New build vs old properties: what’s the best choice in 2025?

Whether you’re entering a new stage in your life, relocating, or downsizing, there’s nothing more important than taking the time to find the right property for you. But before you can make an informed decision about your specific needs like location and style, there’s one key question you need to answer: are you looking for a new build or an older property?

It’s a choice that can impact your lifestyle and financial situation for years, particularly if an older property might mean buying a home that needs renovation on a significant scale. And while those with enough time, money and patience may have once found a better deal by renovating an older home, that’s no longer clear cut.

Today, the surging price of renovations, the time of the people who deliver them, and related costs like energy prices could mean that the ‘fixer upper’ culture makes significantly less sense.

The unexpected expenses of older properties

First and foremost, it’s important to recognise that the work required when you buy an existing property could be anything from a few improvements to complete renovation. However, in almost every case, you’ll be exposed to increased risk and, in all likelihood, higher overall costs.

Compared to a new property, an existing building could offer a good saving on its purchase price, depending on the amount of work required to bring it to a good standard. This can be a good way to secure a property in an otherwise costly surrounding area or get more space for a lower cost. However, there are many potential drawbacks from a cost perspective.

How much do renovations really cost?

Reports from the Financial Times highlight the surging cost of materials and labour in 2025, not just for complete renovations, but also seemingly smaller updates and improvements. In addition, renovation work attracts 20% VAT, while new build projects don’t – this can lead to significant cost savings overall.

Beyond these known costs as part of your renovation plan, most experts recommend a contingency budget of at least 15-20%. While this is a good start, it’s near impossible to accurately anticipate costs, especially when renovations can uncover hidden structural issues, or highlight the need for more extensive updates to meet modern building codes.

In the new build vs renovation debate, the new build may have a higher upfront cost. But the crucial difference is that you know exactly what these costs will be from the beginning, resulting in lower risk and more control. Since 2018, no Brookworth home has sold at a loss, testament to the sound investment potential of a high-quality new build.

The ongoing costs of low energy efficiency

If there’s anything more frustrating than feeling cold in the thick of winter, it’s imagining your money dwindling away as you try – and fail – to heat your home. The past decade has seen huge changes in how we heat, power and insulate our homes, and older houses can be bad for your utilities budget, month after month.

If you’re wondering whether you should buy a new house or renovate, it’s important to factor in these ongoing costs and the reality that old houses are fiendishly difficult to bring up to modern standards for greater energy efficiency. According to a report from Rightmove, potential costs include:

• £12,000+ for an air source heat pump

• £7,000+ for solar panels and the associated infrastructure

• £15,000+ for A-rated windows

• Anywhere from £2,700 to £12,000+ for insulation

Older homes with low energy efficiency can be a drain on your budget or, if you skip the work, much harder to sell to discerning buyers in the future. Conversely, new builds like those from Brookworth with features like underfloor heating, air source heat pumps, and beaded insulation, can save you hundreds of pounds every year.

Making a home your own: new build vs renovation

Of course, whether you buy a new house or renovate, your home is more than a bundle of expenses and potential future values. It’s a place to call your own and a reflection of your lifestyle and taste. 

At first glance, renovations have an advantage here: you can make your mark by creating an environment based on your own set of preferences and your specific requirements. However, many clients choose Brookworth for the way we make a more personalised experience possible.

Why choose a luxury new build property?

While we surprise people with a level of quality they wouldn’t expect from a new build home, we recognise that new builds aren’t for everyone. If you love a complex project to sink your teeth into, are comfortable with unpredictability, and want a property with a long and storied history, renovation may be a more appropriate choice.

However, many people choose to buy and refurbish an older property so they can inject more of their personality. That’s why we’ve created a more flexible way to secure a new build home, buying off-plan and choosing your level of specification. At developments like Braeburns in Welford on Avon, we offer three distinct ‘levels of luxury’ – Lifestyle, Premium and Signature – each with their own features. This gives you the best of both worlds: the quality of a new build with the personalisation of a renovation.

The reality of renovation

When you think about renovating the hidden gem house you’ve managed to buy, there’s a good chance you’re thinking about that exciting new kitchen or a loft conversion that’ll change everything. In reality, renovation is as much about the changes you’ll need to make as the ones you want to make.

Renovation is a good way to make your mark on a house, but there’ll no doubt be more work than expected along the way. A new kitchen feels significantly less exciting when it exposes bad pipework and electrics that need rewiring. Getting things to the standard you want could be harder than you think, especially when you come up against strict planning permission requirements and regulations. The more history the property has, the more complex these are likely to be.

Modern conveniences like smart technology and air source heat pumps are good examples. Smart technology depends on good connectivity and networking throughout the property. Air source heat pumps are most effective when paired with insultation and underfloor heating. In a renovation, these could mean overhauling the fabric of the building with great disruption and at great expense.  In a Brookworth home, they’re all ready to go from day one.

Living with the disruption of renovation and refurbishment

Renovation timelines vary significantly, depending on the building’s condition and the type of work. Most new construction projects take 8-14 months to complete, while basic renovations in a bathroom or kitchen could be completed within a month. However, many renovations run over budget and take longer than expected due to hidden issues.

If you’re buying a second or third property to renovate, these are manageable issues. If you’re buying a home to live in, this means a long period of mess and disruption, often with no clear end date in sight.

Most of us move home when we’re entering a new chapter in our lives: downsizing, moving closer to friends and family, growing a family, or preparing for a new job. These rarely pair well with the kind of chaos that comes with a significant renovation.

With a new build home from a luxury developer like Brookworth Homes, you’re ready to enjoy your new home from the moment you move in. From automated blinds to brand new appliances, everything’s in place and waiting for you. So whether you’re entertaining guests in the summer or settling in for a relaxed winter’s afternoon, there’s nothing to get in your way.

Renovating vs buying new house: making your final decision

At Brookworth Homes, we know that there’s nothing more personal than buying a home – that’s why we take building them personally, too. And while there are some strong cost and comfort advantages of buying a new build home, balancing the pros and cons is very much an individual task.

If you’re weighing up your options, don’t overlook a visit to one of our timeless show homes – an opportunity to see what the luxury new build experience is really like: simple, seamless, and hard to resist.

Our currently open show homes include:

• The Vita at Gallica, Sissinghurst

• Ellington Lodge at Braeburns, Welford-on-Avon
  

If you’d like to find out more about how our new build homes compare to renovating older properties, get in touch with our experienced sales teams and they will be happy to help.