The Day You Get The Keys To Your New Home

[PSE]

I'm in the process of buying a new build home. It's a little strange I suppose as it's a stock house that was actually finished being built in May 2014.  

My question is as the property is already approx 9 months old & partly dried out its showing a fair amount of cracking on the plastered areas especially around the windows. Should the builder completely rectify all these before completion or should they only rectify the ones wider than 2mm?

It's a little confusing as the way I see it is the house should be completely crack free when we get the keys but when reading the NHBC Guide it says the builder will only have to rectify cracking over 2mm wide in the first 2 years & the hairline cracks we will need to rectify these ourselves.

Thanks in advance.


 

[New Home Expert]

Before buying this home (if it is not too late!) you really should be asking yourself why no one else bought it since it was completed in May 2014, around nine months ago!
Have there been any problems with it, perhaps requiring extensive underpinning for example? 
In addition, if the home is this undesirable to people, for whatever reason, you will have a struggle to sell it when it is time to move.

Either way whoever buys this home should have it professionally snagged and inspected before they hand over the money and move in!  I recommend you use Martyn Maxwell of Brickkickers.

Regarding the cracking, quite frankly the home should be crack free when you first move in. The NHBC guidelines are fro cracks developing after you move in.

If the house builder is already refusing to attend to a few minor cracks in a home he hasn't sold for nine months, quoting the NHBC "get out" then I would be inclined to walk away!
It certainly doesn't bode well for the future id (or when!) you find more issues does it?

[PSE]

Thank you for your reply.

Does a home builder have to disclose legally if the property has had major problems with it like extensive underpinning like I would have to when selling my property?

The property has been used as a view home certainly since we first viewed it at the start of January 2015 and since then when we've been in the sales office people have come in there asking for the keys for this plot. So I wouldn't say it was undesirable. In the town where it is there are at least three other developments by other builders also the town doesn't really have a brilliant name with people who don't live there from neighbouring places . 

On the positive side quite a few of the plots have been reduced by about £25,000 from when they were first listed last year, the town is being redeveloped which will hopefully make it a more desirable place.

In my opinion, the reason this plot didn't sell before was the price the builder wanted was only £25,000 less than a like for like in a more desirable town, so it probably didn't attract potential buyers from neighbouring  areas.
The plot is one of the more expensive ones on the development.  Also as I said there is competition from at least three other developments in this town. Also the market does slow down towards Christmas.

With regards to having the property professionally snagged, this builder is one that doesn't allow it at this stage as I did call brickkickers.  Also if it was professionally snagged would they pick up if it would of had major problems like extensive underpinning etc??

[New Home Expert]

All house builders under the Consumer Code for Home Builders have requirement to inform you of all relevant information regarding your home before you buy it and this would include subsidence and work to fix major defects.
Ask your solicitor to get the house builder to confirm or otherwise. Assuming you haven't made the mistake of using a solicitor 'suggested' by the house builder!

I have asked you twice to name the house builder and it is even more relevant to others now as you say that they will not allow your new home to be inspected by anyone before you have bought it, even though it is a completed ex-show/view home!

You should read this Buying the Show Home

This must send out warning signals to you!  What is the house builder affraid of?  
What do they think an inspection will reveal?

Whilst it is true that any inspection would not be able to reveal any foundation problems (including underpinning works) or any other such hidden defects it would at least list those that are visible now and probably causes and solutions.
Having defects fixed by a reluctant house builder after you have moved in is never a good situation.

[PSE]

Thanks again for your reply and good advice.

I will contact my Solicitor (not one recommended by the house builder) to get them to confirm that there has been no major repair work done to the property since it was completed.

To be fair the builder has never said that I couldn't have it professionally snagged at this stage.
The sales person actually said they would give me the keys and what I did when I had them they wouldn't know about. Unfortunately I couldn't get a professional snagging company to work under those rules due to fears of trespassing and their report not being recognised as they shouldn't of been there etc.

They did however recommended I had it snagged a few days after completion. I have however not yet dismissed demanding to have it professionally snagged before completion as when speaking to the site foreman last week I was told that they would be taking the furniture out this week and then snagging it.
If I visit the property this weekend and it hasn't been done or to my liking I'll then look at doing that.

Also just to clarify from my first post with regards to the cracking to the plastered areas the builder hasn't refused to rectify the thin hairline cracks. I was just asking the question if the house should be completely crack free on completion as it doesn't really say that in the NHBC guide.
Also most new build houses are not already 9 months old on completion so they wouldn't have dried out fully.  It was so I was 100% sure when we go for the demonstration/snagging inspection with the site foreman he didn't try to pull the wool.

Thanks again.