House Spacing

George Hincapie

George Hincapie

George Hincapie

Suspended
Joined
17 Oct 2011
Posts
5,707
Location
Buckingamshire
I took the dog for a walk last night along a private road I often use. The houses are all massive and very expensive; at one end they have started to build three or four more. The houses are all 6+ bedrooms and 3+ floors, but they are all right next to each other. I mean like the corner of one is less than 5m from the next.

If I was paying several million pounds for a property I wouldn't want anyone any where near me. Why do builders do that? Aside from the obvious profit generation. It seems to be more about making the most cash than creating genuinely lovely places to live. A shame :(
 
I don't think you can look at it that way though Moses. The reality is that buying the plot and building two houses is still going to easily cover costs and profit. What you are talking about is making more or less profit - they won't struggle either way. I am not a buyer at that level, but if I were my immediate reaction would just be 'Greedy barstewards' and I'd look elsewhere.
 
But there's plenty of people willing to buy. You can spit your dummy out as much as you want, they'll sell and the world will move on without you.
 
I do not question why it this is done as that much is obvious, but rather who buys these newbuild properties.

Directly over the road from my house there was a farm yard covering around 2 acres. This is now 7 being developed into 7* 5-6 bed houses ranging in price from around 900k, to 1.25m. Not much land per unit for the area i live in where plot sizes are generally large.

Meanwhile, also in the village, if you accept some work, you can buy a beautiful old much larger farmhouse, complete with stables, paddocks, the lot, for around the same as that upper end price.

Baffles me.
 
The other way of looking at it, is whether people still *want* 1/2 acre of garden each. A lot of people can't be bothered gardening, so the outside space doesn't bother them, and certainly wouldn't pay a premium for it.

Like what has been said above, they wouldn't build if they didn't already know they'll sell...
 
If you are moving to the burbs from an expensive central London flat with attached neighbours above, below and both sides then having "only" 5 metres between you and someone else is still a luxury. Lack of garden ... so what, its still more than the pot of herbs on the kitchen windowsill.
 
Spammeh said:
The other way of looking at it, is whether people still *want* 1/2 acre of garden each. A lot of people can't be bothered gardening, so the outside space doesn't bother them, and certainly wouldn't pay a premium for it.

Like what has been said above, they wouldn't build if they didn't already know they'll sell...
Click to expand...

TBH it isn't the issue of a garden, it's an issue of proximity. These houses are huge - they should have more space between them. You could just have pea shingle down or some other similar low maintenance surface.
 
contrary to popular belief it isn't the developers doing this...they're forced to put a certain density on plots by planning authorities so they can either do this as larger units or smaller units but the overall built area must meet a certain minimum.
 
kaktus said:
contrary to popular belief it isn't the developers doing this...they're forced to put a certain density on plots by planning authorities so they can either do this as larger units or smaller units but the overall built area must meet a certain minimum.
Click to expand...

That's nonsense surely? I could buy a plot a mile square and put a single house on it if I wanted.
 
It is a shame that so many developers do this, like you say sure it creates extra revenue but they all look so cramped and overlooked.

If you want space around you then new builds just don't offer it, all about getting as many properties on the plot and sod the lack of privacy / odd room sizes / unusable layouts.
 
George Hincapie said:
That's nonsense surely? I could buy a plot a mile square and put a single house on it if I wanted.
Click to expand...

Are you a housing developer?

Not saying Kaktus is correct but, if he is, that's the difference between a housing company and a normal person building a house
 
Of course it is about making the most cash. Why would builders put 'making a lovely place to live' above that if they aren't going to live there themselves?

Personally I'm all for cramming more property in, if it helps keep prices down.
 
Surely your anger should not be at the developer. As has been said, they're trying to make as much money as possible - and so they should!!

Your anger should be at the council for granting planning permission. The whole reason planning permission exists is to stop people doing whatever they like - they're the safeguard against what you have a problem with. If the council cared about keeping space between houses and stopping an area looking cramped then they could very easily have denied permission. But they've chosen not to.
 
You think thats bad, you should see the 2 / 3 beds round here. Talk about living in your next door neighbours pockets
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom