When buying a new home, you want to be sure you choose a home builder you can rely on and a development company with a good track record. Many people buying new homes buy off plan, with their home not yet built or under construction. With this in mind it is even more important that you can trust and rely on your chosen property development company.

Most developers are reputable and reliable, but there are companies with chequered histories out there and doing your research in advance really matters. Here we’re looking more closely at steps you can take to make sure you’re working with a reputable company, and you’ll have a home you can be proud of.

Research, Research, Research

The first step in working with any contractor or acquiring any service should be research. You should research your chosen developer and investigate their track record. You may be able to visit houses they’ve already built, or do a Google search for recently completed developments. Details around previous builds should give you a good idea of the quality of their work and their ability to commit to deadline. A good builder should have a developments portfolio you can explore to get a good feel for the quality of build offered.

It is also worth noting there can be differences in the standards of developments by the same home builder on different sites; with differing management, tradespeople and deadlines all potentially playing a role. The more specific details about a development site you can equip yourself with, the better.

Home Builders Federation Rating

The Home Builders Federation is a reputable source of relevant and useful information for anyone looking to buy a new build home. They also run an Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey of homeowners who have just bought new builds. The survey asks homeowners what they thought of their developer and whether they’re recommend them to friends. Developers are then awarded a star rating from 1 to 5. You should be looking for a builder who has a strong 5-star reputation, not one that goes up and down, or of course, stays low.

Check the Consumer Code

The After-sales process offered by your developer is important and they shouldn’t simply give you the keys and disappear. They should be part of the Consumer Code for Home Builders, an industry recognised requirement in place to protect buyers and their consumer rights. The code is there to ensure all buyers are treated fairly and have protection over their purchase and ensures developers are committed and obliged to provide quality after care.

Plan a Site Visit

Of course you’ll want to visit the site where your future home is going to be built, but take the time to really explore the area. Visit the show home if possible go back a few times at different times of day to get a real feel for the quality of the building works. If there are already people living on the site, take the time to visit and ask them about their experiences. Most people won’t mind and it will give you a proper understanding of what it will be like living on the development and the quality of building offered by the developers too.

It is not advisable to show up unannounced to developments - as these are working building sites, however larger national development companies like Barratt Homes, Bellway & Taylor Wimpey may have dedicated staff onsite during office hours for show home visits. Many smaller developers will have more limited resources so it is wise to check their website and get in contact to plan a visit.

Trained & Experienced Tradespeople

The construction industry has been hit my skills shortage, and this has led to some developers hiring builders who may not be up to the standard necessary to complete a high-quality build. This can potentially lead to poorly finished buildings and homes with many defects. Take the time to quiz and question the development company to ensure they are knowledgeable about their tradespeople and are happy to show off their skills and demonstrate their quality.

Quality Assurance Check

An experienced and professional homebuilder will not want to hand over a property without a complete and comprehensive quality assurance check. The property should be inspected when complete and they should have standards set to meet in all areas of the build. A final quality assurance check should ensure the property meets all high standards needed to be considered complete and ready to hand over to the new owner.

Book in a Snagging Survey

Booking a comprehensive professional home snagging survey is the easiest way of ensuring your new-build home is finished to a high standard and free from defects. It also ensures any errors found are quickly remedied and you can be comfortably living in your new home as soon as possible. Even if your development company tick all the boxes and appear to have done a great job, your snagging survey with provide an independent assessment to give you peace of mind for the future.

Booking a professional snagging inspection helps you ensure your home is built to the highest of standards for the years to come and avoid any costly surprises once your warranty period expires. Whilst we aim to make online booking as simple as possible we are always happy to answer any your queries via email, phone, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Choosing your Property Developer: Assessing the Quality of Home Builders