Beware the Show Home

Unless you are buying strictly off plans then it is likely you will be shown around a show home. This is a property which is supposed to resemble the home you are buying so that you have a better idea of what your finished house will look like.

Although they can be useful guides, it is well worth knowing that developers often spend a fortune on making the show home look as good as possible. As well as using professional interior designers and landscapers, clever developers also use many tricks to make the property look better than it actually is.

Here are some of the most common:

• Every light in the house will be on to create the impression that there is plenty of natural light.
• They may use smaller furniture than you would normally use to give the impression of bigger space. Some developers have been known to fit children's furniture in many of the rooms of the property!
• They will remove all the doors inside to improve the 'natural' flow of the house.
• There will be a lot of glass furniture and mirrors in the property to provide a feeling of space.
• Bedrooms will only contain a bed and a small bed side table. The room will look completely different when you move in your chests of drawers or wardrobes.
• The lights and other fittings will be expensive and not included in the specification you are buying.
• Gardens will be professionally landscaped – which may not be in the standard specification you have bought.

What if there is a problem with my property?

More than 160,000 new build properties are built each year in the UK and the majority of these houses are built by high volume house builders.

Dealing with such a large number of properties can mean that developers struggle to maintain consistent standards in these houses – and small problems (snags) will often arise.

A handy way to deal with snags is to use an independent snagging company such as New Build Inspections. They will send professional builders around to your property to give it a thorough inspection for defects.

The best time to do this is before you finally sign off on the contracts. This gives the developer time to address the defects and snags you have identified before you move in.

Using an independent snagging company is well worth the extra cost but if your budget simply cannot stretch to the extra cost then you can do a DIY job by downloading a snagging checklist from Snagging.Org for £14.99.

What sort of guarantees should I look for?

All newly built houses come with a ten year warranty but ALWAYS check that your house has this warranty in case you are dealing with a dodgy builder.

There are three main warranty providers in the UK which are: National House Building Council, Zurich Municipal, and Premier. The ten year warranties provided by these companies cover things like the builder going out of business before your home if finished, or the repair of any snags discovered within the first two years, and include the ten year guarantee on structural defects in the home.

But check with your builder what warranty you will be given as each company offers a slightly different package.

Remember these warranties don't guarantee that your home will be free from defects after you move in and can sometimes be primarily an insurance scheme for the developer and not the home owner. Even bearing that in mind most property experts advise never buying a new property without a warranty provided by one of these companies. You can also get an architect's certificate which is a statement saying that your property has been built in accordance with standard and accepted building principles. This is not a warranty and cannot act as one but you should ask your solicitor to check the architect's professional indemnity insurance – because you can claim using the architect's certificate if a structural defect does arise.

Safe as Houses

Finally buying your new home is your chance for a fresh and exciting new start. Doing some simple research and ensuring you have your warranty and snags checked means that nothing is likely to go wrong. All that is left is for you to decide where everything goes!