Buy a new-build home in England, and you’d expect it to be just that — new, reliable, and finished. However, for a growing number of homeowners, the reality is far from the marketing brochures. Whether it’s missing green spaces, poor insulation, or homes that are falling apart within months, the promises made by housebuilders are often wildly out of step with what’s actually delivered. It’s not just frustrating — it’s affecting people’s quality of life, their finances, and even the climate. Here’s what’s going wrong, and why so many feel like they’ve been sold a dream that never materialised.
Green spaces are advertised but rarely usable.
Developers love to showcase images of tree-lined paths, communal parks, and landscaped gardens, but once the homes are sold, the greenery often disappears. In many cases, promised nature areas are left unplanted, unmaintained, or replaced entirely with boggy drainage basins. Residents expecting to enjoy shared spaces are instead left looking out onto overgrown, unusable scrubland.
Some developers get around this by claiming those features were only “illustrative” in marketing materials. And because they weren’t included in contracts, homeowners have little recourse. It’s one of the clearest examples of a promise made to sell a lifestyle, not to actually deliver it.
Landscaping is unfinished or never started.
Even when greenery is technically “included,” it’s often planted poorly or not at all. In some developments, entire sections remain barren or covered in weeds years after completion. These areas are sometimes handed over to private maintenance companies who don’t actually do any maintenance.
For residents, this creates a double blow: not only do they lose out on green space, but they often have to pay monthly fees to a management company that does very little to uphold the appearance or condition of the estate. It feels like paying council tax twice, but getting less in return.
New homes riddled with faults.
From cracked tiles and leaky roofs to draughty windows and uneven floors, poor build quality has become a running theme. Many homeowners report dozens of snags after moving in — and in some cases, structural issues that take months or years to resolve.
The push to meet housing targets and boost profits has left builders rushing projects and cutting corners. And while there are warranties in place, actually getting repairs sorted can be an uphill battle. Some buyers are left wondering how a home can be considered “new” when it’s already falling apart.
Cladding and fire safety are still unresolved.
Years after the Grenfell tragedy, thousands of flats are still wrapped in unsafe cladding. While big developers have pledged to fix it, the process is slow and patchy. Barratt, for example, estimates it’ll be five more years before all affected homes are made safe.
In the meantime, residents are stuck in properties they can’t sell, facing sky-high insurance and the constant worry that their building isn’t safe. It’s a lingering reminder that promises around safety aren’t being delivered with the urgency they deserve.
Energy efficiency is worse than expected.
New-builds are supposed to be more energy efficient, but many aren’t. A recent analysis showed that poor construction and missing insulation are costing homeowners around £1,000 extra per year on their energy bills. That’s a £5 billion hit to buyers over the past eight years. Despite new standards coming in, many homes built before those changes continue to leak heat and underperform. The environmental promises often made by developers just aren’t backed up by results.
Developers are sitting on land instead of building.
Even after receiving planning permission, many housebuilders choose to hold onto land rather than build on it straight away. It’s a strategic move to inflate land value and profit, but it slows down delivery of much-needed housing.
This tactic undermines the idea that housebuilders are simply meeting demand. In reality, they’re shaping supply to suit their financial goals, not the public’s needs. And it contributes to the broader feeling that the industry is working for shareholders, not future homeowners.
There’s been plenty of suspected collusion on pricing and planning.
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into eight major housebuilders over concerns they may have shared sensitive information to influence pricing and development strategies. It’s still under review, but the fact that such concerns exist at this level is telling.
For buyers, it adds another layer of mistrust. When the market feels coordinated rather than competitive, it’s hard to believe you’re getting a fair deal, especially when the product is subpar and prices remain sky-high.
Buyers can’t always turn to the Ombudsman.
The New Homes Ombudsman was supposed to provide a safety net, but many homeowners find it’s not that simple. Some developments aren’t covered, especially those built before the scheme launched or by non-member companies.
Even where the Ombudsman can step in, disputes over “non-contractual” promises, like greenery shown in marketing material, are hard to resolve. The gap between what’s sold and what’s delivered leaves many stuck in limbo, with little power to push back.
Public trust is falling fast.
Sales of new-builds off-plan have dropped to their lowest since 2012. Buyers are increasingly cautious, and many are choosing older homes despite the challenges. It’s a signal that the shine has worn off — people aren’t convinced that new automatically means better anymore.
The government still wants to build 1.5 million homes by 2029, but only around 180,000 were completed in the last year. If public confidence keeps falling, that target’s going to be even harder to hit, and the backlash against poor-quality housing will only grow louder.
The quality just isn’t what it used to be.
Architect George Clarke recently said that some of today’s new homes are worse than those built over a century ago. It might sound dramatic, but for many homeowners, it rings true. The rush to build fast and cheap has left behind a trail of half-finished estates and disappointed buyers.
It’s not just about fixing snags; it’s about restoring trust. Until developers are held to account for what they promise (and fail to deliver), new-build buyers will keep wondering if they’ve been sold something that was never meant to last.