Why do people hate new builds?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Oh if I had a pet peeve with new builds it'd have to be new homes that are built on old lots, but the house is setback so far that there's practically zero backyard.

That's probably my #1 pet peeve. They look great from the front w/ a ton of curb appeal, but unless you wanna have a redneck BBQ or party in your front yard, it destroys the backyard.

Again, clearly most people don't care about a backyard and prefer more space inside (since the places are selling), but that's my personal pet peeve with a lot of new builds.

This is why we bought a lot and then hired a builder for the house. We wanted an actual yard, and felt that the 3,500 sq ft we got was more than adequate for our needs. If a builder had done a spec house on this lot, it probably would have been nearing 5,000 square feet, with hardly any yard. Instead, we have a nice-sized patio, swing seat, separate fire pit area, and room for the kids to play soccer.

Land is expensive - building (even building well), is cheap by comparison.

If you build 3500 SF when you could have built 5,000, it is highly likely that you destroyed value.

How did they "destroy" value, as opposed to just not maximizing it?

Another owner may add an addition on the back but it would've been better to build a house that was the same size as the new builds in the neighborhood.

There's no such thing as "better". Every family decides what's better for them. If a 5,000 sqft house doesn't work for a particular family, it doesn't work.

People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now.

We did something similar with our new build in North Arlington -- didn't maximize the size, just built something optimal for our family. We lived here for years before (starter home in young 20's) and building new was the option that made most sense for us versus moving.

We lived in a tiny house for years with teardowns and new builds and I appreciated what it has done for property values.

Downsides? While our two immediate neighbors were happy with our new home, and happy for our growing family -- some in the neighborhood have displayed resentment. Some older residents resent the more affluent, younger newcomers and the higher property tax as teardowns continue to happen in our neighborhood.

Also -- one etiquette point for living in a neighborhood with varied housing (ours has townhouses, $1M+ new builds, small old houses like our previos 2BR 700 sfhouse).
When I attend neighborhood parties, it is a pet peeve when people ask *EXACTLY* where someone lives right after meeting them. If asked I'll say X Street and then get pressed for exactly where and which house. This bugged me when we had a tiny old house and it bugs me now that we have a gorgeous larger new home. The question strikes me as somewhat divisive when our neighborhood includes such a mix, the size of home is not one of first 2-3 interesting lor relevant things I'd want to know about a family when first meeting them.

You know your neighborhood, but I wouldn't read too much into people wanting to know which house is yours. It's providing backstory and context- my necessarily judgement. Your home sounds lovely.

[Anonymous]

* not necessarily judgement

[Anonymous]

Yep. My hood has no tear downs, but I always ask where someone lives. It provides context and its conversation. Plus fills in the pieces. oh, that guy must live in the house with the two german shepherds. Oh, that guy must have the hot wife who drives the green camry. Oh, that guy never cuts his grass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep. My hood has no tear downs, but I always ask where someone lives. It provides context and its conversation. Plus fills in the pieces. oh, that guy must live in the house with the two german shepherds. Oh, that guy must have the hot wife who drives the green camry. Oh, that guy never cuts his grass.

You are a nightmare nosy neighbor.

[Anonymous]

"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

Agreed. PP here. I was referring to the bold (trying not to copy a long, annoying post).

No one wants old houses now. Why on earth would they want an old house years from now with someone else's idea of "nice" (dumpy)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. My hood has no tear downs, but I always ask where someone lives. It provides context and its conversation. Plus fills in the pieces. oh, that guy must live in the house with the two german shepherds. Oh, that guy must have the hot wife who drives the green camry. Oh, that guy never cuts his grass.

You are a nightmare nosy neighbor.

Hah. Welcome to Planet Earth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

Agreed. PP here. I was referring to the bold (trying not to copy a long, annoying post).

No one wants old houses now. Why on earth would they want an old house years from now with someone else's idea of "nice" (dumpy)?


Depends on what you mean by old. Like ...
90's- yuck
80's- not so much
70's- kinda depends
60's - maybe

50's and older - with good bones and healthy renovation budget hell yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

Agreed. PP here. I was referring to the bold (trying not to copy a long, annoying post).

No one wants old houses now. Why on earth would they want an old house years from now with someone else's idea of "nice" (dumpy)?


Depends on what you mean by old. Like ...
90's- yuck
80's- not so much
70's- kinda depends
60's - maybe

50's and older - with good bones and healthy renovation budget hell yes!

Here is what most buyers like.
40s no way, ww2 lack of materials
50s ehhh, post ww2 tract home boom of bad homes
60s bleh
70s blah style terrible energey effeciencies
80s mediocre maybe be workable i
90s yes looking better modern code larger open floor plans
00s best of all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

Agreed. PP here. I was referring to the bold (trying not to copy a long, annoying post).

No one wants old houses now. Why on earth would they want an old house years from now with someone else's idea of "nice" (dumpy)?


Depends on what you mean by old. Like ...
90's- yuck
80's- not so much
70's- kinda depends
60's - maybe

50's and older - with good bones and healthy renovation budget hell yes!

Here is what most buyers like.
40s no way, ww2 lack of materials
50s ehhh, post ww2 tract home boom of bad homes
60s bleh
70s blah style terrible energey effeciencies
80s mediocre maybe be workable i
90s yes looking better modern code larger open floor plans
00s best of all

That's because the average dc person lacks creativity and vision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
That's because the average dc person lacks creativity and vision.

So what are you going to do? Screen buyers for creativity and vision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"People will one day look at the home and say... "Wow what a lovely home that a family cherished and grew their family in. And look! They have a wonderful outdoor space! Gosh, all of these terrible homes from the early 2000's have no green space. I really wish people at that time hadn't built over sized monstrosities"
Of course that will be decades from now, because it is their forever home- that they built to work for their family now."

You are joking and don't actually believe this, do you? No one else does.

What? That tastes change? No that is a fact of life.

Agreed. PP here. I was referring to the bold (trying not to copy a long, annoying post).

No one wants old houses now. Why on earth would they want an old house years from now with someone else's idea of "nice" (dumpy)?


Depends on what you mean by old. Like ...
90's- yuck
80's- not so much
70's- kinda depends
60's - maybe

50's and older - with good bones and healthy renovation budget hell yes!

Here is what most buyers like.
40s no way, ww2 lack of materials
50s ehhh, post ww2 tract home boom of bad homes
60s bleh
70s blah style terrible energey effeciencies
80s mediocre maybe be workable i
90s yes looking better modern code larger open floor plans
00s best of all

Robust sales of older houses in upper NW DC and of older rowhouses all over the district disagree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! I would love an all brick custom home one day

+1000. Painted brick...a nice shade of light cream or pale grey...with big windows and a modern floor plan inside...

*wakes up, dream rudely interrupted*

Red door / black shutters


Heaven

Fine Paints of Europe . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
That's because the average dc person lacks creativity and vision.

So what are you going to do? Screen buyers for creativity and vision?

What the fuck are you talking about?