Before You Purchase
When you go to view the show house that is exactly what is is-it is just for show. It is a dream that the developer is selling you. When you come to receiving your new home is barely resembles the dream you have been sold. The house is not finished to the same standard to the show house dream you have bought. It is recognised that all new homes have defects and that is why it is important to get a new home inspected and professionally snagged. Just like you would with a second-hand property-you get it surveyed.
But is it fair that your new home has defects-it most certainly is not. When you buy a new car it has a pre-delivery inspection carried out to make sure that everything is all right with the car before you take delivery and it even comes with a warranty!. You would not accept the car if it was dirty, had a broken window and a bald tyre. Nor would the salesman even try to give it to you in such a state.
So why is it that new homes are finished in such a poor state and after you have paid out a considerable sum to purchase your ‘NEW’ home, you then have to pay more to have it inspected to make sure everything is all right and that the house has been finished to a good standard. When snagging a new home the defects become apparent but when you try to get the builder to remedy non standard defects and the problems uncovered during the inspection, I have found that my clients are getting fobbed off by a curt remark from the builder along the lines of: “We don’t put those items in the house” or “We don’t do that work”.
So to remedy this situation I suggest that when you are putting down your deposit and making the agreement to purchase the house ensure the following items are in the conditions of contract for the purchase:
Ensure that it is written in the contract:
- That all items on the snag list will be completed to your satisfaction.
- The fee for the snag list will be deducted from the final price of the house.
- That if the builder will not hand the property over to you if you are being difficult or fussy about the quality of the house in general and gives you your deposit back, you are then entitled to be compensated to the value of the increased value of the property. It is not fair that the builder can give you your deposit back if you are rightfully making a fuss about the finish of your house and then sell it on to someone else a higher price-thus making a bigger profit for himself and leaving you out in the cold.
- The doors will have stoppers fitted to stop the handles hitting the walls or radiators.
- There are light bulbs fitted in the all the sockets.
- That all services are installed and connected by the builder, to be transferred into your name upon completion of the contract.
- That you will get proper moisture and fume extractor fan in your kitchen-as you are entitled to these items under current building regulations.
- That the property will fully comply with current building regulations-Many do not when they are completed and sold.
- That the hot water boiler in the airing cupboard is big enough-200 litres in a three-bedroom house is appropriate, more in a four or five bedroom house.
- That the garden will be landscaped and cleaned of all rubble.
- That all upstairs radiators will have thermostats fitted.
- That the property will be thoroughly cleaned before you take possession of it.
- That there is a defects liability period so anything that goes wrong it will be remedied by the builder.
IT IS A FACT:
Your home will have defects when it is finished-that is a fact of life unfortunately. But you can make sure that you getting what you are paying for by insisting that the above are in the contract of sale.