the show house appeared to indicate to us that little pride was shown by the site staff.
The roads were clean at that time and the construction area was fenced off.
The 2 bed coach house looks good value at £190,000 until you realise that the kitchen, living and dining are all in one open room, described by Taylor Wimpey as "a fantastic all-in-one open space that meets all your everyday needs".
The reality is more akin to a studio apartment above a row of garages!
At the time of our visit, (January 2013) Taylor Wimpey were offering eight types of 4 bedroom homes for sale, with prices ranging from £335,000 for a semi-detached to £400,000 for the detached design. But it is hard to see who would actually want one. The terraced Teal version, whilst priced at £250,000 has two very small bedrooms just 7ft 4" and 8ft 8" long with both under 7ft wide.
This development may appeal to those using the heavily promoted NewBuy scheme, but misguided, unsuspecting first timers thinking of buying should be aware that they are paying new home price premium and possibly a higher mortgage rate.
They could also find they have difficulties selling when it is time to move on.
Overall the development could be best described as a modern day Coronation Street, minus a road wide enough for three cars, footpaths either side and community spirit. Front gardens were all but non-existent, mainly just deep enough for the meter box.
These homes could, in our opinion, become the neglected slums of tomorrow, as first owners move on, selling to private landlords or investors resulting in the majority of the development being let to tenants in a few years.
This overly developed and unnecessarily cramped high-density site with a railway line running along the boundary, this site does not have much going for it in our opinion.
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Great review Kirsty, I am sure it will be helpful to potential buyers.
You have to wonder why house builders choose to build right next to a busy railway line or road.
No front gardens on high density sites would appear to be the norm for new build homes in the UK.
It started with the PPS3 Planning Policy Statement (June 2010) which replaced PPG3 guidance on the density of developments and relaxation of parking requirements.
Now as house builders have found they can still sell (get away with) these overlooked crammed in homes to unsuspecting, naive new home buyers they have kept with it to increase their profits and offset the cosy of the requirement of the social housing provision.
Given the recent government relaxation of the planning system, buyers like you may be wise to wait a couple of years.
You could find then you are able to buy a new home on a development without any social housing at all.
Prices are hardly likely to rise in the interim period, in fact most forecast they could fall 10% over the next two years; even more when inflation is taken into consideration.