{"id":17827,"date":"2018-06-18T09:45:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T08:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buyassociation.co.uk\/?p=17827"},"modified":"2018-06-18T09:45:21","modified_gmt":"2018-06-18T08:45:21","slug":"brits-still-prefer-period-properties-but-can-new-builds-win-us-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/2018\/06\/18\/brits-still-prefer-period-properties-but-can-new-builds-win-us-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Brits still prefer period properties – can new-builds win us over?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding a home with bags of character is still a top priority for the majority of UK homebuyer hopefuls, but could they be overlooking all the added benefits that come with investing in a new-build?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sales of new-builds are soaring with\u00a0the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government recording a 28.2% increase in new-build purchases<\/a> between April 2017 and April 2018, while last year saw a 16% rise in the number of new properties being constructed<\/a> compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n

But still, when a recent survey was conducted by discountflooringdepot.co.uk<\/a>, an overwhelming 82% of respondents said that, given the choice, they would rather invest in a period home than a brand new one.<\/p>\n

What do period properties have that new-builds don’t?<\/h4>\n

Having original features was the reason for 51% of people preferring a period home over a new-build, with original windows a favourite among 42% of respondents, feature fireplaces being chosen by 40%, and real wooden floors or original tiles swaying 37% of people towards an older property<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Homebuyers<\/a> are also keen on the idea of cornicing and ceiling roses, singled out by 26% of people in the survey, while just over a fifth (21%) listed original radiators as a major draw towards period properties.<\/p>\n

Period homes do come with a heftier price tag<\/a> than many new-builds though, but surprisingly it is millennials<\/a> aged 22-37 who were the most likely to shy away from a new-build in favour of an existing home (89%), while the older generation<\/a> aged 38-58 were slightly less inclined to buy an older home (86%).<\/p>\n

Changing attitudes<\/h4>\n

Despite these survey results, the number of people buying new-builds continues to rise, and there is a lot to be said for the benefits that come with buying a brand new property – or even investing in one before it has been built<\/a> to reap even more advantages.<\/p>\n

One of the huge plus-sides is, obviously, the fact that they are new. Unlike many 100-year-old houses, a new-build will not need any work doing and can be lived in straight away, with a full set of fresh furnishings and state of the art appliances.\u00a0Typically, new-builds are also covered by a 10-year NHBS new home warranty, so if something breaks within a certain amount of time, the homeowner will not have to foot the bill.<\/p>\n

With this comes the added cost savings<\/a> involved. Compared to a home with original windows and floors, a newly built home is incredibly energy efficient, with double or even triple glazing, more draught-proofing and insulation<\/a> and sometimes even smart home technology<\/a> such as built-in remote heating and lighting controls. Even though some may baulk at the price tag of a newer home, the savings to be made over the years can be huge.<\/p>\n

New-builds can have character too<\/h4>\n

According to Robby Du Toit, managing director of Sellhousefast<\/a>, while older properties have their charm, there are plenty of reasons people choose to buy new-builds.<\/p>\n

“New-build properties are increasing in popularity due to a competitive off-plan price<\/a>, and governmental Help to Buy<\/a> initiatives, making it a more prosperous and modern appeal to young individuals and couples who are looking to get onto the property ladder.”<\/p>\n

If lack of character is the main concern for a prospective homebuyer, this can easily be remedied by decor choices, particularly if purchasing the home off-plan. You can easily add sash windows, real wooden flooring and cornicing to any property, offering a perfect balance of a cheaper, more energy efficient home that still has character and soul.<\/p>\n

To see what property investments we have on offer at BuyAssociation, see our investments page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finding a home with bags of character is still a top priority for the majority of UK homebuyer hopefuls, but could they be overlooking all the added benefits that come with investing in a new-build? Sales of new-builds are soaring with\u00a0the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government recording a 28.2% increase in new-build purchases… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1069,"featured_media":17866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[44,341],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17827"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1069"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}