UK Why are new build prices so bad?

[Electrics]

Near me, a "well-respected" builder had a problem when owners found rising damp.

Rising damp isn't real.

The Fraud of Rising Damp

Rising Damp does not exist. This page helps you understand the real reasons for damp problems you experience, fraud of damp proofing company and recommendations for damp proofing.

www.heritage-house.org

 

[Electrics]

?

 

[telectrix]

what we need is an electricians' union run by Arthur Scargill. any developer tries to use unskilled cheap labour, site blockaded, Range Rovers torched, site managers blackballed...... oh well, suppose we can dream.

 

[Mike Johnson]

try crawling through a 3ft high ( at the highest point) attic made of trusses, where the only space to get through to crawl from the hatch, the wet-pants has fitted a water tank.

Where do you expect the plumber to fit it?

 

[Mike Johnson]

roof trusses are the spawn of Satan. how are you supposed to store anything up there, unless you have triangular boxes.

Satans spawn is without doubt "Cling Film"

 

[telectrix]

Where do you expect the plumber to fit it?

it would have fitted offset from the main crawlway with no problem. was only a header tank for the C/H.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I am not defending the plumber, but wasn't the crawlway there for access to the tank? if the base for the tank was put in by the carpenter then that's where it was fitted, but even then it was probably easier to fit where they did, pipes are not as easy to bend around corners as cable.

 

[telectrix]

the tank was fitted right next to the loft hatch, so that the crawl way was completely blocked. as the hatch was situated 4ft. from 1 gable end it would make sense to fit the tank other side of hatch, leaving the 30ft. crawlway open to the other end.

 

[DMElec.1]

Hi , I've recently started on a new build site in essex, self employed sub contracting for a colchester company for which I have done work for 3 years .recently I've started to take the prices as a personal insult. A 3 bed house 1st fix including 2x data, 2x tv points 3x bt around 16 x sockets , 2 zone combi heating with weather compensater, oven and separate hob,3x smokes 1x heat , 1x co detectors, 4x fans, shaver socket, 10xlights and switches and 2x outside lights and garage supply is £250 which is around £600 pound less than the plumbers 1st fix price! How can anyone do a good job for that? And apart from walk off site ( which I have done) what can be done? And why are electricians the worse paid trade on new build sites?oh and the 2nd fix price was £10 less

It's because people are accepting it.

 

[cliffed]

Did a lot of houses in the 80’s they were ridiculously cheap then…
Its hard work & non stop especially when the site agent won’t sign extras…can you have a look at the CH in plot 7… power not working in …etc.
Realistically a 3/4 bedroom 1st fix is gonna take @ least 2 days…@ a push a day & a halve.
2nd fix/3rd fix @ least 2 days
All based on a mate with you …or even a Spark.

 

[Dustydazzler]

even 1990s prices were incredibly cheap compared to the last 10-15 years

I started towards the late 1990s and I still remember my dad quoting around 1500 quid for a full rewire of a 3 bed house , fully chased in , new board , new bonding , new tails etc etc

1500 quid today would get you a new board and thats about it

i still remember getting 75 quid a day to wire new builds when i started , and that was considered decent money , even the more experienced sparks were only pulling 120-130 per day when i started new flats site work

 

[pc1966]

I started towards the late 1990s and I still remember my dad quoting around 1500 quid for a full rewire of a 3 bed house , fully chased in , new board , new bonding , new tails etc etc

Using this calculator:

Inflation calculator

Use our inflation calculator to check how prices in the UK have changed over time, from 1209 to now.

www.bankofengland.co.uk

£1,500 in 1990 would be £3,486.63 in 2020, or if it was partying like 1999 then £2,658.39

However, the "inflation rate" is always an odd mix of goods and services, so some stuff in under-represented and other stuff over-represented in trying to gauge the purchasing power of a currency. In both cases it is a bit short of the ~£5k is you would be starting at today?

 

[brianmoooore]

the tank was fitted right next to the loft hatch, so that the crawl way was completely blocked. as the hatch was situated 4ft. from 1 gable end it would make sense to fit the tank other side of hatch, leaving the 30ft. crawlway open to the other end.

I've come across exactly that one myself!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Using this calculator:

Inflation calculator

Use our inflation calculator to check how prices in the UK have changed over time, from 1209 to now.

www.bankofengland.co.uk

£1,500 in 1990 would be £3,486.63 in 2020, or if it was partying like 1999 then £2,658.39

However, the "inflation rate" is always an odd mix of goods and services, so some stuff in under-represented and other stuff over-represented in trying to gauge the purchasing power of a currency. In both cases it is a bit short of the ~£5k is you would be starting at today?

Yes a basic rewire today would be about 5 large , maybe even 6 large

 

[telectrix]

i dunno, in 1209 you'd not be able to buy a copy of rhe Magna Carta for £1,000,000.

 

[7029 dave]

Yes a basic rewire today would be about 5 large , maybe even 6 large

I know a contractor in London, and this was about 10 years ago. He would not consider a rewire for less than 10k.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I know a contractor in London, and this was about 10 years ago. He would not consider a rewire for less than 10k.

Im talking VERY BASIC , if we are talking a modern basic 3 bed re-wire all chased in with usb sockets , led downlights and rcbo board you will be looking at £10-12K in my area of Surrey, that would not include any out buildings. I helped a mate on a hug re-wire just before lockdown and that came to about £54,000 but was a massive house with detached garages , 3 bathrooms , 5 bedrooms. It took 2 of us about 8-9 weeks to cpmplete and test