"Building new homes was always supposed to be a gateway onto the property ladder. But now, they’re becoming financially unviable."
- Dave Sayce - Compare My Move
Nearly all new-build homeowners (94%) notice defects or issues within eight weeks of moving in, according to the Home Builders Federation. These problems range from cosmetic faults such as poor plastering and paintwork, to more structural concerns like uneven flooring and faulty electrical wiring.
Common issues also include poor brickwork pointing, misaligned or badly fitted doors, leaky pipes, blocked or improperly installed guttering, front doors that do not close properly, missing or damaged roof tiles, uneven radiators, inadequate ventilation, and kitchen units that are not level.
Compare My Move reports that the average cost to fix each snag is £211, with larger repairs, such as correcting uneven flooring, costing up to £600 per room.
26% of new-build owners find over 16 defects within just eight weeks, resulting in average repair bills of around £2,528 during this period.
“Only 6% of new build homes don’t have any problems, and only a third of new builds come with under five problems," comments Dave Sayce, founder of Compare My Move, "This means that if you aren’t prepared, you could be set back thousands before you’ve even settled in. My advice would be to get a snagging survey before purchase, as they only cost around £377 and could save you thousands by negotiating the cost of the problems from the house price.”
Impact on first-time buyers
Recent data from Compare My Move reveals a 2.31% decrease in first-time buyers purchasing new builds since 2022, which equates to 23 fewer first-time buyers per 1,000 new-build sales. Despite this, the overall share of new-build purchases has remained steady, increasing slightly by 0.06%.
Sayce concluded, “Building new homes was always supposed to be a gateway onto the property ladder. But now, they’re becoming financially unviable. The average house price in the UK is £269,000, but the average new build costs over £150,000 more than that. And that’s without factoring in all of the building problems that you’re likely to encounter.”
