If you’re looking to buy a new build home it can be a great way to enter the property market, as they offer an unspoilt canvas to start your new journey. But where in Great Britain are the most new build properties built and at what price?
Luckily, the latest research from the experts at money.co.uk looks to uncover where in Great Britain is the best place to purchase a new build property. From the number of new build dwellings and their median value, to the wellbeing of residents in the area, this research shares valuable insights.
Before you compare mortgages it is important to do your research, explore the area and have an idea of median house prices. This knowledge can help you to make an educated decision, to ensure you find a home that is right for you.
When considering the best location to purchase a new build home, you may want to consider West Devon, which came in first position based on our research. This area is home to quaint, picturesque towns and villages such as Chagford, Princetown and Tavistock, to name a few.
This area was one of only a few we found offering new build homes at a lower price than second-hand properties. The average price for a new build home in this area is £276,810 compared to £289,742 for an older property.
When looking at wellbeing, the location ranks highly at 7.784 for factors such as low anxiety and general happiness.
Taking second place is Eden, in Cumbria. This valley location is home to the River Eden, which runs through the district and is surrounded by beautiful countryside, offering residents picture-perfect views.
The data shows that this wonderful part of the country has much to offer with 383.91 new builds per 100,000 residents.
The average personal well-being score is also greater than that of front-runner West Devon, at 7.929.
Next on the list is West Oxfordshire, in third position. This district is home to the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is made up of historic villages and towns.
The average new build price here is currently at £443,483 and there were 640 new build property completions from April 2020 to April 2021.
When looking at the number of new properties built between 2020 and 2021, it’s no surprise that a major city takes the top spot. Manchester saw 3,130 private new build homes completed over this period.
The homes cost an average of £281,869, with existing homes in the area averaging £214,612. Although older homes typically have a lower cost, it’s important to bear in mind that they may require more work than brand-new properties.
As well as being home to Manchester United and Manchester City football clubs, the area is a bustling city with plenty to see and do.
This London borough takes second place, with a total of 2,680 private new build properties completed between 2020 and 2021. This area offered some of the most expensive new build homes at £535,794.96 on average.
If you are lucky enough to live here then you should never be stuck for things to do, given the easy access to the majority of Greater London and the big smoke itself.
In the north of England, Leeds takes the third position with a total of 2,590 private new build completions from 2020 to 2021. New build homes in Leeds are valued at an average of £333,960, which is £112,502 higher than other properties in the area.
Living in Leeds offers variety, with the city on your doorstep and countryside in the surrounding areas, there’s something for everyone.
The town of Harlow is located in Essex, England and is home to a mix of old and new properties. The research found a price difference of 56.51% between new builds and existing properties, with newer homes costing on average £400,490 more than existing homes.
This increase suggests that the demand for new builds in this location is high.
Although not home to the most expensive properties on the list, Blaenau Gwent in Wales comes second in terms of the difference in cost.
New build property values in this area are more than double the price of existing properties at 55.66%. The average price for a new build property comes in at £286,094, compared to the average value of second-hand homes, which is just £126,853.
Located in Kent, England, Gravesham is third in these rankings. Our research found a 54.13% difference in price between new build and existing properties in this area.
Whilst existing properties are valued at an average of £325,756, new build properties are valued at a whooping £710,141.
When looking at the results by county it would seem that properties in Scotland see the largest price difference at 38.25%. With new build homes costing an average of £291,259 and older properties averaging just £179,838.
New build homes in Wales are still more expensive than existing properties, with a difference in the value of 33.42%.
Whilst properties in England appear to cost more on average than those in both Scotland and Wales, there is a much smaller increase in price between existing and new homes at 27.90%.
Located in Lancashire, Hyndburn takes its name from the River Hyndburn and comes first on our list of cheapest new build areas.
The average new build price is £137,072 which is a £571,661 difference from the Harlow, the most expensive new build area on the list.
North Ayrshire is second on the list, offering spectacular views of the surrounding coast in the Lowlands of Scotland.
The average new build price in this area is £156,465 which is a lot cheaper than many other sea-view areas.
Burnley is the second place in Lancashire to feature on the list of low cost new build property locations. As well as being home to Burnley Football Club, the location offers easy access to the rest of Lancashire and beautiful countryside views.
The average new build property price in the Borough of Burnley is £177,799.
These findings may be useful to consider when searching for a new build property. The below should assist you in creating a list of questions to ask when buying a new build house.
When buying a new build home it’s important to check for any small defects, such as chipped paintwork or installation issues. These small defects are known as snags and should have been detected and fixed before new homeowners move into the property.
Below are examples of common new build snags:
Chipped paintwork: With several workers passing through the property to ensure its completion, paintwork can easily become chipped or scratched. Although this is a simple accident it can be reported as a snag
Plastering issues: New build homes are known for smooth and sleek wall finishes, so it’s important to make the developer aware of any plastering issues you come across
Missed/cracked tiles: Be sure to check for any missed or cracked tiles as these should be replaced
Damage to doors/windows: Windows and doors are a key security feature in any home and therefore any damage or fault should be brought to the developer's attention
Brickwork: Although a snagging report does not look at the structure of a property, it can include cracked or damaged bricks. Cracked or damaged brickwork can cause problems in the long-term so should be reported sooner rather than later
There are several reasons you might consider purchasing a new build property, such as:
There are a number of government schemes that may help first-time buyers purchase a new build property
When purchasing a new property there is always the option to buy off-plan, allowing you to make some key design decisions
Finally, one of the main factors to consider is that a new build home can cost less to run initially, as maintenance should be lower.
When purchasing a property the buyer can submit an initial offer that may be below the recommended value, if they wish. There is no guarantee a lower price would be accepted, however, and in a seller’s market, it may result in the buyer losing out to a higher offer.
If you are wondering how to buy a new build house, and whether this would work out faster, then the good news is, it’s very similar to buying any other home, and it can be quicker, but this is not a given.
There is no chain (other buyers) involved in buying a new build home, however, this does not mean completion times and surveys will be carried out any quicker. In some cases, a discount may be arranged for work that needs to be completed post-survey.
This research focuses on local authority data and statistics to reveal the best place to purchase a new build property in Great Britain.
To begin, the number of private new build dwellings from April 2020 to March 2021 (or using the latest data available) for each local authority was identified. Using government sources for England, Wales and Scotland.
Once ranked by most to least private new build dwellings per local authority the latest official population figures were used to work out the number of new builds per 1,000 population. These sources were used for Scotland, England and Wales.
Average house prices for new build and existing properties by the local authority as of May ‘22 were sourced from land registry data here.
Finally, ONS well-being scores for each local authority were identified and ranked best to worst.
Each factor was then analysed and given a normalised score out of ten, before taking an average of these scores for the overall ranking.
Originally data included Northern Ireland, however, the data was unavailable for new builds and existing property prices. This impacted the results placing the majority of Northern Ireland's authorities at the top of the rankings which could be misleading. For this reason, authorities in Northern Ireland were removed from the piece, focusing on Great Britain rather than the UK.
Whether you're looking to buy a modern new-build or something more rustic in the countryside, why not explore our expert guides below for tips and inspiration.