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LABC? Do we need a survey?
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Onawingandaprayer
Posts: 642 Forumite
My son is buying a newbuild flat which comes with a 10 year LABC warranty. Does he need a structural survey? Or a Homebuyer's Survey? Or will the building society valuation be sufficient?
Not really come across the LABC before. Their website suggests they cover all the bases, but then they would, wouldn't they!
Not really come across the LABC before. Their website suggests they cover all the bases, but then they would, wouldn't they!
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It depends. Is your son knowledgable enough to spot any defective workmanship or faults in the construction of the property? Its much easier to not buy a bad job than it is to get the bad job put right, regardless of the existence of a warranty.
I've never heard of LABC but I have heard tales of folks struggling to get things rectified under NHBC. And before that even kicks in, they have to do everything humanly possible (and a lot more besides!) to get the original builder back to put it right. Obviously that is worst case territory but that it the point of the survey - to warn you if you might end up with those sorts of problems down the line.0 -
LABC was a building warranty system set up about 15 or 20 years ago as a joint venture between local councils building control departments and the local authorities main insurance provider. It was designed to compete with NHBC at a time when they had just acquired approved building inspector status and the local councils were worried they would lose all the new build housing building control inspections. It used to offer better protection than the NHBC and because unlike NHBC it is not owned and run by the major house builders it provided a more homeowner friendly service. Having said that I haven't been involved with them for some time so cannot comment on their recent service.
As for a survey on a new build flat? I think I would just check that all the required building control inspections have been made and it has been signed off. I dont think the average mortgage valuer/surveyor would pick up anything useful other than routine snagging items.0 -
Does 'LABC' means just 'Local Authority Building Control' [a.k.a. Bye-law consent, otherwise Building Act/'Public Health Act']?
Are its warranties are as good as NHBC's (themselves not perfect)? I'd advise a Homebuyers Report unless the flat is truly new.0 -
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