Here in East Renfrewshire we have seen a surge in the amount of properties that are being built, especially 3, 4 and 5 bedroom family homes, due to high demand for properties close to the some of the best primary and secondary schools in Scotland. Nicol work closely with a number of local and national house builders – click here to check out our new homes portfolio.
You might dream of period features and character of older builds – and that is why the spacious and functional bungalows in and around Newton Mearns, Whitecraigs and Giffnock are popular with both families and retirees. But even though older properties are still popular, there are many benefits to moving into a newly built property, as we highlighted below.
Cutting energy costs
New homes are much more energy efficient as it takes less gas or electricity to keep the home warm. By living in a new build you could save up to £1,400 each year. New build properties are far more energy efficient as they are well insulated, have new energy efficient boilers installed and built-in washing machines, tumble dryers, refrigerators and freezers with excellent energy ratings, making them much cheaper to run.
A home decorated to your taste
In our experience, most of our buyers change the décor of the home they move into and even landscape the garden as a matter of priority, and where possible will even find stopgap accommodation so that work can be carried out before they move in. With a new build property, you can walk into your new home without having to set aside a budget for redecorating or having to replace kitchen units, tiling and floor coverings. Often the garden is a blank canvas and instead of inheriting a garden that needs regular maintenance and specialist knowledge, you could design and plant the functional garden that suits your level of commitment.
Another very important aspect is a new built home is often maintenance free so there are fewer jobs to do for the initial few years of living there. Not to mention that if you buy a home before the building work has been completed (often referred to as ‘buying off plan’) you could have considerable input into the layout, floor coverings, bathroom suits, kitchen units and general décor.
Incentive schemes
There are several incentive schemes from both the Government and several house builders to enable you to purchase a new build property. With the Help to Buy scheme you could buy a home with as little as 5% deposit. In addition, there are now Help to Buy ISA schemes available to help you save for your deposit much faster.
Latest security features
Moving into a new home means that state of the art security features could come as standard. You will have the latest smoke detectors, robust locks, intruder alarms and modern electrical circuits.
Peace of mind
By moving into a newly built property you will have peace of mind knowing that your home is covered by a warranty. In fact, 80% of new homes will have an NHBC Buildmark ten-year warranty. This means that you will have legal and financial protection should your builder become insolvent, any damage and defects are covered for two years, and you will have insurance that will cover the cost of fixing defects to the floors, staircases, drains, windows and doors.
You will also benefit from a manufacturers guarantee on all white goods and your boiler and heating system. You may be able to extend or expand your warranty with the house builder so check whether this is available before completing on your property.
No upward chain
Delays due to being stuck in a property transaction chain can happen but with a newly built property there’s no upward chain, which means there will be fewer delays with the purchase and less stress. You may also find that there is added flexibility with the moving date so you can move in according to a timescale that suits you.
If you would like to explore the possibility of living in a newly built home, contact Nicol Estate Agents today and we can talk you through the options and give you some information on newly built properties that are available in the area in which you would like to live.
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