New Build Warranty

Customer Code

The consumer code for homebuilders gives protection and rights to purchasers of new homes, ensuring that all new home buyers are treated fairly and are fully informed about their property purchase before and after they sign the contract. The code came into force on April 1, 2010, and is designed to help homebuyers who reserve a new home by a housebuilder under the insurance protection of one of the supporting home warranty bodies.

The purpose of the code is to ensure that home buyers :

• Are treated fairly
• Know what service levels to expect
• Are given reliable information upon which to make their decisions
• Know how to access speedy, low cost dispute resolution arrangements if they are dissatisfied.

For further information and to view the Consumer Code, visit https://consumercode.co.uk

NHBC Warranty

Your new home will benefit from the 10-year NHBC Buildmark cover, included in the purchase price of the property. An overview of the cover is given below, but you should always refer to the policy for full details. Before the sale is legally completed (Scotland; ‘date of entry’) NHBC’s Buildmark cover provides protection in the unlikely event that the house builder becomes insolvent. In the first two years after completion it says that the house builder must repair defects.

Over the following eight years, NHBC’s Buildmark provides cover against the cost of repairing any significant damage to the load-bearing structure and certain parts of the home that first appeared during this period. This is subject to the minimum claim value, plus exclusions and limitations shown in the policy document. The policy does not cover wear and tear or lack of maintenance. You will find full details in your own NHBC Buildmark document, which you will receive from us through your solicitor. Read it carefully and ask your solicitor to explain anything you don’t understand. You can see a specimen NHBC Buildmark cover at our sales office. You can also visit www.nhbc.co.uk