The short answer
A new-build purchase can involve a reservation payment, a short exchange deadline and a completion date linked to the home becoming ready. Ask a conveyancer to review the arrangements early and make sure your funding fits the timetable.
A show home and a target moving date are not the contract for your plot.Read the reservation terms
Before paying a reservation fee, ask what it secures, what the deadlines are and when it may be refundable. Get the property, price and any incentives recorded accurately.
Tell your conveyancer about the exchange deadline immediately. If documents or the mortgage are not ready, discuss the options before the deadline passes. Pressure to move quickly is a reason to prioritise the checks, not to assume they are unnecessary.
Check what you are actually buying
Ask for the plot plan, specification and details of parking, boundaries, access and shared areas. Explain any sales promises to your conveyancer so they can check how those promises appear in the documents.
Identify the tenure and any estate or management charges. Freehold ownership does not necessarily mean there are no shared maintenance costs. Ask who maintains roads, drains and communal areas and what obligations pass to you.
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Use your expected purchase price and confirm the new-build details in the form.
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Understand completion on notice
The home may not be ready when contracts exchange. Ask how notice to complete works, how much time you will have to organise funds and what happens if construction is delayed.
Discuss mortgage-offer expiry and any relevant long-stop provisions with your advisers. Avoid planning around a sales team's estimated date without understanding the contract and the lender's position if that date moves.
Plan checks and aftercare
Ask about warranty cover, inspection arrangements, snagging and how defects should be reported. Keep records and distinguish the developer's aftercare from your legal and survey appointments.
Before exchange, ask your conveyancer to summarise unresolved documents and conditions. Before completion, check practical arrangements for access, keys, services and any inspection you have arranged. A newly built property still needs informed checks.
Your next steps
- Review reservation fees and deadlines.
- Record specification and incentives.
- Check estate charges and maintenance responsibilities.
- Align completion arrangements with your mortgage offer.
A little more clarity
Is a new build always freehold?
No. Confirm the tenure for the specific property and ask about ongoing charges and obligations, whatever the tenure.
Further reading
General information for England and Wales, not advice on your individual transaction. Millennium Legal is a referral and case management service, not a firm of solicitors. Your appointed firm provides legal advice. Check current official guidance and your own terms.
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