Why December is the worst month to be buying a new build home

The latest data from snag solving expert, HouseScan, has revealed why December is the worst time to complete on a new build property purchase, even if it does mean moving in time for Christmas.

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Property Reporter
26th November 2020
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The firm compiled data on the average number of defects found per inspection, and the figures show it’s bad news if your buying in December.

Despite new build homebuyers currently paying nearly £290,000 for a property, the data shows that the average new-build home will come with 157 snagging defects.

According to HouseScan, inspections carried out in December uncover a huge 208 defects on average; by far the highest of all monthly levels. Last year, 16,159 new build transactions completed during December, the second-highest level of completions of all months. That’s over 3.3m snagging issues gifted to new build homebuyers during the festive period.

November and August were the months with the second-highest level of defects at 180 per inspection, while the best time to buy a new build is April. Although even then, there are still some 125 defects per inspection detected.

Harry Yates, Founder and Managing Director of HouseScan, commented: "Getting the keys to your new build property in December might seem like a dream Christmas present, but with December seeing by far the largest number of new build defects it’s not just the sprouts that could be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of homebuyers this Christmas.

"Like many of us, housebuilders will be in the midst of the Christmas rush and looking to get their current projects over the line before their end of year accounts are due. This ramps up the pressure on-site managers who then have less time to supervise any sub-contractors as they look to secure a CML certificate for their site.

"While often unintentional, this can result in corners being cut and the quality of the work falling below what would usually be expected. Bringing a higher level of snags than you might find at other points of the year.

"The Christmas rush can also cause new build homebuyers to focus on the festive season and so a snagging inspection might not be at the top of their to-do list. However, once the chaos has died down, many homebuyers will often fail to carry out an inspection in the new year as well and this can lead to a hefty bill of faults to fix further down the line if not addressed.

"Particularly if these snags are discovered outside the warranty period and the housebuilder refuses to rectify them for free. Our advice to new-build homebuyers completing this December is to get an inspection done early. It’s quick, easy and far more affordable than the potential cost further down the line. Once it’s done, you can sit back and enjoy Christmas."

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