The New Homes Quality Code, in plain English

The New Homes Quality Code is a set of rules for developers about how they treat buyers, from the first visit to the sales office to two years after you move in. It is run by the New Homes Quality Board, an independent body set up in 2022, and it is backed by the New Homes Ombudsman.

Is my developer signed up?

Most of the big names are, and registration is growing. The developer must tell you if they are, and you can check on the New Homes Quality Board website. If they are not, none of what follows is enforceable through the ombudsman, but it is still a good description of what reasonable looks like.

What it gives you

• A pre-completion inspection. Once the home is finished, you can appoint a suitably qualified inspector to check it before you complete. The developer must allow it.
• No pressure to complete. The developer cannot force you to complete a home that is not finished, and must give you a realistic completion date.
• A two-year after-care service. The developer must have a system for logging and fixing defects for two years after completion, and must respond within set times.
• A complaints process. Written, with timescales, and a right to escalate to the New Homes Ombudsman if you are not satisfied.
• Honest marketing and fair contracts. No hidden charges, no unfair reservation terms.

How to use it

Raise defects in writing, through the developer’s customer care process, with your inspection report attached. Keep every email. If the response times in the code are missed, say so, and quote the code. If you get nowhere, the ombudsman route is free and the developer has agreed to be bound by it.

The code does not make developers build better houses. It makes it much harder for them to ignore you when they have not.

Your inspection report is the evidence the whole process runs on. Make sure it is a good one.