The benefits of buying a new build home

Why new builds?

Reduce your energy bills

New homes are highly efficient at retaining heat and have modern central heating systems that cut consumption and use less energy. Every new home will have an EPC rating (Energy Performance Certificate).·The EPC rating is a review of a property’s energy efficiency that quickly shows how much your energy bills will cost in a new house or flat.

No expensive refurbishments

It’s called a brand-new home for a reason. New windows, new kitchen, new carpets, new bathroom and new finishes, saving you thousands on refurbishing fees on an old house. Each house builder also provides their own warrantees for cosmetic defaults, ranging from 1-5 years.

Feel part of a community

With everyone in the neighbourhood starting their exciting new chapters at the same time, getting to know one and other and making new friends will be a truly wonderful experience.

Peace of mind

New homes come with an insurance-backed 10-year warranty from either the NHBC or the LABC.

As well as rigorous checks carried out during the build process, the warranty provider will also carry out inspections on your new home, ensuring that it’s built to the high-quality expected.

Buying Schemes

Deposit Unlock

Deposit Unlock is a new scheme that helps first-time buyers and home movers to purchase a new build home with just a 5% deposit.  It is designed to help buyers purchase a new build property from participating home builders with a smaller deposit. Developed by the Home Builders Federation, mortgage lenders and the house building industry, this scheme helps you to step on or move up the property ladder across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Read more about Deposit Unlock.

Help to Buy

Help to Buy is a Government backed equity loan aimed at helping first-time buyers purchase their new home. The scheme is open to help first time buyers purchase new build properties up to a maximum value of £600,000. (Maximum value of £300,000 in Wales.)

This scheme is designed to make it easier for people who only have a 5% deposit to buy a house.

Want to know more? Visit: https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/scheme/help-to-buy-2021-2023/

Right to Buy / Right to Acquire / House Sales Scheme

Right to Buy, Right to Acquire and House Sales Scheme are government schemes where council and Housing Association tenants can apply to buy the property that they live in, at a discounted rate.

Please check your local government website for schemes that apply in your area.

Shared Ownership / Co-Ownership

Shared Ownership, or Co-Ownership in Northern Ireland, is where you buy a share of the home from a landlord, typically the council or a housing association, and rent the remaining share. Later on, you could buy bigger shares when you can afford to do so.

Please check your local government website for schemes that apply in your area.

Read more about Shared Ownership: https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/shared-ownership/

Read more about Co Ownership in Northern Ireland: https://www.co-ownership.org

Schemes for people with disabilities

Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities (HOLD) can help you buy any home that’s for sale on a Shared Ownership basis if you have a long-term disability. You can only apply for HOLD if the properties available through the other home ownership schemes don’t meet your needs, for example, you need a ground-floor property. The HOLD scheme applies to those living in England, but your local council may offer similar schemes in your area.

Schemes for older people

For those aged 55 and over, a similar scheme to the Shared Ownership is available. You can only buy up to 75% of your home. Once you own 75% you won’t have to pay rent on the remaining share.

Part Exchange

Part Exchange allows you to sell your current property to a developer and buy a brand new home in one simple move. Your current property needs to be at least 70% of the value of the new property in order to qualify for the Part Exchange scheme. There are no estate agents’ fees or advertising charges and a fair offer will be made on your existing home based upon an independent valuation. Be sure to check with the developer if they offer this scheme (or similar).

Assisted Moves

Assisted Moves are a great solution if you want to buy a new home but have not yet sold your own house. A respected local estate agent will be used to market your home at an agreed price and the developer will work with the estate agent to promote the sale of your home, as well as paying your estate agents’ fees.·Each developer has their own term to describe this process, ranging from "Express Mover" to "EasyMover" - so be sure to look out for these.

Build materials

Timber-frame structure

A timber-frame structure use walls consisting of timber (wood) stud work, fixed in place with usually plyboard or OSB board. When the boards are nailed to the stud work, it makes a solid and robust box known as an open panel. When the box has been insulated, it is known as closed panel. The wooden frame is protected by a waterproof barrier and then wrapped by external wall elements, typically brick or stone.

Traditional structure

Traditional built structure – often called brick and block or masonry construction – is the building method that has two leaves. There is an internal blockwork wall and external wall built using brick, stone or occasionally a cladded/rendered finish. Together with internal partitions support the structure of the house.

Steel structure

Most steel construction involves the material mild steel. The technique used for building houses in loose terms consists of thin sheets of steel cut and constructed using techniques such as welding, bolting or riveting into the shapes required for the foundational panels. This is done at a factory prior to transporting the panels to the sites where the houses are constructed. The frames are attached to the concrete foundation and then any other material could be used to fill the structure, such as bricks or other render.

Prefabricated structure

Prefabricated homes, or prefab homes, are dwellings that are manufactured offsite in advance, and then transported to their end location where a specialist team assemble the timber frame. These homes are factory engineered and ensure a high level of accuracy as well as being highly airtight meaning your new home will be thermally-efficient and cheaper to run.

Good-to-know

Sold subject to contract

Sold subject to contract (STC) is exactly what it says on the tin – the house is sold depending on and up until the exchange of contracts. Although the offer has been accepted, the paperwork is not yet complete. No money will have changed hands yet, so nothing is legally binding, and the price can still be negotiated.

Non dependant

Non dependant means that a customer when buying a new home is not depending on selling their original home in order to buy a new home. They are not reliant to sell before buying.

Broadband in new-build homes

Fast and efficient broadband is an important attribute to many new-build customers. Typically in UK new-build developments, customers are restricted to a particular broadband provider (often Openreach) for at least a one-year term after moving in. This can often prevent residents from getting the best deals and the ability to shop around if desired.

The majority of developers will either offer Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) or Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP).

Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC): FTTC broadband uses a full fibre optic connection from the provider to the cabinets (the green boxes seen in your street), and copper wire from that to your home. This broadband is the most common setup in the UK, making it widely accessible and the cheapest option.

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP): FTTP broadband, sometimes called FTTH (fibre-to-the-home), uses all fibre optic cables, making it the fastest type of fibre on the market. Rather than reach your home via the green cabinet seen in your street, FTTP travels directly from your internet provider.