Why do people on dcum hate on new builds?

[Anonymous]

The new build going next to our house will be sold for well north of $2.3m in a nice, walkable part of NW DC.

However, it will also be a rectangular 35' tower of blue-grey horizontal vinyl siding. No architectural embellishments or thoughtful design; just an utterly ruthless maximization of square footage and height for that given lot. I know exactly where and how the developer is cheaping out on this project.

And yes, you will be the eyesore house on our block of homes from the 1920s. But that's what happens when you're not in a historic district neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quality new builds are great.

Here’s what’s not great:

-building right next to freeway entrance ramps, gas stations, medical clinics, etc.

-faux stone in front and siding wraparounds.

-Ornate columns that look picked off the set of a Monty Python film that you use to hold up your sheet metal pediment.

-Stupidly selected landscaping that looks terrible and will die soon (palm trees??? Really????).

-Giant trash castles that are finished in bargain-basement builders’ crap. The quantity over quality places.

-No yards because of monstrosity footprints. Who wants green space when you can breathe plastic composites and cement board fiber all day!?

-Inability to be harmonious with the surroundings. Your faux French castle might look good in France. It looks bad bad bad on a .25 acre lot next to WWI shacks.

-Foyers with stupid compass designs inlaid in the floor. I don’t care what direction North is, where is the bathroom? You’re not Christopher Columbus and the foyer isn’t setting out to discover new lands.

-Oddly shaped and dissimilar windows and dormers that look like they were all bought from different liquidation sales and stuck onto your house to be fancy.

-That disgusting chalk-colored pink brick that makes it look like your house is crying.

-Coffered ceilings in rooms where they don’t make sense.

Damn, what DO you like? lol.

[Anonymous]

I've always wondered and seems like a good time to ask...say for a 4,000-5,000 sq ft new build - what is the ballpark cost for a low-end builder grade vs. medium vs. high-end?

I see so many new builds in our area (N Arlington) that look so builder grade and wonder how much more $ it would cost for something better assuming same size and lot.

[Anonymous]

jelly

[Anonymous]

Depends how they are done. I love new houses, including regular serial suburb ones. Many include half finished basements and granite and hard wood for the base price today. Monstrosities that someone is posting from Falls Church? Not so much. Even in Bethesda, you can drive through and see plenty of nice new builds that were done with taste.
A lot of new construction is quite nice, has a porch and cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because a lot of them are cheaply and quickly built monstrosities? If you can afford a truly custom home - from the site work to the planning and design to the finishes - more power to you. But I was appalled at the sloppy site prep and poor quality of the new build neighborhoods we toured...not to mention the fact that they all seemed to prioritize square footage over livable design or *gasp* a yard...

+1 All the new builds I see look the same. Big, ugly McCraftsmans in the same shade of blue with the smallest possible lawn. It's like people who buy those homes fear greenery.

Honestly, all homes and condos look the same in this area. I always laugh when someone says "New homes look cookie cutter" cause most likely, your place is just as generic and cookie cutter. You either get

1) What you just described
2) Boring basic colonials with brick or vinyl siding
3) Post-WWII shitshacks/ramblers that have shitty HGTV styled flips
4) Boxy looking luxury condos/mixed use urban condos

My leafy DC neighborhood is 1920s-1930s SFHs in a mix of styles--colonials, Tudors, a couple of Spanish style, etc. Definitely doesn't all look the same.

[Anonymous]

Because DCUM hates everything!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because DCUM hates everything!

I love the MCM neighborhoods and homes that dot the greater DC area. There's some fantastic homes south of Alexandria, Bethesda, etc.

An MCM home set in lush surroundings will never go out of style. The newer construction of today will look like the homes of the late 90s that original owners are trying to offload as the downsize: dated.

[Anonymous]

Because most of them are cheap cookie cutters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its because the new builds are generally out in the suburbs. In DCUMland, suburbs are to be hated.
(I am in a far-flung exurb and LOVE my new build. And it is not "cookie-cutter" as people like to assume all new builds are).

lol mention Reston or Ashburn or Springfield on here and it's "OMG FUUUUU THATS THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quality new builds are great.

Here’s what’s not great:

-Foyers with stupid compass designs inlaid in the floor. I don’t care what direction North is, where is the bathroom? You’re not Christopher Columbus and the foyer isn’t setting out to discover new lands.

Lol. I haven't seen this before, is this a thing?

I think the PP is talking about something like this:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quality new builds are great.

Here’s what’s not great:

-Foyers with stupid compass designs inlaid in the floor. I don’t care what direction North is, where is the bathroom? You’re not Christopher Columbus and the foyer isn’t setting out to discover new lands.

Lol. I haven't seen this before, is this a thing?

I think the PP is talking about something like this:

How is this a "new home" thing? Ive only seen this once and it was in one of those 1950's flipped houses.

[Anonymous]

I agree that there are good and bad builds in every generation of homes.

In general, most people compromise on location or quality. To get a good new build in the right location is outside most people's budget (or isn't available if the right location has no places to build new homes). So they either prioritize the location and get a medium to crappy home or they prioritize the quality of the home and get a nicer home further out or in a less desirable area. The people who are most likely going to criticize new builds are ones who opted to prioritize location and got a crappy home and they are looking for a way to justify to themselves the sacrifice that they made and so they crap on new builds to make their choice seem like a better choice. And with new builds, there are plenty of examples of poorly built new builds that it's easy to pick and choose the bad features of bigger and newer poor quality homes.

[Anonymous]

Because they can’t afford them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they can’t afford them.

+1
Done. And done.