Around 80% of the new-build market is covered under warranty from the National House-Building Council (NHBC), and their new standards for 2020 have now been released.

House-builders who want to offer an Nhbc Buildmark cover to buyers, which is the most common cover for new-builds across the UK, must build in accordance with the NHBC requirements contained within the company’s standards.

The new standards for 2020 have just been released by the group, which will apply to every new home registered with NHBC where foundations were begun on or after 1 January 2020. The aim is to raise the standards of the building industry, improving the quality of all newly built homes to minimise issues seen after completion by the owners.

Brushing up staircases and finishes

The most significant changes are to specifications on staircases, to make guidance clearer, and finishes, which includes a review of tolerances to make sure they are appropriate and meet the reasonable expectations of homeowners.

Other minor changes added to the standards include: curtain walling and cladding, pitched roofs, internal service, wall and ceiling finishes, and finishings and fitments – the full report can be found here.

Quality with quantity

With the major government drive set up by the Conservatives to create more homes across the UK has led to a rise in the number of new-builds, some developments have come under criticism for their standards on completion. However, the NHBC believes the quality of new-builds continues to improve, and the latest release is a further contribution towards sharpening standards.

Paul Cribbens, NHBC’s standards and technical manager, said: “We continue to live through a challenging time within the house building sector, where the need to increase housing output is tempered by the on-going skills shortage.

“However, our focus remains firmly on improving quality for those people living in brand new homes across the UK, reducing construction defects, improving homeowner satisfaction and avoiding the need for costly and invasive remedial work, something which is in all our interests.”

Aside from new-build warranties, there are many benefits to buying a new-build property which you can read more about in our article.

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