Buying a New-Build Home

Compare the location, transport, local services, build stage, room sizes, storage, parking and what is included in the price. Visit at different times if you can, and ask to see the exact plot rather than relying only on a show home.

Check the planning permission and site plan with the local authority. Ask what may still be built nearby, when roads and shared areas will be finished, and who will maintain them.

Sixpence Support UK does not sell homes or receive referral payments. This is general information, not legal, mortgage or financial advice.

A mortgage in principle can show roughly what a lender may offer, but it is not a final mortgage offer. Budget for the deposit, legal work, searches, survey, moving costs, tax where due, insurance, service or estate charges and changes in mortgage payments.

Do not rely on an incentive to make an unaffordable home affordable. Tell your lender and conveyancer about every incentive, discount or contribution because it can affect the valuation and mortgage.

• Read the reservation agreement before paying and ask how long the price and plot are held.
• Check the reservation fee, what it covers and when any part is refundable.
• Get every incentive and promised feature in writing, including flooring, appliances or contribution to costs.
• Check the deadline for exchanging contracts and whether delays could put your fee or incentive at risk.
• Never pay into an account whose details you have not independently checked with the developer or conveyancer.

You may be offered a recommended conveyancer, broker or surveyor, but you can choose your own. An independent conveyancer should explain the contract, title, planning conditions, roads, drains, restrictions, warranty, charges and the risks of exchanging before the home is finished.

A lender's valuation is not a survey. Consider an independent survey suitable for a new-build home and a professional snagging inspection. Agree when inspections can happen and record defects with dated photographs.

An estimated completion date can move. Ask whether the contract gives a long-stop date, what notice you will receive and what happens to your mortgage offer, accommodation, removals and storage if completion is delayed.

Do not give notice on your current home or commit to non-refundable moving costs until your conveyancer confirms it is safe to do so.

Ask who provides the new-home warranty, when cover starts, what it excludes and how long each part lasts. A warranty is not the same as a survey and does not replace your legal rights.

Send the developer a clear snagging list promptly, keep copies and record promised repair dates. Report urgent safety, water or security problems straight away.

Ask your conveyancer to explain whether the home is freehold or leasehold, the lease length, ground rent, service charges, estate charges, management arrangements and how charges can rise. On managed estates, freeholders may also pay towards roads, landscaping or shared facilities.

For a flat, ask about the building's insurance, major works, reserve fund and who controls the management company. Read the lease and budget before exchange, not after moving in.

Explain access needs early and ask for measurements, step-free routes, parking, lift details and bathroom or doorway specifications in writing. If an adaptation is agreed, make sure its design, cost and completion date form part of the written agreement.

Ask an occupational therapist or independent specialist for advice where an adaptation is important to daily safety or independence.

Shared ownership rules and schemes differ by nation. In England, you buy a share and usually pay rent on the rest, plus possible service, estate and management charges. Read the key information document, lease, repair responsibilities and resale or staircasing rules with an independent conveyancer.

Use the official guidance for your nation rather than assuming England's rules apply elsewhere.

Search the New Homes Quality Board Register of Developers. Check that the developer is active and that its registration start date is on or before your reservation date.

Coverage depends on the developer and reservation date. Do not assume every new home is covered. Ask which code and complaints scheme applies, and keep the reservation documents.

1. Complain to the developer in writing and follow its complaints process.
2. List each problem, include evidence and say what outcome you want.
3. If the home is covered by the New Homes Quality Code and the developer does not resolve it, check eligibility with the New Homes Ombudsman Service.
4. For consumer guidance, contact Citizens Advice, Citizens Advice Scotland or Advice NI.

Our Letter Support service can help you organise a complaint letter.

Property law, taxes, buying stages and support schemes are not identical. England and Wales usually become legally committed at exchange of contracts; Scotland uses missives and normally provides a Home Report; Northern Ireland has its own conveyancing and property-registration arrangements.

Use GOV.UK for England and Wales, mygov.scot for Scotland, and nidirect for Northern Ireland.

This page gives general UK information, not legal, mortgage or financial advice. Contracts and schemes differ, so use an independent conveyancer and check current official guidance for the nation where the home is located.