FTB New Build Home - Spec Change Request

Downloaded

Hi – We are first time buyers and have just signed contracts on a new build house in the past week. The house won’t be fully built until Mar/Apr 2021 and we were wondering, do Builders allow any changes to be made from the standard spec?

The main items we would like to check would be if we can check where the socket outlets are going and if we needed more, can we add them in now? Also another example would be to add a small sink to the utility room?

Has anyone any experience good/bad and if permitted, how should such items be paid for / captured!?

What would be the best way to communicate these items to the developer - Directly or via the EA?

Claw Hammer

Downloaded wrote: »

Hi – We are first time buyers and have just signed contracts on a new build house in the past week. The house won’t be fully built until Mar/Apr 2021 and we were wondering, do Builders allow any changes to be made from the standard spec?

The main items we would like to check would be if we can check where the socket outlets are going and if we needed more, can we add them in now? Also another example would be to add a small sink to the utility room?

Has anyone any experience good/bad and if permitted, how should such items be paid for / captured!?

What would be the best way to communicate these items to the developer - Directly or via the EA?

Surely you asked all these questions before paying a booking deposit, or at least before signing the contract?
Some builders do allow changes, some don't. Some send you to the sub contractor eg the electrician to agree it with them and pay the subbie directly. Quite often it is very expensive to do it that way.

Downloaded

We never had any discussions with the developer at all, only the EA who wasn't very helpful in that sense. It was more, sign the contracts and then we'll see...

I guess I'm wondering is it possible and it sounds like it is, depending on the developer of course. We best get our charm dialed in then so to see what we can do

I guess it is expensive but you only get one chance without opening up works after the fact

Claw Hammer

Downloaded wrote: »

We never had any discussions with the developer at all, only the EA who wasn't very helpful in that sense. It was more, sign the contracts and then we'll see...

I guess I'm wondering is it possible and it sounds like it is, depending on the developer of course. We best get our charm dialed in then so to see what we can do

I guess it is expensive but you only get one chance without opening up works after the fact

If your weren't getting and positive feedback from the EA, it is most likely because the developer will not do changes. In most cases the works are contracted out at so much a house. Many builders couldn't be arsed contacting sub-contractors to make changes in one of the houses and the sub contractors don't want to be bothered handling requests. Now that you have signed the contracts , you are locked in and they will want to be well paid to go to the trouble of making changes.

Graham

Unless you're working with a very small, friendly developer the answer is almost certainly no.

My guess would be the EA already knows the answer to your question. If you have children you probably won't need a definition for "we'll see"

Downloaded

Claw Hammer wrote: »

If your weren't getting and positive feedback from the EA, it is most likely because the developer will not do changes. In most cases the works are contracted out at so much a house. Many builders couldn't be arsed contacting sub-contractors to make changes in one of the houses and the sub contractors don't want to be bothered handling requests. Now that you have signed the contracts , you are locked in and they will want to be well paid to go to the trouble of making changes.

Makes sense what you are saying alright.

So if we are just talking about extra sockets, would it be just as cost effective to get our own spark in after we move in to add them in? Is it straight forward or would it be messy?

House is timber frame by the way so not sure if that makes it easier or more difficult!

Downloaded

Graham wrote: »

Unless you're working with a very small, friendly developer the answer is almost certainly no.

My guess would be the EA already knows the answer to your question. If you have children you probably won't need a definition for "we'll see"

Hahaha!!

This is a development of 30 odd houses so I suppose that makes them a large developer and unlikely to vary from the standard offering

Graham

If it's only 30 houses, you might be lucky.

Might also be worth having a chat with the site foreman at some point if you can.

Claw Hammer

Downloaded wrote: »

Makes sense what you are saying alright.

So if we are just talking about extra sockets, would it be just as cost effective to get our own spark in after we move in to add them in? Is it straight forward or would it be messy?

House is timber frame by the way so not sure if that makes it easier or more difficult!

You should ask what your own sparks would charge to do it after you move in and then approach the developer. It would be technically much simpler to have the extra sockets added in at the first fix stage. It will not affect anything else in the build. Adding in sockets after the closing of the sale means disturbing the slabs, plasterwork and paintwork and will take much more time.

Downloaded

Hmm good idea @Graham .... How would you approach someone like that? Just rock up to the site and ask for them?

cubatahavana

Graham wrote: »

If it's only 30 houses, you might be lucky.

Might also be worth having a chat with the site foreman at some point if you can.

This. We are moving into a new build in 2 weeks time (hopefully). Thanks to sn approachable foreman we have been able to:

- Get tiles installed in the kitchen instead of the included engineered floor. We paid for the tiles ourselves, but there is a flooring allowance that we will be getting, minus the price for installing the tiles
- Get an external tap and external socket
- Will get wooden floors installed before closing too. The guys there will accept the delivery and unload everything free of charge and my contractor will lay down the floors
- He agreed to send the painters after I install the floors to repair any damaged walls when removing skirtings free of charge.

