Before paying a reservation fee or signing a sale contract for a new-build home, verify five things: what you are legally committing to, how the developer handles delays, what is included in the specification, how defects will be inspected and repaired, and exactly what the warranty covers. In the UK, a reservation is not the same as exchange of contracts, but GOV.UK says exchanging contracts is an official legal commitment. Completion is the later conveyancing stage at which the remaining money is transferred and ownership passes.
This is a practical checklist using the UK buying process where stated. If you are buying elsewhere, or the development is outside a UK code or warranty scheme, confirm deadlines, cancellation rights, inspection access, taxes, mortgage conditions, service charges and remedies under your local law and the documents for your particular home.
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Start with this pre-commitment checklist
Do not rely on a show-home conversation or an agent’s verbal assurance. Before committing money, assemble the written documents and have an independent conveyancer or property lawyer explain them. Check that you have:
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- A reservation agreement stating the fee, reservation period, refund provisions, deadlines and what happens if either side withdraws.
- The sale contract, plans, specification, incentives and any permitted-substitution wording.
- Deposit-protection information and a clear explanation of when exchange occurs.
- A fixed completion mechanism, delay provisions and, where offered, a long-stop date.
- A route to arrange an independent pre-completion inspection or suitably qualified inspector.
- A dated, written snagging process, including how defects are acknowledged and repaired.
- The actual warranty certificate and policy, not merely the phrase “10-year warranty”.
- A written record of every appliance, upgrade, contribution, parking space, storage area and other inclusion that influenced your decision.
If a material promise is not in the documents, ask your lawyer whether it can be added before you sign. Keep copies of the signed documents, plans, correspondence, inspection report, photographs and warranty papers in one secure file.
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Know which stage you are entering
Reservation is an initial agreement, not ownership
GOV.UK describes a reservation fee as money paid to a developer to secure a property. The written reservation terms should tell you the property, price or pricing basis, reservation period, fee amount, refund rules and the deadline for progressing to the sale contract. They should also identify any incentives or extras promised to you.
There is no universal refund rule that applies to every reservation payment. Ask specifically:
- When and in what circumstances is the fee refundable?
- Is any part retained for administration, and is that stated in writing?
- What happens if your mortgage valuation is lower than the price, your lender declines the loan or the developer changes the specification?
- Does the reservation expire automatically, and can the developer sell the home to someone else after expiry?
- What date must you exchange contracts, and what happens if searches or the mortgage take longer?
Do not assume that paying the reservation fee prevents the price, specification or completion date from changing unless the signed documents say so.
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Exchange of contracts creates the major UK commitment
In the UK process, the sale contract is negotiated before exchange. Your conveyancer should explain the deposit, completion provisions, title, plans, restrictions, rights of way, management arrangements and any developer-specific clauses. Once contracts are exchanged, the parties have made the legal commitment described in the contract. As the government puts it:
“Exchanging contracts is an official legal commitment.”
A reservation, an accepted offer or a friendly statement that the home is “yours” does not have the same effect as exchange. Ask your conveyancer to identify the exact event that binds you and the financial consequences of failing to complete after exchange.
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Completion transfers the remaining money and ownership
Under the UK conveyancing process, completion is when your legal representative transfers the remaining purchase money and you take ownership. The government explains the ownership-transfer stage at GOV.UK’s conveyancing guidance. Confirm in advance:
- The expected completion date and how much notice you will receive.
- When your mortgage funds will be requested and what happens if the lender changes its offer.
- When keys can be released and whether access is restricted until funds arrive.
- What happens if the home is not ready on the contractual completion date.
Never treat a handover appointment or a developer’s target date as proof that completion has legally occurred.
Have an independent professional review the contract
Use a conveyancer or property lawyer who regularly handles new-build purchases and is independent of the developer. Ask for a plain-language explanation of every item that can affect your money, the home you receive or your ability to withdraw. The review should cover:
- The reservation agreement and sale contract, including deadlines, default provisions and completion notices.
- Deposit protection and how your money is held or returned if the transaction fails.
