New Homes Quality Code published

A new single code of practice for the housebuilding industry has been published today by the New Homes Quality Board.
The New Homes Quality Code aims to drive up the quality of new build homes and strengthen protections for customers.
The new code, which has been developed following a public consultation in the summer, aims to fill the gaps in current protections and ensure that every aspect of a new home purchase - from when a customer walks into a sales office through to two years after the purchase of the home - is covered.

The code is set to:

• Protect vulnerable customers; prohibit high pressure selling; require any deposits the customer pays to their builder to be protected
• Require a developer to provide all relevant information about the home during the sales process – including its tenure and any future management or service charges – that allows customers to make an informed decision about their purchase
• Set out requirements for a fair reservation agreement, including a “cooling off’ period”
• Allow customers to have a professional carry out a pre-completion inspection of their home on their behalf
• Specify that a home must be “complete”, preventing builders paying customers …