Home Buyers

How Does it Work?

Download The Code - Version 5

The Code covers the New Home buying process to ensure that the selling activities the Developer engages in are of a consistently high standard. This includes:

  • Pre-Contract Stage: Ensuring high standards of customer service, fair and clear documentation, and adequate information provision, to ensure consumers are able to make an informed decision about buying a New Home before they enter into Contract with a Developer.
  • Contract Exchange Stage: Governing the Contract of Sale, requiring minimum standards for fair and transparent contracts, accurate information about when the property will be ready, termination rights, changes to New Homes after Contract, and protecting deposits & pre-payments.
  • Legal Completion: Providing minimum standards for what must be done, the stage the New Home must have reached and what information must have been provided before Legal Completion can take place, ensuring consumers’ health & safety and providing the opportunity for a Pre-Completion Inspection.
  • After Occupation Starts: Setting minimum standards for the After-Sales Service which Buyers should expect to receive, and ensuring they have suitable information for maintaining and living in the New Home.
  • Complaints & Disputes: Setting minimum requirements for Complaints Procedures and giving consumers access to clear, speedy and free cost Independent Dispute Resolution if things don’t go according to plan.

Is my New Home covered by the Code?

You are covered by the Consumer Code for New Homes if you have bought or are buying a new build home from one of our Registered Members and the provisions of the Code apply to your New Home for a period of two years after the date of completion of the sale.

The Version of the Code which will apply will depend on when you reserved your New Home:

  • For all reservations from 1st January 2024 – Version 5 of the Code applies
  • For all reservations up to and including 31st December 2023 – Version 4 of the Code applies

You can check if your Developer is registered with us by looking at our list of Members here.

The Consumer Code for New Homes does not apply to:

  • new homes that are covered by any other Consumer Code in the new homes sector.
  • new homes bought under a shared-ownership scheme.
  • second-hand properties (see Code for details).
  • any new-build properties which were not sold by a Developer registered with the Code.
  • new-build homes which have not been registered with a Structural Warranty Body.
  • properties which remain under the ownership of the Developer.
  • properties acquired by social landlords for rent.
  • properties acquired by corporate bodies, partnerships, charitable organisations, commercial landlords or other non-consumer purchasers (see Code for detail).
  • properties acquired by a receiver and sold onto consumers.
  • properties built by self-builders or under contract between a builder and an individual for their own occupation.
  • properties assigned or sub-sold by an investor to a third party prior to ownership of the properties transferring from the Developer to the Buyer on receipt of the purchase monies paid by the Buyer to the Developer.
  • properties built under architects’ certificates, unless a Structural Warranty Body has also issued a Structural Warranty.

Downloads for Home Buyers

Version 5 – Applies to all reservations from 1st January 2024

Guide for Buyers of New Homes – Version 5
The Code – Version 5

 

Version 4 – Applies to all reservations up to and including 31st December 2023

Guide for Buyers of New Homes – Version 4
The Code – Version 4