Advice when buying new build please!

[ginghamstarfish]

Looking at a new build house, one off in rural area. Developer seems to be a one man band, using local tradesmen. Says it will have 10 year warranty etc. but slightly worried about it not having the backing of a big company. He is so far not registered with NHBC. We are going to meet the developer at weekend so will ask about all this. Any advice, or anyone done similar?

Advice is don't do it. I certainly wouldn't. Too risky.

Well it will have to be inspected and signed off, plus I'd rather that than some of these big house developers where they are just thrown up and look identical to the other 200 houses crammed onto the small patch...

Is it leasehold or freehold, are there any covenants, any shared access points. Is he a secelooer or a builder who has built a house, has he got any other properties. Is all the work signed off, guaranteed and insurable. Who are the utility companies involved.

Thanks, from online search he has only previously renovated one house. This house is lovely, have seen all council planning docs etc. Not sure what the utility companies would have to do with it? I guess we are worried about the 10 year warranty not being covered if he goes out of business etc, snagging, and so on.

I mean is it energy efficient, does it have all the mains , any solar or smart utilities.

Don't buy if leasehold. Only freehold. Independent build usually better BUT be aware it needs to be signed off.

Agree re utilities. You don't want to be the one paying to have the gas connected for eg! (I've just paid nearly £1500 and that was from the house that was previously connected just to the pavement! )

You also dont want them digging up your front garden to supply broadband or connect you to an indoor water stopcock

Yes, air source heat pump, underfloor heating, mains drainage and water, no solar but we will ask (surely it should be mandatory on new builds?) had not thought about broadband but in small village so should not be a problem to get connected.

Really make sure that he is buying the warranty (which will cover you if he goes out of business), and have a survey done. DH works in building defect guarantee insurance claims, and it is heart breaking for people who have purchased a beautiful new house which in a couple of years shows significant defects which can mean the whole house has to be demolished and rebuilt. Unfortunatly he does see a lot of small developers who think house building is easy

Thanks, yes have looked up something about surveyor specialising in new builds, but worst case scenario wouldn't you be covered by that 10 year warranty?

Yes, you'd be covered, but it can be a very long and very disruptive process - as well as distressing. Imagine moving out for 2 years or that your whole house becomes contaminated with sewage, or just the long process of establishing what is wrong, a solution being found and so on.

but how can you know otherwise? surely all work is signed off by the council, water company, electric company etc?

Don't dismiss the availability of BB.

It is rural so unlikely to have other operators in the area.
Has he requested service from Openreach and had duct installed to the highway? If not you could end up with an overhead feed (ugly & unnecessary on a new house) or having the driveway /garden dug up for an underground feed.
Have you checked the postcode to see what sort of speed you can expect (i.e. is the exchange BB enabled)?
Check out the mobile signal, our old house (moved last year) was in a dead spot and to use the mobile you had to go down the bottom of the garden as there was no signal whatsoever inside the property.

Is it connected to a mains gas supply, I wouldnt want to be reliant on all electric which is also very expensive to run

It might also be worth looking at the flood risk which you can do online especially as its rural and what the land was used for prior to the house being built

There is no gas in the area, it is heat pump. We have checked mobile signal is fine, broadband available but not great speeds. I thought that heat pumps were cost efficient in a new well insulated house?

Is there an alternative power and heat source if for any reason there is a prolonged electricity power cut

We were quoted £50,000 to be put onto mains gas last year 😂

yes, woodburner in case of power cut, and would look at having solar panels too. No gas in the area.

Having bought a flat from a reputable large developer, I can tell you it’s absolutely no guarantee of not having problems. I would much rather buy off a smaller developer.

I lived in a no gas area in the Highlands, we had electrics, an open fire and calor gas fires for upstairs just in case of power cuts.

Even if the house if freehold, be wary of unadopted roads built by the developer. We looked at a new build a few years ago. Just 4 houses on the site and one small entrance road into the development. The developers told us the road wouldn’t be adopted by the council and they would set up a management company in which the 4 owners would have a share. On closer inspection it was another way of scamming residents for ongoing payments, without the protection in law that leaseholders get.