We are quite happy with him

cronos

Downloaded wrote: »

Hi – We are first time buyers and have just signed contracts on a new build house in the past week. The house won’t be fully built until Mar/Apr 2021 and we were wondering, do Builders allow any changes to be made from the standard spec?

The main items we would like to check would be if we can check where the socket outlets are going and if we needed more, can we add them in now? Also another example would be to add a small sink to the utility room?

Has anyone any experience good/bad and if permitted, how should such items be paid for / captured!?

What would be the best way to communicate these items to the developer - Directly or via the EA?

My guess would be sockets possibly if you get in contact with the electrician soon enough.

Sink is very unlikely as it would require laying extra pipes.

I would expect if they have not put the sockets in yet that moving them is unlikley to cost anything if they allow it. However if you want extra sockets you will have to pay.

Downloaded

cubatahavana wrote: »

This. We are moving into a new build in 2 weeks time (hopefully). Thanks to sn approachable foreman we have been able to:

- Get tiles installed in the kitchen instead of the included engineered floor. We paid for the tiles ourselves, but there is a flooring allowance that we will be getting, minus the price for installing the tiles
- Get an external tap and external socket
- Will get wooden floors installed before closing too. The guys there will accept the delivery and unload everything free of charge and my contractor will lay down the floors
- He agreed to send the painters after I install the floors to repair any damaged walls when removing skirtings free of charge.

We are quite happy with him

Wow, sounds like you are getting a very bespoke service, which would be great if our developer followed suit... fingers crossed it works out and best of luck in your new abode!

Downloaded

cronos wrote: »

My guess would be sockets possibly if you get in contact with the electrician soon enough.

Sink is very unlikely as it would require laying extra pipes.

I would expect if they have not put the sockets in yet that moving them is unlikely to cost anything if they allow it. However if you want extra sockets you will have to pay.

Yes we would be hopeful of getting a couple of extra sockets here and there and don't mind paying, as we want to get it right first time if at all possible

As for the sink, we would hope that if there is water and waste already there from the washing machine, it wouldn't be too difficult to 'extend' these services to cater for a sink?

brisan

Downloaded wrote: »

Makes sense what you are saying alright.

So if we are just talking about extra sockets, would it be just as cost effective to get our own spark in after we move in to add them in? Is it straight forward or would it be messy?

House is timber frame by the way so not sure if that makes it easier or more difficult!

Always easier and neater to get it done when being built
Subbie might overcharge because he has you over a barrel
Worth checking out , builder might just say “see the sparks and the plumber “
Electrics won’t be an issue and if there is a waste pipe and water supply in the utility room already sink won’t be an issue either

AnRothar

brisan wrote: »

Always easier and neater to get it done when being built
Subbie might overcharge because he has you over a barrel
Worth checking out , builder might just say “see the sparks and the plumber “
Electrics won’t be an issue and if there is a waste pipe and water supply in the utility room already sink won’t be an issue either

To install an electrical fitting the Electrician will typically have to run a feed from the fuse box or take a feed from an existing fitting.


As Brisan says by far the best time to do any electrical works is when the house is been built.


Anyone who has had work done subsequent will testify to the dust and mess created when chasing a wall.

Just rock up to the site and ask for them?

Yes, go to the site and approach the foreman.


I suspect that the "standard fit" is "x" sockets and "y" fittings. and they will have a price for each subsequent socket/fitting.



2 things to consider.
1. Outside socket
2. Outside tap.

Downloaded

AnRothar wrote: »

To install an electrical fitting the Electrician will typically have to run a feed from the fuse box or take a feed from an existing fitting.


As Brisan says by far the best time to do any electrical works is when the house is been built.


Anyone who has had work done subsequent will testify to the dust and mess created when chasing a wall.



Yes, go to the site and approach the foreman.


I suspect that the "standard fit" is "x" sockets and "y" fittings. and they will have a price for each subsequent socket/fitting.



2 things to consider.
1. Outside socket
2. Outside tap.

Thanks AnRothar, appreciate the advice. Will have to doorstep the foreman sooner rather then later then so.

An external socket and tap are already included thankfully.

Another item that we might consider is changing the standard solid (probably cheap as chips) door from the hallway into the kitchen to one with a glass panel, to allow more light in... would it better to ask for this type of thing now, even if we supplied it to the builder, or just change it out ourselves after we move in?

brisan

Downloaded wrote: »

Thanks AnRothar, appreciate the advice. Will have to doorstep the foreman sooner rather then later then so.

An external socket and tap are already included thankfully.

Another item that we might consider is changing the standard solid (probably cheap as chips) door from the hallway into the kitchen to one with a glass panel, to allow more light in... would it better to ask for this type of thing now, even if we supplied it to the builder, or just change it out ourselves after we move in?

