From moving in, looking after your new home and reporting emergencies, to learning about defects, sustainable DIY and lawn care, you'll find lots of useful information about living in a new development below to help you settle in quickly and easily.
Moving in to your new home
We try to make sure your new home is ready for you to move into and that everything is in good working order. We’ll already have checked to see if anything needs repairing (we call these defects in a new home) but sometimes new homes have defects which only get picked up when someone starts living there.
Every new home is also individually built and hand-crafted, so it’s normal to find small differences in the appearance of various elements.
All of our new homes come with a National House Building Council (NHBC) warranty or equivalent (for example, Premier, Zurich or LABC) but, when you move in, you should check everything works and is fitted properly. This includes the following:
- baths, basins and toilets
- glass (windows, mirrors and shower screens)
- fireplace surrounds
- Kitchen fittings and appliances
- wall tiling
- carpets, floor tiling and laminated flooring
You should also check that:
- you’ve been given the correct keys for all locks, and that your windows and doors open, close and lock properly
- all services (gas, water and electricity) are connected and in working order. Please agree initial meter readings with us: we will have these from when the property was handed over to us, and they should not be significantly different to the ones you take when you move in.
There might be some restrictive ‘covenants’ (rules) on a new estate, including rules about satellite dishes or when you can put your bins out. We will tell you about any of these at your sign up.
Got an emergency in your home?
If you need an emergency repair, we'll usually attend the same day but always within 24 hours. See which repairs we are responsible for that we class as an emergency.
Aftercare in your new-build home
Newly-built homes need time to settle and dry out, so you may have some minor issues in the first year. More major faults with the build or quality are known as defects. Find out more about both.
Looking after your new home
Today’s new homes include lots of improvements in construction but your new home still needs to be run gently for the first few months. Find out how to look after your new home.
Sustainable DIY and responsible purchasing
Should you wish to carry out any home improvements or purchase items for your home, please consider the environmental impact.
Health and Safety on a new-build site
Find out more about living on a new-build site whether you're inside your home, outside, or travelling round the site.
Caring for a new lawn
If you’ve moved into a new home with a garden (or just laid a new lawn in an older home), here are some do’s and dont's to looking after the turf while your lawn establishes itself.