5 Top Tips to Ensure You’re Buying a Great New Build

Moving into your brand new home should be exciting and hassle free, but unfortunately, we often hear horror stories of delays, sub-standard builders, leaks, cracks, and murmurs of ‘we should have used a professional snagging company.’

‘Snags’ are problems that remain in your building after all work has been completed – they are typically components of the build that are damaged, not fitted properly or cosmetically unappealing. Sadly, most new homes come with these minor defects. In fact, research by the New Homes Review found that after moving in, 87% of new build homeowners say that they had snags that required further work, with 55% of these saying they had more than 10 snags.

So before you sign that dotted line, you might want to think about how you can ensure that your new property is the quality you have been promised. Here are our top five tips to ensure that you’re buying a great new build.

Research Pricing

If you’ve been promised the deal of the century, now is the time to make sure that’s what you’re getting. Compare the new build home with similar properties in the area in terms of value and space. It’s beneficial to research the price per square foot and compare it with the resale market so that you have an understanding of the price you’re actually paying. If the deal you’re being offered seems way off, you may then be able to negotiate with the developers of the new build.

Research Previous New Builds

The developers working on your potential new home are going to market themselves how they want to be seen, so make sure you take the time to research into what isn’t being said.  You can do this by looking at your developer’s previous work to see what condition they left the buildings in. You can try to view the properties and even speak to their new tenants to get a fuller understanding of the developers. Talking to their previous customers is a great way to get real feedback, and this is vital – 26% of new build buyers say that they would not recommend their builders to others.

Talk to Your Neighbours

If the site you are interested in is partially finished, there may already be people living in the properties – so it’s easy for you to talk to your potential new neighbours. You should ask if there were any problems when they moved in, and as these individuals are likely to have moved into their homes recently, you can get time-relevant feedback about what your developers are like now. If you don’t have any existing neighbours, it’s worth searching online for Facebook groups of other potential residents and you can support each other through the process.

Set Up A Long-Stop Completion Date

Delays are common when investing in a new build. In fact, the New Homes Review surveyed 287 property owners and found that only 57% of new build properties were completed on time. In order to guarantee that you get what you’re paying for, it’s worth setting a longstop completion date with your developers. A longstop completion date means that the developer will be liable to pay you compensation if the work is not finished on the property by a certain date.

Use a Professional Snagging Company

To ensure that your new home is to the correct standard, you should hire a professional snagging company. Professional snagging companies, such as HouseScan, assess whether the new build has any problems, defects or snags that need to be brought up to the developer before your warranty is over. It’s vital that you gather a snagging inspection service to ensure that you get a return on your investment to your new home, and that the building is that of the expected standard.

At HouseScan, we know exactly what to look for when inspecting new builds. Our eye for attention to detail combined with the use of various pieces of high tech equipment means that our professional snagging company can find the thermal, structural and technical faults that may be present within the new build.

In order to find out more about our snagging inspection services, contact HouseScan by calling 01163184004 or email us at contact@housescan.co.uk. Or download our sample report via: www.housescan.co.uk.