Double dipper dreamer

We fancy a new build because mainly of the room sizes. Some "pre-owned" builds are struggling for space to fit a double bed and a wardrobe in the one room. I totally understand that new builds aren't without risks and glitches. The thing we don't like so much about new builds is the amount of land around them, as they wedge them all together to maximise the space. Its quite the conundrum, new build with no garden vs older build with garden but tiny rooms?

Sounds familiar! I've been trawling propertynews with the help of propertybee and going well armed to viewings, but some people still won't let go! Only a few have been willing to negotiate even! I understand it's peoples homes and they don't want the negative equity but then don't put it up for sale and just try and ride it out!

I've started very recently to also look at second hand properties, I've even gone as far as viewing a few. Those which haven't been vacant/flooded over Christmas are still asking over the odds. I was slightly reassured (although still suspicious) by a local small EA who was quite frank about the prices being asked. She said that they are having to be brutally honest with some sellers, telling them that the market is not the same as 3 years ago and that their property is not worth what they want the asking price to go on at! Another EA told me of a property having to go out to closed contract to three perspective buyers because the bidding was getting out of hand and they feared if it went sale agreed the valuation would kill the deal! You're right there are some good deals, but it takes a good bit of digging to get to them. There are some good solid properties out there which maybe only need some TLC (along with the sellers to wise up on the asking price!)

I've been a FTB looking quite extensively for a long time now at new developements in Belfast and Lisburn. I've even gone so far as to plotting the price drops in some major Belfast and Lisburn new developments over the last six months (a bit sad I know! ) I've noticed large price drops (25K or sometimes more) in the 250K+ 4 bed detached but not so much in the more FTB friendly sub-230K 3 bed semi. Even so, all the prices are advertised as "Fixed Price", even when speaking to the EA's they say sorry "Fixed Prices". I spoke to the developers directly and they said I could only deal with the estate agents not them directly. Do the EA/developers not realise the state of the market? are they ignoring all the signs? My question then is, how "Fixed" is "Fixed Price"?, surely I am now in the position as a FTB not in a chain to make the most of this and go in with a lower offer to this fixed price. Seriously how much longer are the EA/developers going to hold out?!