Q. I’m looking to buy a brand new property and having always bought second hand re- sale property in the past I’m hoping you can give me some good solid advice on what to look out for?

A. If you are buying a newly built home, make sure it’s covered by a good warranty to cover you if there are problems with the building following completion. Before you commit to buying a newly built home check whether your builder is NHBC registered. If your builder is not registered with NHBC, check that you will be offered cover from another reputable company. Check that the builder has a good reputation, ask to look around homes the builder has built before and talk to previous customers if possible. Visit the site – is it tidy and well managed? This will give you information about the builder’s commitment to quality. Take time to understand the cover provided by your builder’s warranty. Just like the regulations for second hand property all new homes in England now have to have a compulsory rating, the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH). This rating lets you know how well your home meets environmental standards. The code helps homebuyers get better information about the impact of their new home on the environment, and its potential running costs. If you’re happy with what you find and decide to proceed to exchange of contracts get the warranty documents from your solicitor and read them carefully

  • before taking possession of your home, make sure you inspect it carefully for any defects
  • A snagging list of any defects is always addressed by the builder of a new home
  • Remember that settlement cracks are quite usual within the first six months of completion
  • wait until the home is fully completed before you move in; once you have moved in, check your new home again thoroughly
  • report any defects in writing to your builder and make sure you keep a copy
  • if you are in dispute with your builder, write to the appropriate NHBC office, if registered under the scheme
  • consider getting a structural survey done, especially if your home is more than two years old

In some respects buying a new home offers some protection in that if there is an issue post completion there is a guarantee in place, unlike a re-sale property that is sold as seen and following completion there is no come back on the previous owner whatsoever.