Why do people hate new builds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Humans are social animals, and naturally vie for status. Some people buy big things to get status. Others with less money but with better education subvert that by expressing their tastes. This has been going on since the time of the great gatsby, and is illuminated in the writings of Veblen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

That's kind of logic soup.

But, conceding that, based on current zoning, the demand for square feet is typically greater than the demand for old houses with "charm" is potentially a start towards some measure of self-awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. They are generally made of hideous siding, are painted beige inside and out, have out-of-date granite countertops, and are made like cardboard boxes. You can hear everything from every other room. They are cheap.

opposed to the levit stuff thrown up?

[Anonymous]

Yeah- I think it definitely is an issue of taste, upbringing etc...
I don't dislike all new builds in arlington. Some of them are very well done, and the previous homes were in such a state of disrepair they couldn't be saved. To say, however, that the new build is the more "monied" option is naive. An all encompassing full home reno blows the budget on these close in smaller lots. If people had the resources, or if there was more profit for s builder - you would see more renovated homes.
People don't hate all newer construction- they just hate bad new construction.
It's easy to say MYOB about other people's homes, but when a new home is now blocking their neighbor's sunlight and killing their plants it gets personal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Humans are social animals, and naturally vie for status. Some people buy big things to get status. Others with less money but with better education subvert that by expressing their tastes. This has been going on since the time of the great gatsby, and is illuminated in the writings of Veblen.

Are you assuming that people will less money buy smaller things? The people who buy big houses in our neighborhood are very well educated. It may just be others with less money and less education trying to subvert status by trying to conflate "taste" and raw resentment.

[Anonymous]

I would not say I hate new construction. New construction is fabulous. But I'm not a fan of new builds because of the architecture. Is all the same and very uninspired. It looks like the plans were downloaded from a website and plopped anywhere. No consideration for terrain, where the sun rises and sets or privacy in relationship to neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't like is that all new builds are McMansions or multifamily units. You don't see starter homes being built any longer and that sucks.

You won't find any in closer in areas because land values are just too high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not say I hate new construction. New construction is fabulous. But I'm not a fan of new builds because of the architecture. Is all the same and very uninspired. It looks like the plans were downloaded from a website and plopped anywhere. No consideration for terrain, where the sun rises and sets or privacy in relationship to neighbors.

cause this is much better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

That's kind of logic soup.

But, conceding that, based on current zoning, the demand for square feet is typically greater than the demand for old houses with "charm" is potentially a start towards some measure of self-awareness.

You can call it logic soup if you like, I think the case is clear.

I also think the demand for sheer footage to house people is clear. We have a lot of people who want to live close to DC, esp close to metro. There is unmet demand for THs, for condos/apts, for small houses, and for large SFHs. I believe if the market were free, that demand would result in the smaller SFHs, at least the best located ones, being torn down and replaced by THs and multifamily. The heavy hand of the state prevents that, resulting in McMansions.

I also think that smaller older SFHs vary in their amount of charm. I think the more charming ones will resist longer, but the sheer force of economics ways against them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are threatened by new builds, OP. Especially when new builds become the majority in the neighborhood.

You know new builds raise property taxes, right?

I am guessing that most PPs who are posting here in favor of old homes vs. tacky builder grade new construction (myself included) do not face this situation. Even small old homes in our close-in neighborhood are way too expensive to be torn down. Only rarely, when an unrenovated tiny house on a decent lot comes on the market, a builder gets a chance. There is no threat to the neighborhood from those few cases at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Humans are social animals, and naturally vie for status. Some people buy big things to get status. Others with less money but with better education subvert that by expressing their tastes. This has been going on since the time of the great gatsby, and is illuminated in the writings of Veblen.

Are you assuming that people will less money buy smaller things? The people who buy big houses in our neighborhood are very well educated. It may just be others with less money and less education trying to subvert status by trying to conflate "taste" and raw resentment.

I do not believe that taste is being conflated with raw resentment. But I do not wish to rehash to the aesthetic arguments, as I do not particularly care what you live in. I do think that if there are many people with high incomes (some of whom may have good degrees, but no real sense of aesthetics) who find the entire discussion of aesthetics very threatening - and I think that is due to the way it subverts money as status.

[Anonymous]

I will suggest that at some point it will be possible to convert aging mcmansions to apartments. That has happened in some very weak markets out west. The DC area market is much stronger, but its possible to envision a scenario where that happens here, at least in select locations.

[Anonymous]

I love them. Not sure who you are talking with. Are cars better than in the 1970s? Are computers? yes, of course. So are houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have open floor plans, energy efficient features, and there's nothing to repair. Are "McMansions" all that bad?

Look around, OP. Have you ever (ever) seen someone who lives in a new house criticize another new house? No. Because that is not what successful people do. It is not at all difficult to see.

People live in new builds BECAUSE THEY CAN. But go ahead, claim you are the "millionaire next door". We all believe you, no really, we do - it's going to be alright, just breathe.

The guy next door has more than you, it's going to be alright.

LOL. Says the person with shit taste who spends 3 hours commuting every day.

You are a trip! Such a broad brush. NP, but many of us have new builds inside the beltway and commutes < 30 min.