- The approved plans, plot number, boundaries, floor area and any rights over communal land.
- The specification, brands or performance standards, and the developer’s right to substitute materials or appliances.
- Incentives such as legal-fee contributions, upgrades, deposits, furniture or mortgage payments.
- Service charges, estate-management obligations, communal facilities, roads, landscaping and future phases.
- Restrictions on alterations, letting, parking, subletting, pets or use of shared areas.
- The completion notice, notice period, what counts as readiness and the consequences of missing it.
- Warranty provider, policy terms, exclusions, claims process and dispute route.
Ask the lawyer to mark any discrepancy between the show home, brochure, specification, plan and contract. A verbal promise is difficult to enforce if it is absent from the written agreement.
Check completion dates, delay clauses and the long-stop date
New-build construction can be affected by planning conditions, utilities, labour, materials, inspections and weather. A target month is not the same as a contractual deadline. Read the provisions that govern delay before exchange.
Questions for the developer and conveyancer
- Is the date an estimate, a contractual completion date or a notice window?
- How much notice must the developer give before requiring completion?
- What evidence shows that the home is ready for occupation and legally capable of completion?
- Can the developer serve notice while minor defects remain, and how are those defects recorded?
- What is the long-stop date, if any, and what exactly happens when it is reached?
- Can you withdraw after a long delay, and must you give a particular form of notice?
- What happens to your deposit, mortgage costs and other payments if the contract ends?
GOV.UK notes that a long-stop date can be written into a contract and may allow withdrawal after long delays. That is not an automatic right for every purchase: the wording of your contract controls the date, notice procedure, definition of delay and treatment of your deposit. Have the conveyancer quote the relevant clause and explain it before you exchange.
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Verify what is actually included in the home
Compare the signed specification and plans with the property you think you are buying. Make a written schedule of inclusions rather than relying on a furnished show home. Check:
- Kitchen units, worktops, appliances, extractor arrangements and appliance warranties.
- Bathroom fittings, sanitaryware, mirrors, screens and accessories.
- Flooring, tiling, paint finishes, internal doors and fitted storage.
- Heating, ventilation, hot-water equipment, controls and energy information.
- Windows, doors, locks, glazing, alarms and external lighting.
- Garden boundaries, turf, planting, fencing, patios, balconies and storage.
- Parking, electric-vehicle provision, cycle storage and visitor spaces.
- Broadband or other utility connections, meter locations and responsibility for connection charges.
- Shared roads, paths, play areas, landscaping and facilities that may be unfinished at completion.
Check whether a listed product can be replaced with an “equivalent” item. Ask what standard is used to judge equivalence and whether substitutions can change appearance, capacity, energy use or maintenance. Record upgrades and incentives with their value and whether they remain available if the completion date changes.
Arrange an independent inspection before completion
A new home is not automatically defect-free. Arrange an inspection early enough that the report can be read, defects can be logged and the developer can respond before the contractual deadline. Choose an inspector who is independent of the developer and suitably qualified for the property and local practice.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUK new-homes guidance associated with the New Homes Quality Code V2 (March 2026) says a developer within the code’s scope must give the customer an opportunity to undertake a pre-completion inspection or appoint a suitably qualified inspector. Confirm that your developer and purchase are covered; code scope and procedures are not universal. Ask whether the inspection can take place before legal completion, who may attend, how access is arranged and how findings are submitted.
An inspection is different from a lender’s valuation or appraisal. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that an independent inspection evaluates the home’s condition separately from a lender’s appraisal. That page describes US contracts and mortgage rules, so use it only for the general distinction and confirm UK or other local rules with your professionals.
Pre-completion inspection or post-completion snagging?
You may have both an inspection before completion and a snagging process after moving in. They solve different timing and evidence problems.
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| Issue | Before-completion inspection | Post-completion snagging |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and access | Conducted while the developer still controls access, subject to the contract and applicable code. | Conducted after keys or occupation, when more areas and systems may be usable. |
| Independence | Use an independent, suitably qualified inspector where permitted. | You can document issues yourself or use an independent professional. |
| Defects documented | Visible workmanship, incomplete items, finishes, fittings and apparent system problems before handover. | Visible defects plus issues that appear only after heating, ventilation, appliances, drainage or normal use operate. |
| Deadlines | Must fit the developer’s access arrangements and any notice or completion timetable. | Warranty or defect-reporting deadlines may apply; check the policy and contract. |
| Repair responsibility | Send the report to the developer and request written acknowledgement and a remedy schedule. | Use the developer’s defect process, then the warranty provider or dispute route where the policy permits. |
| Effect on completion | A report does not automatically give you a right to delay completion; contract and code procedures control. | Usually records a repair request after completion rather than changing the completion date. |
| Available remedy | Agreed repairs, written commitments or contractual advice from your conveyancer. | Repair, escalation, warranty claim or dispute resolution, depending on the defect and policy. |
Ask your conveyancer before refusing to complete or withholding money because of a snag. Whether a defect permits any action against the completion timetable depends on the contract and applicable rules.
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“Snagging” means identifying defects or unfinished work in a new-build home. A useful record is specific enough for another person to locate and verify each item.
- Number every issue and identify the room, elevation or external location.
- Describe the condition, not just the conclusion. For example, record a door that catches on the frame rather than writing “bad door”.
- Take a dated photograph from a distance and a second close-up where scale or detail matters.
- Attach the relevant plan, specification or appliance manual if the issue is a mismatch.
- Send the list and report through the developer’s stated channel and request written acknowledgement.
- Ask for the proposed remedy, responsible trade, target date and any access needed.
- Recheck each item after repair and retain the original and revised versions of the list.
Keep correspondence factual. If an issue affects safety, water ingress, heating, electrical supply, security or habitability, identify it clearly and ask what immediate protection is being provided while the permanent repair is arranged.
Use the handover appointment to verify the home and records
Before leaving the handover, work through the documents and physical items that are easy to lose track of:
- Record electricity, gas and water meter readings, with photographs where possible.
- Confirm the number of keys, fobs, remotes, alarm codes and access credentials.
- Collect manuals, certificates, warranties, commissioning records and emergency contacts.
- Check that included appliances and fixtures match the signed specification.
- Ask how to access utilities, bin stores, parking, communal entrances and shared facilities.
- Confirm how to report defects, the expected response time and the escalation contact.
- Obtain the warranty certificate and policy, not just a brochure or registration promise.
These are practical checks rather than a universal legal handover list. Your contract, developer process and local requirements may add or remove items.
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Read the warranty by coverage, not by headline duration
GOV.UK says most new-build homes typically have a 10-year warranty for major structural problems and a 2-year warranty for general defects. It also warns that the warranty may not cover the whole property or attached land. Those periods are a typical UK summary, not a promise that every home has identical cover or that every defect is covered for ten years.
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| Warranty question | What to verify in the actual policy |
|---|---|
| Provider and start date | Provider name, certificate number, commencement trigger and whether the period starts at completion, practical completion or another stated date. |
| Structural cover | Which structural elements qualify, the defect threshold, evidence required and exclusions. |
| General-defect period | What must be reported during the initial period, response times and whether the developer or warranty provider handles the first claim. |
| Exclusions | Wear, poor maintenance, owner alterations, condensation, cosmetic tolerances, appliances, landscaping, boundaries and other excluded items. |
| Land and outbuildings | Whether garages, retaining walls, gardens, drives, balconies, sheds and attached or shared land are included. |
| Claim deadlines and evidence | Notice periods, photographs, reports, maintenance records, forms and any required inspection. |
| Transferability | Whether cover transfers to a later owner and what registration or notice is required. |
| Dispute route | Internal complaint steps, independent resolution, fees, time limits and the governing law. |
Ask who is responsible for a defect first: the developer under its initial defects process, the warranty provider, a contractor or another party. A warranty is not a substitute for reporting defects promptly or maintaining the home as required by the policy.
