10 New-Build Homes That Are A Nightmare To Live In

Tattered walls, leaky roofs, and crooked door frames—while it’s normal for houses to age and need repairs, it seems that many newly built homes are lacking in quality right from the start. It’s a big change from the solid craftsmanship of the past, leaving recent buyers feeling frustrated and disappointed. Often, these issues go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Some of these homes are so bad that they’ve caught the attention of people online, with many ending up on the popular X page ‘Newbuild Hate’. From hilariously small balconies to crumbling foundations, this account exposes unbelievable construction mishaps. We’ve put together some of their most shocking posts—check them out below!

10 PHOTOS

#1

“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.

#2

#3

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.”

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#6

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 anymore. ”

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#9

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 shocking.”

#10