All too often, the show homes, the sales patter and the deals on offer blinker new home buyers. House builders are in business for one reason only - to make a profit. Nothing else matters to them. You will need to keep your wits about you to ensure that you do not make the same mistakes that 1000’s of buyers regret making every year when they buy a new home.
We have listed below a simple checklist of do's and don'ts - all being good advice based on buyer's feedback and the author's many years experience in the house building industry. Please feel free to print this checklist with our compliments.
You will find more detailed information on this website - the search bar will help you.
Do's
Remember the additional associated costs of moving home, they can add up.
Are they the best value for you?
You will probably find that the brand new homes are more expensive and
smaller.
Contamination reports, environmental assessments, specifications etc.
It is relatively easy to get 10% or more off the price listed.
Ask them about the standard of their new home and the service they got from
the builder after they moved in regarding fixing any defects.
useful if you need to take the house builder to court.
But leave it for at least six weeks after you receive it before doing so.
Don'ts
3 stars or less in the HBF Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Your new home will look nothing like this
They are driven by commission and targets.
Your legal representative must be 100% independent - or this could happen!
They are never good value, go to the trades directly.
They are normally of a lower quality, fitted on cheap underlay.
You should be in control of when your carpets are fitted – not the site manager!
Keep your relationship with them business like and professional at all times.
It is more expensive to move and no one is around during the festive period
should anything go wrong in your new house - see when to buy a new home.
Never buy a Leasehold new house. Even some flats are being sold Freehold.
You are nearly always better off buying without these with a larger discount.
Always report any problems to the builder in writing on at least a weekly basis.
You can then remind them of any works still outstanding along with the new
defects.
It is always possible to put right anything and everything.
'Within tolerance' does not exist!
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