One in four house buyers concerned over the quality of new build homes

Almost a quarter (24%) of UK house buyers consider the low build quality of new housing stock to be a significant disadvantage when compared to older properties, research from BLP Insurance has found.

Unsurprisingly, concerns over new build quality seem to intensify the further away from the capital you are. In northern England, for example, 29% of house buyers are wary of new build quality in comparison to 21% in London and the south east. Of course, that’s still more than a fifth of the marketplace which means – whether justified or not – today’s housebuilders have an image problem.

And the disadvantages don’t end there. Survey respondents had similar concerns over characterless housing (26%), room size (24%) and, of course, price (21%). Predictably, those aged 16-24 saw cost (32%) as the biggest disadvantage when buying a new home. Those aged 55 and over were least concerned with the price tag however (18%), instead identifying bland housing as the biggest drawback when buying a new build home.

Crucially, the findings also show that 29% of people do not believe there are any significant benefits to purchasing a new build home over an older property; and those over 55 are especially skeptical (41%).

“Poor build quality is an increasing issue in the UK housing market,” comments Kim Vernau, CEO of BLP. “As developers attempt to meet the high levels of demand for new homes, practical design and quality is being compromised. As more and more buyers become aware of the issues that poor quality of build gives rise to, all parties involved in the construction of new homes will have to respond, taking greater responsibility and ensuring quality of the build process going forward.”

It’s no secret that the UK is in the grip of a housing crisis; and many more homes will need to be built over the next decade to sustain a growing population. But as residential developments spring up across the country, the question of quality remains. Anecdotally, UK Construction Online has heard many stories of troubled construction sites, uninsulated homes and latent building defects. Isn’t it time we held our housebuilders to a higher standard?

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