Purchasing a home is one of the largest investments you’ll ever make in your lifetime, so it's imperative you spend time collating the information you need to make an informed decision.
To help you on your journey towards finding your dream home, we’ve shared the most common questions we are asked by prospective purchasers considering a new build home in Aberdeen, from the process involved, benefits of buying a new build home - and what's included in the purchase…
Q: What are the main benefits of buying a new build home?
A: Whether you’re a first time buyer making your first step onto the property ladder, a growing family seeking more space, or an empty nester looking to downsize, new build homes come with a number of impressive benefits including:
- No complex seller chain
- Increased energy efficiency
- Fixed prices
- Peace of mind with NHBC warranties
- A blank canvas to design
- Opportunity for money-saving incentives
Q: Where can I buy a new build home in Aberdeen?
A: Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, is widely known as the ‘Granite City’ due to the expansive use of this beautiful stone throughout the city centre.
Aberdeen certainly has something to offer everyone, with the city boasting a wide range of amenities, excellent educational facilities and work opportunities. The city and shire both boast excellent infrastructure, with regular train links to the North and South, the AWPR offering excellent connectivity by road throughout the province - and of course an international airport.
At Kirkwood Homes, we have a range of superb, luxury developments located throughout Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire, including our flourishing countryside development at The Brambles and stunning coastal development, Strabathie Village, in Blackdog.
If you’re interested in making Aberdeen your new home, take a look at how our customers have settled into life in Aberdeen.
Q: What help is available for purchasing a new build home?
A: Designed with the purpose of helping our customers save money and move into their brand new home hassle-free, we have a suite of offers available across Aberdeen including:
Q: What will my new build property include?
A: At Kirkwood, we include German kitchens, worktops and sanitaryware in all our homes. We also supply quality appliances, most being fully integrated, with the exception of a washing machine and tumble dryer. Quality showers are installed in all of our en-suites and vanity units in the bathrooms. Beautiful Mexicano oak style internal doors are included as standard, while internal walls are left painted white.
Externally, front gardens are turfed, whilst the rear gardens are rotavated and fully fenced with a gate.
Q: How quickly can I move into a new build home?
A: This will depend upon a number of factors including the build status of your new home. If your home is build-complete and ready to move into, it can take as little as 6-8 weeks. A property at the early stages of construction can take around 6 months, however, this will depend on the build stage of the home.
Q: Can I personalise a new build home?
A: Our new build homes offer you the opportunity to enjoy some personalisation, however this will only be offered if the plot is at an early stage of construction.
If you can personalise, you will be able to select your kitchen worktops and doors, plus the tiles in all your bathrooms, en-suites and WC from the large range on offer. We use quality suppliers for all our interiors, with an abundance of choice, and this is typically what our customers say was the most exciting milestone in their new home journey.
Q: What is included in the new home warranty?
A: All of our homes come with the NHBC Buildmark Warranty which means that any snagging in accordance with the guidelines will be covered for a full 2 year period upon moving into your new home. In addition, structural defects are also covered by a NHBC 10 year warranty - offering you peace of mind when it comes to protecting and repairing your home.
Q: What does is cost to reserve a new Kirkwood home?
A: A £1,000 reservation fee is taken at the time of reservation, whilst our missives deposit will be due a little later - typically £5,000. The £6,000 paid will then be deducted from your final account at ‘settlement’ - when the house is due to hand over.
Should you require a mortgage, it is important to have consulted with an IFA to establish your affordability and proposed monthly payments - before reserving a new home. We work with Gail Reid Mortgage Services, who specialise in new build mortgages and have a wealth of lenders at their disposal.
Q: How energy efficient are new build homes?
A: For people in Aberdeen looking to cut the cost of their energy bills, new build homes are certainly the way to go. A study from the Office of National Statistics has shown that the age of a property is the single most important factor in the energy efficiency of a home, with new build properties built to a higher standard than older homes.
Additionally, data released relating to the Energy Performance Certificate showed that more than 8 out of 10 new build properties had been ranked an A or B for energy efficiency compared to a measly 2.2% of existing homes. This drastic comparison highlights the cost savings that can be achieved by living in a new build home.
Q: Who are new build homes most suited to?
A: New build homes are suitable for everyone - no matter what stage of life! For those who are needing more space and wanting to upsize, empty nesters looking to downsize or eager first time buyers, we have a range of homes to accommodate all needs and preferences.
Interested in finding out more about our new build homes in Aberdeen? Visit the link below.
