Purchased from 4 Different Developers so far
We have bought and completed new-builds from 4 developers to date – Barratt Homes, City & Docklands, Bellway Homes and Telford Homes. So far, our conclusion is that the developers are pretty reliable in that you get what you are told you will get. We’ve not had major issues with the build quality.
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| Telford Homes - very fine builders!! |
Warranties
A huge advantage of buying newbuilds is the warranty offered by developers. All developers will offer some sort of warranty structurally (such as a 10-year NHBC warranty), and for fixture and fittings. The terms of the warranties differ by developers. For example, Barratt’s offers a 5-year warranty on most items though flooring seems to be excluded. Most other developers’ warranties for fixture fittings are for 2 years.
Furniture and Fittings
Of course, the fittings and furnishings differ by developer, and the market they are trying to target. They also differ from what one would expect in Singapore. For example, UK developments will not offer marble or granite flooring in the living areas, or parquet in the bedrooms. Standard flooring in London would be carpets in the bedrooms, with laminate flooring in the living areas. Some developments will feature better (well okay, more expensive) specifications, such as hardwood flooring, underfloor heating (instead of radiator heating), recessed lighting, higher end kitchen appliances etc. The specifications are laid out clearly for you to consider. If you are buying way in advance of completion, you can also discuss with the developer the possibility of upgrading certain items.
Furniture and Fittings
Of course, the fittings and furnishings differ by developer, and the market they are trying to target. They also differ from what one would expect in Singapore. For example, UK developments will not offer marble or granite flooring in the living areas, or parquet in the bedrooms. Standard flooring in London would be carpets in the bedrooms, with laminate flooring in the living areas. Some developments will feature better (well okay, more expensive) specifications, such as hardwood flooring, underfloor heating (instead of radiator heating), recessed lighting, higher end kitchen appliances etc. The specifications are laid out clearly for you to consider. If you are buying way in advance of completion, you can also discuss with the developer the possibility of upgrading certain items.
Ceiling Heights
One thing we have realized is that if you are particular about ceiling height, it may be worth checking out the ceiling height. In Singapore, private developments will feature ceiling heights of at least 2.85m, and ceiling heights of 3m are not uncommon. This is not the case in the UK. High ceiling heights are obviously not very energy efficient when it comes to heating. However, they do make an apartment look more spacious. And because of the relatively lower ceiling heights in UK developments, what we have found is that recessed lighting, as opposed to pendant lighting, really does enhance the look of an apartment, when comparing apartments of the same ceiling height (often at 2.5m or thereabouts in London).
Berkeley Homes and Ballymore
Berkeley Homes and Ballymore developments are often sold in Singapore. In fact, Berkeley Homes now has a sales office in Singapore. If the opportunity arises, we will be happy to buy a unit from them. However, their developments are at the higher end, with better landscaping, nicer gardens, more facilities like gym, concierge, and sometimes, even pools and cinemas. The service charges for such developments are heftier; we have thus stayed away. However, these higher end developments also manage to achieve very good capital appreciation. For example, Berkeley’s developments at the Nine Elms regeneration area, such as Riverlight, have fared very well. This is a very interesting Berkeley Homes development coming up - - http://londondockconsultation.co.uk/
Berkeley Homes and Ballymore
Berkeley Homes and Ballymore developments are often sold in Singapore. In fact, Berkeley Homes now has a sales office in Singapore. If the opportunity arises, we will be happy to buy a unit from them. However, their developments are at the higher end, with better landscaping, nicer gardens, more facilities like gym, concierge, and sometimes, even pools and cinemas. The service charges for such developments are heftier; we have thus stayed away. However, these higher end developments also manage to achieve very good capital appreciation. For example, Berkeley’s developments at the Nine Elms regeneration area, such as Riverlight, have fared very well. This is a very interesting Berkeley Homes development coming up - - http://londondockconsultation.co.uk/
Telford Homes
One developer we would like to mention, that is not in the list of top UK builders, is Telford Homes. Their development portfolio is primarily in London. We first learnt about Telford Homes from Brett Alegre-Wood, founder and chairman of YPC Group (incidentally, do visit his website at www.yourpropertyclub.com – it contains a ton of valuable information. If you’re in Singapore, do attend his seminars – he conducts them for free. We’ve benefitted immensely from his website though we have yet to purchase anything through YPC before.). He mentioned that his team had taken over a dozen units from a Telford Homes development and the snagging reports came up without any defects! That comment caught our attention.
Fast forward to 2014, we have just taken delivery of 3 units in a Telford Homes development, and detailed pictures will follow soon. I would say, the experience has been best with Telford Homes so far. We’ve been given frequent updates of the construction progress and very good estimates of the completion schedule. They assign customer relationship staff to handle your queries – everything from completion dates to unit addresses. We even received photographs of our units prior to completion!
Telford Homes had a specific person overlooking the development who has kindly allowed for your appointed agents to access the apartment to take pictures for marketing prior to completion, so as to minimize the void period. Our appointed lettings agents were very impressed with the finishing of the units. Telford Homes will conduct induction sessions for your tenant to brief the tenant of the property. Best of all, there is a 24/7 customer care hotline for two years after completion. Can’t quite ask for more.
ConclusionFast forward to 2014, we have just taken delivery of 3 units in a Telford Homes development, and detailed pictures will follow soon. I would say, the experience has been best with Telford Homes so far. We’ve been given frequent updates of the construction progress and very good estimates of the completion schedule. They assign customer relationship staff to handle your queries – everything from completion dates to unit addresses. We even received photographs of our units prior to completion!
Telford Homes had a specific person overlooking the development who has kindly allowed for your appointed agents to access the apartment to take pictures for marketing prior to completion, so as to minimize the void period. Our appointed lettings agents were very impressed with the finishing of the units. Telford Homes will conduct induction sessions for your tenant to brief the tenant of the property. Best of all, there is a 24/7 customer care hotline for two years after completion. Can’t quite ask for more.
Our conclusion is – we will not hesitate to buy new-builds from any of the established builders in the UK. There are many other issues to worry about, and what the developer will eventually deliver is not one we would be concerned with.
Quick Links:
1. Montreal House, Maple Quays, SE 16 (Barratt Homes)
2. Denison House, Lanterns Court, E 14 (City & Docklands)
3. Brickmakers Apartments, E1 (Telford Homes)
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Nice blog and very interesting and useful posts.
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