The group claimed that as many as 90 per cent of purchasers suffered problems with their new property, including faulty wiring, leaky windows and badly fitted doors, while countless numbers are forced into temporary accommodation after developers miss move-in deadlines.
The NCC has called on the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), as part of its study into new build housing, to propose new legislation to provide consumers with more rights, similar to the Sale of Goods Act 1979, as well as a Code of Conduct for developers backed by the OFT.
Carl Belgrove, spokesperson for the NCC, said: “Buying a house is one of the most expensive investments a person will ever make, yet people have more rights when they buy a kettle. With government planning to build three million new homes it’s vital that measures are put in place to protect home owners of the future.”
In its report to the OFT, ‘New Build Housing: Setting the Standard’, the NCC claimed that 29 per cent of new build developments were rated as ‘poor quality’ by owners.
Andy Pratt, chief operating officer at Alexander Hall, commented: “A good quality broker can overcome most of the problems that come about as they are in a position to know what to look out for and advise what the client should do in terms of guarantees from the builder. However, the self-regulation that builders come under will be closely scrutinised as we are building more homes to fill the shortfall in supply.”
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