David Bexon, Managing Director of smartnewhomes.com, comments on the report by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) suggesting new homes are too small to accommodate everyday life:
“To simply suggest that all new homes are too small is both misleading and misinformed. While the issues raised in this report should not be ignored, it is important to keep in mind that the research was conducted solely among new home residents based in London and the surrounding areas – where space is at a premium and apartments dominate the new homes mix.
“Everyone wants something different from their home and new build actually offers a great deal of flexibility, with features designed to meet the changing needs of a family now becoming commonplace, such as bonus rooms or downstairs bathrooms. Further, there are a number of benefits to buying new, from improved energy efficiency and lower fuel bills to low level maintenance and a high quality finish.
“Housebuilders are bound by an ever growing list of requirements, from living space standards to eco credentials, all of which they are expected to deliver at no additional cost for the consumer. At a time when affordability is key and new home starts have fallen considerably, we need to focus on securing the delivery of future homes, not additional guidelines which could result in further costs or delays for the housebuilding sector.
“Pent-up demand resulting from the credit crunch means that the need for new homes is now greater than ever. However, if developers are expected to build this large number of new homes with significantly increased living space, then more land needs to become available, otherwise the build cost, and ultimately sale prices, will rise substantially.”
See Also: Press Releases (372), Cabe (3), Cabe Report (1), David Bexon (14)
Date Published: 11 August 2009
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