Questions to ask before signing
Money and legal commitment
- What exactly do I pay now, and when can I recover it?
- When must I exchange, and what happens if my mortgage or searches are delayed?
- What deposit is due at exchange, who protects it and when can it be released?
- What costs, service charges, estate obligations or future maintenance liabilities are attached to the property?
Home and specification
- Which plan and specification form part of the contract?
- What substitutions are permitted, and must I approve a material change?
- What is included in the price, and which show-home items are excluded?
- Are roads, utilities, landscaping and communal facilities complete, adopted or privately managed?
Timing and defects
- What is the contractual completion mechanism and notice period?
- What is the long-stop date and my remedy if it passes?
- Can I inspect before completion, and how are findings logged?
- Who schedules repairs, and how do I escalate an unresolved defect?
Warranty and ownership
- Which policy covers this plot, when does it start and what land or structures are excluded?
- What maintenance records must I keep?
- What documents will I receive at handover?
- When do keys, access rights and legal ownership pass?
Warning signs that need clarification
Pause and obtain written advice if you encounter any of these situations:
- You are asked to pay a reservation fee without clear written refund terms or a reservation deadline.
- The specification or incentive is described as “subject to change” without limits or an approval process.
- The developer gives only an estimated completion month but the contract contains no understandable delay mechanism.
- You are discouraged from using an independent conveyancer or inspector.
- You are told that a warranty lasts ten years without being shown the provider, certificate and exclusions.
- You are pressured to exchange before your lawyer has reviewed plans, service charges, completion provisions and incentives.
- You are asked to treat serious defects as an informal snagging matter without a written record.
None of these points proves that a purchase is unsuitable, but each requires a document, explanation or independent professional opinion before you commit.
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- Before reservation: Obtain the reservation terms, price, specification, plans and incentive schedule. Ask your lender or broker what information is needed for a mortgage decision.
- During reservation: Instruct an independent conveyancer, send the documents for review and diarise every reservation and exchange deadline.
- Before exchange: Confirm title, searches, deposit protection, service charges, permitted substitutions, completion notice, long-stop wording and warranty arrangements.
- Before the inspection: Arrange access, appoint an independent inspector if appropriate and compare the physical home with the contract documents.
- After the inspection: Send a numbered snag list, obtain written acknowledgement and ask your conveyancer what the contract permits if issues remain.
- At exchange: Confirm that you understand the legal commitment, deposit exposure and completion procedure before signing.
- Before completion: Confirm mortgage funds, insurance or other required arrangements, final documents, inspection access and the key-release process.
- At handover: Record meters, collect keys and manuals, check inclusions and obtain the warranty certificate and defect-reporting route.
- After completion: Report defects in writing, retain evidence, follow maintenance requirements and escalate through the developer, warranty provider or stated dispute process when necessary.
What this checklist cannot decide for you
No general checklist can establish the tax, mortgage, cancellation, planning, energy-rating, service-charge or local warranty outcome for every buyer. Those matters depend on the property’s jurisdiction, tenure, contract, lender and development documents. Get a local legal and financial explanation before relying on a deadline or assuming that a defect permits cancellation, delayed completion or recovery of a payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a reservation fee the same as exchanging contracts?
No. A reservation fee secures a property under written reservation terms. In the UK, exchange of contracts is the stage that creates the official legal commitment; the reservation agreement and sale contract govern the earlier stages.
Can I delay completion because my new-build home has snags?
Not automatically. Ask your conveyancer what the contract and any applicable code say about defects, inspection findings, completion and remedies. Record the snags in writing and obtain the developer’s repair plan.
Does a 10-year new-build warranty cover everything for ten years?
No. GOV.UK describes typical UK cover as 10 years for major structural problems and 2 years for general defects, while warning that the whole property and attached land may not be covered. Read the actual policy’s scope, exclusions, deadlines and dispute route.
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Check the contract’s delay provisions and long-stop date, including notice requirements, withdrawal rights and treatment of your deposit. A target date alone does not establish a universal remedy.
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