Are new construct properties REALLY dearer? We crunch the numbers

  • Two thirds of consumers both desire a new house or would take into account one, says Zoopla
  • It revealed areas the place new-build asking costs are cheaper than older properties
  • But knowledge from an analytics agency suggests this can be as a result of they’re smaller 

New construct properties divide opinion. Some argue they usually tend to be hassle-free and cheaper to run, whereas others suppose they’re overpriced, small and poorly constructed in comparison with their second hand counterparts. 

The former camp appear to be within the majority in the mean time. According to Zoopla, two thirds of consumers both desire a new house, or would take into account shopping for new.

But there’s a notion that new properties are dearer than the second hand market, and property specialists are inclined to agree with this view.

New or outdated? According to Zoopla, as many as two thirds of consumers both desire a new house or would take into account shopping for new

Jonathan Hopper, chief government of shopping for agent Garrington Property Finders says: ‘When you are evaluating like-for-like in measurement and site phrases, new construct properties will typically be priced 10 per cent to twenty per cent larger than a second-hand property.’

Matt Thompson, head of gross sales at property agent Chestertons, suggests the brand new construct premium can in some circumstances be even larger than 20 per cent.

He says: ‘New construct properties are inclined to demand a premium that may be as excessive as 25 per cent in comparison with an older property.’ 

However, evaluation by Zoopla reveals there are areas throughout the UK the place new builds are the cheaper choice.

The property portal has revealed there are 30 areas the place the asking value of a brand new construct house is cheaper than a second hand property.

Leading the way in which is the cathedral metropolis of Winchester, the place a three-bed new-build house is £118,500 (22 per cent) cheaper than an equal second hand house.

This is adopted by the close by New Forest, the place a three-bed new-build house is £45,000 or 9 per cent cheaper than a three-bed second hand property. 

In share phrases, three-bed new builds in Coventry include a 15 per cent low cost, or £36,200, in accordance with Zoopla. 

Zoopla additionally says worth for cash can be present in new-build properties in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, together with Chichester in West Sussex the place new construct properties are 8 per cent cheaper than older ones.

Stroud in Gloucestershire additionally provides a 6 per cent new construct low cost, whereas South Hams in Devon has a 7 per cent discount. 

The largest value distinction is in Winchester, the place a three-bed new-build house is a whopping £118,500 cheaper than the equal second hand property, in accordance with Zoopla

Daniel Copley, shopper knowledgeable at Zoopla stated: ‘There’s typically a notion that new-build properties are dearer than resale properties – nevertheless, our knowledge reveals that there are actually many areas of the nation the place new-builds are cheaper than resale properties. 

‘New-build properties supply further advantages over shopping for a second hand property, most notably higher power effectivity and the chance to buy your own home utilizing a scheme like shared possession in addition to the supply of particular provides and incentives.’

Are Zoopla’s new construct hotspots worth for cash?

Zoopla’s figures are helpful, however what they do not consider is the dimensions of the properties. If a brand new construct is cheaper than an older property, but in addition smaller, then it may not essentially imply the customer is getting good worth for cash. 

With the assistance of analytics agency, PropertyInformation, which is a instrument utilized by builders and traders, we had been in a position to set up correct value per sq. foot figures in every of the native markets above – and evaluate these of newer and older properties. 

Most on-line property adverts on Zoopla or Rightmove will include flooring plans, which give the whole sq. footage or sq. meters of a property. £1,000 sq. toes equals 92.9 sq. metres. 

The sq. footage of every room is reached by multiplying the size by the width. The complete sq. footage of the property is then reached by totting up the sq. footage of every room.

Surveyors and valuers typically measure the price per sq. foot when making an attempt to find out how a lot a property is price.

If somebody is buying a property that’s 1,000 sq. toes in measurement and sells for £200,000 then the customer is paying £200 per sq. foot.

Price per sq. foot: Analysis of gross sales from the final two years revealed that individuals is probably not getting such an ideal low cost in any case

PropertyInformation’s evaluation of transactions inside the final two years suggests all is probably not because it appears within the places highlighted by Zoopla.

For instance, in Coventry, the place Zoopla says there’s a 15 per cent new construct asking value low cost at current, PropertyInformation discovered there to actually be a 23 per cent premium when shopping for new builds within the metropolis, based mostly on offered costs.

The common second hand house offered over the previous two years in Coventry has gone for £245 per sq. foot. Meanwhile, the typical new construct offered within the metropolis over the past two years has offered for a median £301 per sq. foot.

In Winchester, the place new-build properties are promoting for a whopping £118,500 lower than the equal second hand house, consumers can also discover they’re being short-changed on the subject of measurement.

The knowledge revealed the typical new construct house in Winchester offered for £572 per sq. foot, in comparison with £495 per sq. foot for the typical second hand house, equating to a 16 per cent new construct premium over the previous two years.

Both in Canterbury and in Worthing, new builds promote with a ten per cent premium based mostly on value per sq. foot. Meanwhile, new builds in Cheltenham have demanded a 23 per cent premium over the previous two years on common.

In Redcar and Cleveland, in north Yorkshire, there’s a whopping 32 per cent premium for these shopping for new construct.

There, the typical new construct prices £215 per sq. foot, whereas the typical second hand property sells for £163 per sq. foot.  

Peter Bill, co-author of Broken Homes: Britain’s Housing Crisis: Faults, Factoids and Fixes believes that individuals who purchase new builds should be conscious that they’re paying a premium – and that they might see their home value fall within the brief time period. 

He says: ‘New properties can price on common between 15 per cent and 20 per cent greater than second hand properties and subsequently are inclined to fall in worth to start with, fairly than rise.

‘Like a brand new automotive, the worth falls as quickly as you step within the door. It can take as much as 5 years for general costs to rise earlier than you may get what you paid.’

Where are older properties dearer? 

When evaluating value per sq. foot, the typical new construct premium recorded for the UK as an entire is 13 per cent, in accordance with PropertyInformation. 

However, new builds do not at all times appeal to a premium, in accordance with the evaluation by the property analytics agency.

For instance, within the Derbyshire Dales, the older second hand inventory instructions a 6 per cent premium in comparison with new builds when it comes to value per sq. foot.

In Perth and Kinross in Scotland, it discovered that older inventory is on common 7 per cent dearer than new builds, based mostly on value per sq. foot. 

In South Oxfordshire, the typical new construct over the previous two years has offered at £429 per sq. foot in comparison with £447 for second hand properties, representing a 4 per cent new construct low cost. 

Older house premium: Somewhere the place the outdated inventory is of notably fascinating prime quality may even see the brand new construct low cost flipped

Buying agent Jonathan Hopper says: ‘New builds do not at all times appeal to a premium. Established properties in sure “golden postcodes” can trump even the frothiest of recent construct premiums because of the shortage premium they command.

‘Typically, golden postcodes can have a mix of top quality properties and a strong ‘pull issue’ for consumers – like being within the catchment space of an excellent state faculty. 

‘In areas like this, provide and demand will at all times be out of steadiness and thus high greenback costs are continuously paid.’

Why would you pay extra for a brand new construct?

While some will take into account new builds as overpriced, there seems to be a cause why many consumers are ready to pay a premium. 

‘New construct consumers pay this premium for a number of causes,’ says Hopper, ‘The first is personalisation – and the possibility to have a house designed particularly round your wants, way of life and even furnishings.

‘Then there’s the convenience of proudly owning a brand new construct house. It will usually be decrease upkeep than an older house and include the reassurance of a builder’s assure to cowl any points which may emerge. 

‘Crucially you will not want to fret about repainting or refurbishing it – that means you’ll be able to simply transfer in and revel in with minimal fuss.’

Less trouble? Typically new builds shall be decrease upkeep than an older properties and can include the reassurance of a builder’s assure, in accordance with Jonathan Hopper

Damien Wynne, director of the inexperienced housebuilder Q New Homes, says the argument for having an power environment friendly house has change into extra persuasive lately.

Older properties are usually poorly insulated and price extra to run whereas new builds supply consumers the alternative. 

‘Energy effectivity – and the prospect of decrease power payments – has at all times been a key benefit of recent construct properties in comparison with second-hand properties,’ says Wynne.

‘But when power payments soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years in the past, power effectivity moved from being a “nice to have” to a must have for a lot of homebuyers.

‘Along with location and way of life, it is close to the highest of the want checklist of most of the potential consumers we converse to.

‘When you take into account the brand new Ofgem value cap – which estimates {that a} typical family in Britain will spend £1690 a yr on power from April – you’ll be able to see how power effectivity is usually a trump card for one of the best new construct properties in comparison with the UK’s current housing inventory, which official knowledge reveals is the worst insulated in Europe.’ 

Green: Alongside location and way of life, power effectivity can also be close to the highest of the want checklist of many potential consumers, says Damien Wynne, director of housebuilder Q New Homes

Ultimately, will probably be a matter of non-public desire. For all of the individuals who desire new properties, there are a lot who’ve skilled issues with new builds and can really feel not simply ripped off on value but in addition when it comes to high quality.

Matt Thompson of Chestertons provides: ‘It may be difficult to decide between a brand new construct and an older property as each supply professionals and cons that every purchaser must weigh as much as resolve which aspect is extra essential to them. 

‘Whilst new builds typically have higher eco-credentials and a extra trendy look, some home hunters favour Georgian or Victorian properties attributable to their room measurement and structure in addition to basic character. 

‘Investors who go for an older property do have to pay explicit consideration to any looming restore works and take these into consideration. 

‘Should the house out of the blue require a brand new roof, for instance, it might have dire penalties on the general return on funding.’

Is value per sq. foot a great way to evaluate worth?

While value per sq. foot is usually a helpful metric for home builders, property builders, and traders, to ascertain worth, it is not practically so simple as that in lots of circumstances.

While builders and traders are usually a bit of extra calculated of their method, homebuyers are inclined to even be ruled by the center – which may after all complicate issues. 

Henry Pryor says consumers shouldn’t decide a property based mostly on value per sq. foot

As shopping for agent Henry Pryor says: ‘Trying to work out the worth of a home on a value per sq. foot foundation is lazy.

‘There are tons of people that wish to commoditise residential property – to explain the worth per sq. foot and evaluate it with different properties on the identical foundation.

‘If it was attainable then there can be an app in your telephone that might let you know what a property was price and your surveyor good friend and I might each be out of a job.

‘Believe it or not, there are some good brokers in central London who discuss value per cubic meter – however this too is only a promoting method.

‘The worth of a house is an element science, half artwork, however it might be like making an attempt to cost work by Turner in kilos per sq. inch.

‘So no. The worth of a house consists of the sensation once you stroll throughout the brink, the view from the kitchen window if you end up washing up… and the space or proximity to your in-laws.

‘These make a house distinctive, extra fascinating and subsequently dearer.’