“The problem with depressing architecture like this is it means no one will love it, respect it, or fight for it. It will become a deteriorating, [...] liminal space that embarrasses locals,” writes ‘Newbuild Hate’ in a caption under one of their many posts showing badly built homes and buildings.
The page appeared on X in 2021, and since then, it has grown to over 127K followers, becoming a space for people to share their frustrations about modern housing. In the comments, users often cope with humor. “Built to last… about 11 years,” someone jokes about an apartment block with moldy walls. “Fewer points of entry to defend from home invasion,” says another user about a house with barely any windows.
Research shows there’s not much trust for newly built houses. A survey by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in the UK found that 55% of people believe older homes are superior, while only 21% favored new builds. Nearly a third (32%) described new-build housing as “poor quality,” despite claims from developers that most homes are constructed to a “very high standard.”
John Cooper, a snagging inspector and managing director of New Home Quality Control, thinks the situation is even worse than the survey suggests. He shared that his team speaks to 350 customers a month, and “everyone is not happy.”
Cooper, a former carpenter, started his snagging inspection company with a fellow tradesman six years ago after witnessing all the poor construction work on building sites. He checks houses for flaws to ensure they are safe to live in.
“I woke up one morning and decided I couldn’t live with myself,” he says. “I had been a site manager on a housing job in Pembrokeshire and my boss told me to hide a serious roof problem from a customer. I knew it would cause leaks further down the line, but he insisted we cover it up.”
Four days later, Cooper quit. “I decided I had to make a change in the industry,” he says. “We need to highlight the dreadful things that are happening and begin to change builders’ mindsets. There’s just no pride in the job any more. ”
Orlando Murphy, one of the inspectors at New Home Quality Control, films his work and uploads the videos to the company’s TikTok, capturing all the hidden problems he finds in modern housing. “Cracked tiles, guttering on the wonk, pooling water, dodgy fascia boards,” he lists, noting just a few of the issues he’s encountered. “The things they get away with are absolutely shocking.”
Why do major house developers and construction firms seem to care so little about the quality of their homes? One reason is the lack of competition in the market. In the UK, for example, the 10 largest housebuilders are responsible for about half of all new homes. With such dominance, they focus more on pleasing shareholders and maximizing profits than on satisfying homeowners.
“The shareholder is the real customer,” says Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders. “In the current climate, there’s less room to make this gross amount of money, so they have to cut costs wherever they can, like using inferior adhesive to glue tiles on, or hiring cheaper workers.”
Moreover, the push to reduce spending during construction affects the culture on building sites. Workers often lack motivation to deliver quality results or don’t have the time to finish projects properly due to juggling multiple jobs. “Almost half the workforce consists of temporary workers who show up, work for a day rate, and then leave. This doesn’t promote pride in their work or a cohesive approach to quality. There’s a mentality of: ‘If the other guy damages my work, it’s not my problem,’” says construction consultant Mark Farmer.
Fixing the problem of bad housing requires the industry to change and adopt stricter standards, but that could take a while. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a home, there are a few things you can watch for to avoid ending up with a poorly built place.
The CIOB suggests to check if the housebuilder you’re interested in is registered with an organization that oversees quality control. For example, in England, most developers are registered with the New Homes Quality Board. If they’re not, reach out to them to ask if they follow any specific codes or standards. And remember to hire a reputable home inspection company to check for underlying issues.
