Only one in 10 new-build buyers got the home they wanted before moving in
The latest research from UK Property Development (UKPD) has found that just 11% of people who purchased a new-build home in the past two years were able to personalise their property exactly as they wanted before moving in. As a result, almost half (49%) have since paid to make further changes at their own expense, with almost a third (32%) spending more than £5,000 transforming a home that was brand new when they bought it.
UKPD surveyed 503 UK adults who have purchased a new-build home within the past two years*. Respondents were asked about the level of customisation offered by developers before completion, the choices they made during the buying process, and any improvements they have carried out since moving into their property.
The findings suggest that while personalisation has become more common within the new-build sector, many buyers still feel the options available don't go far enough. More than a third (38%) said they were offered some level of customisation before completion, but only one in 10 ultimately felt they were able to create the home they really wanted before collecting the keys.
Where developers did offer choice, it tended to focus on finishes rather than the way buyers wanted to live in the property. Flooring or carpets (14%), kitchen units and finishes (13%), kitchen worktops (12%) and wall or floor tiles (11%) were among the most common options available, with these also proving the most popular upgrades selected by buyers prior to moving in.
However, many purchasers say there were other areas they wished they had been able to influence before completion. Garden design (12%), storage solutions (11%), kitchen design (11%) and the positioning of electrical sockets and lighting (10%) topped the list of desired customisation options, while only 6% said they had been offered everything they wanted.
The consequences become clear once buyers move in. Almost half (49%) have already carried out further work to personalise their property, despite purchasing a brand-new home. The most common improvements include landscaping the garden (24%), adding fitted storage or wardrobes (15%), redecorating (15%) and installing new lighting (13%).
For many, those improvements have come at a considerable cost. Almost one in three (32%) have spent more than £5,000 making changes to their home since moving in, while 7% have invested £20,000 or more.
UK Property Development says the findings demonstrate a growing appetite for a more bespoke approach to new-build housing, allowing buyers to shape their home before construction is completed rather than undertaking disruptive and often expensive improvements after moving in.
Andy Morrison, Director of UK Property Development, commented:
"Buying a brand-new home should mean moving into a property that's ready for the way you want to live, not spending the next few months planning building work.
Our research shows that many developers are making positive progress by offering buyers more choice, but for a lot of people those choices still centre on cosmetic finishes rather than creating a home that's genuinely tailored to their lifestyle. Once they've lived in the property for a while, many realise they'd have preferred different storage, a redesigned kitchen, changes to the garden or even alterations to the layout, but by then those improvements become far more expensive and disruptive.
It's telling that almost half of buyers have already paid to make further changes, with a third spending more than £5,000 on top of the cost of buying a brand-new home. That suggests buyers increasingly value flexibility during the design and build process, because every decision made before completion is one less renovation project to fund after they've moved in.
At UK Property Development, we believe buying off-plan should be more than simply choosing finishes from a brochure. It should be an opportunity to create a home that reflects the way you'll actually live in it from day one. By giving buyers far greater scope to personalise their home before it's built, we're helping them move straight into a property that already feels like their own, while avoiding the cost, disruption and inconvenience of making those same changes later."
Survey results
*Survey of 503 UK new-build owners who purchased in the past two years, carried out by ProperPR on behalf of UK Property Development via consumer research platform Find Out Now (4th August 2026).
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