You could ask but there may be reasons why it’s a solid door ( fire door ) rather than a glass panel door
Not a big fan of glass doors where there might be kids unless it’s a really good door with good tempered glass in it
Easy enough to change after you move in

AnRothar

Downloaded wrote: »

Thanks AnRothar, appreciate the advice. Will have to doorstep the foreman sooner rather then later then so.

An external socket and tap are already included thankfully.

Another item that we might consider is changing the standard solid (probably cheap as chips) door from the hallway into the kitchen to one with a glass panel, to allow more light in... would it better to ask for this type of thing now, even if we supplied it to the builder, or just change it out ourselves after we move in?

The beloved "extras" are the source of much discussion.
Where the purchaser thinks they are being fleeced and the builder thinking what do they want NOW.

As part of the costings the builder would have allowed for door type "a" which costs "b".
Getting a "better" door should be possible with an extra fee.
It is one of those "ask the foreman" questions.

Changing a door would be what most people consider desirable but not essential.


Ideally it is preferable to get everything done before you move in.
However this is not always possible.

Changing a door is fairly straight forward with little mess.
Can be done anytime.
Regarding the glass, simple fact is that doors occasionally get slammed by accident. Make sure its toughened or whatever the current standard is.

Downloaded

brisan wrote: »

You could ask but there may be reasons why it’s a solid door ( fire door ) rather than a glass panel door
Not a big fan of glass doors where there might be kids unless it’s a really good door with good tempered glass in it
Easy enough to change after you move in

Thanks brisan, good point with regard to fire and to safety... something to consider carefully and maybe it is best to live in the house for a bit before making a decision that we could regret down the road

Downloaded

AnRothar wrote: »

The beloved "extras" are the source of much discussion.
Where the purchaser thinks they are being fleeced and the builder thinking what do they want NOW.

As part of the costings the builder would have allowed for door type "a" which costs "b".
Getting a "better" door should be possible with an extra fee.
It is one of those "ask the foreman" questions.

Changing a door would be what most people consider desirable but not essential.


Ideally it is preferable to get everything done before you move in.
However this is not always possible.

Changing a door is fairly straight forward with little mess.
Can be done anytime.
Regarding the glass, simple fact is that doors occasionally get slammed by accident. Make sure its toughened or whatever the current standard is.

Ha, I can see your point - We will have to have a comprehensive 'wish list' to hand before doorstepping any foreman, so that from the outset, we know what we can and cannot do.

Maybe the door is something we could take care of after move-in, but the other items mentioned such as sockets and an extra sink might be best to sort out ahead of the move, if even at all possible.

I think its time to draw up the list and then present to the builder...see how we go!

Graham

AnRothar wrote: »

As part of the costings the builder would have allowed for door type "a" which costs "b".
Getting a "better" door should be possible with an extra fee.
It is one of those "ask the foreman" questions.

It's not just the cost of the door though, it's the fairly substantial overhead that comes with it.

Somebody has to source the door, order it, pay for it, arrange delivery, be on site to accept delivery, make sure it goes to the right house, inform the chippies about the change...........

OP might be as well to keep in mind the more you ask for, the higher the chance of getting a PFO.

Personally, I'd limit the requests to whatever the onsite trades could do with the materials they already have.

Natch, if this is a 7 figure house with bespoke interiors, ask for whatever you like.

ec18

Downloaded wrote: »

Ha, I can see your point - We will have to have a comprehensive 'wish list' to hand before doorstepping any foreman, so that from the outset, we know what we can and cannot do.

Maybe the door is something we could take care of after move-in, but the other items mentioned such as sockets and an extra sink might be best to sort out ahead of the move, if even at all possible.

I think its time to draw up the list and then present to the builder...see how we go!

if you can try and divy it up into must have, nice to have and we'll do ourselves. If the contract is already signed there is a certain amount of ice skating uphill about it. However changing single sockets into double sockets or changes to a kitchen (presuming it's included) will probably be ok with an extra cost.

The sink in the utility I'd say you have very little chance of getting that included without an extra cost. All depends on how much of the house is already built.

In short you won't get anything extra included now for free as you've signed contracts and it's not a dispute as such it's things you'd like to have included

brisan

Downloaded wrote: »

Thanks brisan, good point with regard to fire and to safety... something to consider carefully and maybe it is best to live in the house for a bit before making a decision that we could regret down the road

You are always better living in a house for a while to see what works best for you
I have seen people spend 2-3k on a dining room set because it looks nice
Then spend all their time eating at a kitchen island or dinner on their lap watching TV
Spend time to see what suits
One piece of advice ,spend BIG on a bed and mattress.
A good nights sleep will improve every aspect of your life ,from work ,to social ,to relationship ,to sex
You spend 16 hrs a day in shoes and 8 hrs a day in bed ,spend big to make sure both are comfortable
Good luck in your new house