DITCHING the DIY and buying a brand new home could save you thousands.

Redrow has calculated that it can cost £30,000 to bring an older second hand property up to the same standard as one of its new homes, not to mention the huge outlay of time and energy.

In contrast, investing in a home from Redrow’s just launched New Heritage Collection could save you time and money as they’re constructed to a very high standard, with an up to date specification and highly polished finish. They feature stylish kitchens and bathrooms, top brand name appliances and they’re well insulated with full central heating and double glazed windows.

Kim Peters, Redrow’s group sales and marketing director says: “People think they want an older property, buy one and then spend thousands of pounds and invest a lot of energy turning something that a new home already offers.

“Inspired by the architecture, colours and textures of the Arts and Crafts movement, homes in our New Heritage Collection boast the external character of older period-style properties.

“The look and feel of the collection loses none of the integrity or style in the translation from the past to the present and each home has its own special features and proportions.”

Research has shown that a brand new home is up to 40% more efficient than one built10 years ago, which should mean lower fuel bills. A newly built home is also easy to maintain and keep clean, leaving home owners with more time to enjoy the life they’ve chosen to live. And it carries the added reassurance of a two-year guarantee for any fitted appliances and the National Home-Building Council (NHBC) 10-year ‘Buildmark’ warranty.

A national survey by SmartNewHomes.com found that cash-conscious homebuyers are increasingly looking to new homes due to their lower on-going running costs.

In a survey of over 1,000 active UK home searchers, one-in-two of the homebuyers questioned stated the low maintenance of new-build properties as their primary reason for buying new. Over 40% of respondents also cited the peace of mind offered by the 10-year new-build warranty as another key reason for choosing new over re-sale homes.  Large numbers also quoted energy efficiency and modern appliances as further motives for buying new.

The SmartNewHomes.com survey backed Redrow’s £30,000 estimate of how much it costs to bring an older home up to scratch. In fact, 13% of respondents who owned a re-sale home revealed that their overall spend on home improvements actually exceeded this amount.

And over 10% said they had to dedicate an average of more than 10 hours per week to DIY and renovations for their previously-owned home – equating to over three weeks of time for the year as a whole.

Kim adds: “The message is clear – why buy an older property and spend tens of thousands of pounds and all your spare time upgrading it, when the New Heritage Collection from Redrow has the character of bygone times but the internal specification to meet the needs of today’s modern lifestyles.”

Influenced by the ‘Arts and Crafts’ era, the New Heritage Collection is a premium housing product with more than a hint of nostalgia, but boasting a specification to meet the needs of modern lifestyles. 

Initial prices are from circa £161,495 for a three-bedroom New Heritage Collection home in Liverpool, from £202,995 for a three-bedroom detached home in Chorley, Lancashire, from £162,995 in Wrexham, North Wales, and from £179,995 in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Redrow’s New Heritage Collection can be viewed on Redrow TV which can be accessed via the ‘see Redrow’ section of the Redrow website, please click here for details.

* £30,000 estimate (inc vat) is based on upgrading a typical three-bedroom house to include new kitchen units and appliances; a new heating system; replacement wiring and remedial plastering; additional loft insulation; redecoration including materials; new bathroom suites, including ground-floor cloakroom and en-suite; replacement windows; new guttering including fitting; and replacement of fascias.