Your First Home buyers still need independent new-build checks – Pemberton

By then, the developer has received the money, the buyer has moved in, and what should have been a straightforward repair has become an aftercare complaint.

I think mortgage brokers need to have one particular conversation with these buyers much earlier, which is arranging an independent snagging inspection before completion, not once you’ve moved in.

The distinction might sound minor. In practice, the timing can change how quickly defects are identified and how much disruption the buyer faces in getting them corrected.

Don’t wait until the completion date is confirmed

Under the New Homes Quality Code, buyers purchasing from registered developers must be offered the opportunity to arrange a pre-completion inspection. The inspection must follow the prescribed checklist and be carried out by someone meeting the code’s qualification and insurance requirements.

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There’s an important limitation, though. Not every developer is covered by the code, and buyers shouldn’t assume their purchase automatically comes with the same inspection arrangements.

For those who are covered, the developer would normally provide at least 14 calendar days’ notice before completion, unless a different arrangement has been agreed.

That doesn’t leave much time for someone who hasn’t even considered booking an inspector.

Imagine a buyer receives their completion notice on a Monday. They’re already arranging removals, confirming their mortgage funds and dealing with their solicitor. They contact an inspector later that week, only to find the earliest available appointment is after their scheduled completion.

The opportunity to inspect hasn’t necessarily disappeared, but arranging access, obtaining the report and giving the developer time to consider the findings have become much more difficult.

I’d want the inspection discussed at reservation, when there’s still time to check the developer’s process and identify someone qualified to carry it out.

A defect found before completion is easier to manage

Consider a newly fitted shower enclosure where water escapes onto the bathroom floor because the screen hasn’t been sealed correctly.

An inspector identifies the problem before completion and records its precise location, the visible defect and the required corrective action. The buyer can then raise it with the developer while the property is still being prepared for handover.

Now consider the same defect discovered after the buyer has moved in.

They’ve used the shower repeatedly before noticing water collecting outside the tray. They’re worried about moisture getting beneath the flooring. The bathroom may need to be taken out of use while the developer investigates, arranges a contractor and completes the repair.

It’s the same installation defect, but the consequences for the homeowner are very different.

I wouldn’t suggest that every snag needs fixing before completion. Minor decorative defects can be recorded and addressed through the developer’s agreed process. However, defects involving water ingress, safety or essential facilities deserve immediate attention.

The real advantage of inspecting early is identifying those problems before the buyer starts living with them.

Brokers should make the inspection part of the buying timeline

I don’t believe brokers should be expected to recognise defective workmanship. That’s outside their role.

But they already help buyers understand the steps between mortgage application and completion. An independent inspection should be discussed within that timeline, particularly where a buyer has little experience of purchasing a property.

My advice would be to raise the subject when the buyer reserves their new-build home. They can then establish which consumer code applies, confirm the developer’s inspection arrangements and book a suitably qualified inspector in good time.

Your First Home may make purchasing a property more accessible. It won’t change the standard of workmanship inside an individual home.

For me, the risk isn’t simply that a first-time buyer encounters defects. It’s that they discover problems that could have been identified before completion, when their options for addressing them were less disruptive.

Getting buyers to arrange that inspection early is one practical intervention brokers can make without stepping outside their professional responsibilities.