NHBC Guaruntee

lovelldr

Hi.

We're soon to be moving into a new house, and having read something on the internet about someone who had brought a house a few years after it had been built, and there were structural problems with the house, their NHBC had been null and voided because of the fact that there is a "clause stating that NHBC would not indemnify the material and structural integrity of the house if the new owner had not engaged a Chartered Surveyor to undertake a full structural survey of the house prior to purchase".

So my query is, as a purchasor of the new property, the first purchasor, should anything like this occur, would we be ok with it? Since surely we should not have to have a structural survey of the property straight away? And surely it should be insured for this sort of thing from the NHBC?!

Are there any other clauses or anything in the NHBC we should be worried about?

Thanks in advance,

David

Doozergirl

As first owner, you'll be fine

My Mother in Law is the second owner of a house and didn't have a structural survey done when she bought. We've had to call them in to look at some cracks (next door has been underpinned) and they haven't quibbled at all. They've been very good actually. The house is shortly out of the 10 year period, but as we have contacted them before that period, they are covered for the possible movement in the house.

It's very reassuring actually; I wish all houses came with guarantees!

jonnyw_2

I used to build houses and was nhbc registered. This was a few years ago.

The whole point of NHBC is that it insures subsequent owners, regardless of if they got a survey. The subsequent purchaser gets the benefit of the insurance policy.

The builder pays for the cover when he registers the house with NHBC. This is supposed to be done before building starts. NHBC inspect the build process and the insurance policy is issued when it is finished.

The first buyer gets the insurance policy on completion.

Then the subsequent buyers get an assignment to them by the first buyer of the benefit of the policy on their completion and so on.

This is part of the conveyancing process that your solicitor should automatically deal with.

Remember there are different time periods for different types of defect.

susieb

Hi
I am buying a new build, so should I just get a mortgage valuation, not a homebuyers or structural report as anything would be covered by the NHBC?