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Welcome
6 Step Customer Care Programme
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Taggart Homes would like to take this opportunity to extend a sincere and warm welcome to your new home. We hope you will thoroughly enjoy your home and your surroundings. The information contained within this handbook will provide assistance and guidance in regards to all aspects of customer care.
unprecedented value and services for each of our customers.
Our constant push for perfection means adhering to a strict internal quality assurance programme set out by our design team and an external third party inspection process to ensure maximum quality is delivered in every new home across each of Taggart’s developments.
The Taggart Homes brand is about consistent delivery of high quality, desirable new homes supported by dedicated customer service, providing the perfect balance of product finish and service excellence.
Every individual at Taggart understands that Quality is paramount. The quality features homeowners desire are standard by design in a Taggart Home, these features constitute to thousands of pounds worth of extras at no extra charge to the customer. Our ‘everything included’ approach is complimented by a competent in-house sales and mortgage team offering
By harnessing our bulk purchasing power this allows us to increase the quality of building materials whilst lowering costs to deliver greater value to the customer.
Our dedicated customer service team spend up to 75% of their time on site, undertaking quality control checks throughout each and every home during construction to ensure consistently high standards of finish and function. Right up until completion, the team are spending time with purchasers, carrying out pre-completion inspections. On handover day they complete handovers and demonstrate working features with owners or their tenants.
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Register your New Home
First visit – One Week
We ask all customers to register their new home at taggarthomes. com/customercare. All new customers must notify our Customer Care Team of any additional defects outside of those outlined at the first and second visit and also Joinery and Paint inspections via this system to ensure of a swift and efficient response from the Maintenance Team.
A Taggart representative will arrange to come and see you 7 days after you have moved in. This appointment can be arranged on the day of legal completion. This is just to see how you’ve settled in, and if there are any questions you want to ask.
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The taggart Warranty
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Second visit – One Month
One Month Joinery Inspection
A Taggart representative will arrange to come and see you after a month. Again, this is just to check how you are settling in. Should you have any questions our representative will happily answer them.
As with all new homes there may be cases of swelling to internal doors and frames. Taggart’s Joiners will visit your new home 6 weeks after completion to check strictly the follow areas:
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Internal door latches & locks working correctly
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Internal door opening & closing
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We would ask you in this time to not list the above mentioned items on any defect list you may contact us with.
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Two Month Paint Inspection
Customer Satisfaction Survey
As your new home settles there may be visible cracking on door frames and skirting boards, to address this our painters will visit your new home 8 weeks after completion and strictly check the following areas for visible signs of cracking:
We strive to give our customers the very best in both quality and service. For this reason, you will receive a Customer Satisfaction Survey three months after completion - and we would really love to hear your ideas for ways we can improve any aspect of our customer care programme.
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Doors & Frames
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Architrave
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Skirting Boards
As an existing customer, your views and comments really are invaluable to us as we work to set new standards within every aspect of the home-buying process.
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We would ask you in this time to not list the above mentioned items on any defect list you may contact us with.
The Taggart Warranty, which lasts for two years from the date of legal completion, covers items not included in the NHBC Buildmark cover. For that period, we guarantee items supplied as part of your new home, covering defects caused by our faulty workmanship or materials. Following on from your Taggart 2-year warranty the NHBC provide insurance to cover the cost of putting right any damage caused by defects in specified parts of the home, usually the structural and weatherproofing parts. This is part of your Buildmark Warranty and you can find out more by visiting the NHBC website.
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Alteration of your home Any alteration or extension made to your home following legal completion may adversely affect all, or part of your Warranty. Please liaise with your Taylor Wimpey regional office if you plan to alter or extend your home.
Change of ownership This Warranty is not affected if you sell or let your home. It would help if you could pass on the details about the Warranty and what it covers to tenants or subsequent buyers. If you sell your home, whilst it is still within Warranty, the cover automatically transfers to the new owners.
Your rights This Warranty does not affect your statutory rights. Some manufacturers also offer warranties to Taggart customers over and above the initial Taggart two-year Warranty. Please contact the manufacturer’s own customer services department. We do not protect you against every problem that may occur and you are obliged to carry out maintenance on your home. Several limitations and conditions apply. Our Warranty does not cover: •
Problems with any workmanship, materials or appliances that you have brought or added to the property.
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Damage caused by storms or, accidentally, by negligence, abuse or poor maintenance of the property or appliances. This includes blockages caused by inappropriate disposal of waste.
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Any cosmetic defects such as scratches, chips or marks that have not been reported within seven days of legal completion. This includes decoration, flooring, tiling, textured ceilings, kitchen units, fitted bedroom and bathroom furniture, worktops, sinks, sanitary ware, appliances, glass, and other similar items. Outside of this time frame, it maybe difficult to prove how the damage was caused.
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Any problems caused by natural shrinkage or condensation.
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Any inconvenience, distress, consequential loss of enjoyment, or income loss caused by remedial works, assuming all reasonable steps have been taken to minimise disruption.
What is not an emergency? For all non-emergencies, please register your new home at www. taggarthomes.com/customercare and list you complaint. We will respond as soon as we can, normally within two working days. Repair times depend on the severity of the problem and the availability of spare parts, but most problems are solved within 28 days. Take a look below at the incidents we class as nonemergency. We would like to advise you that all non emergency issues will be attended to at a mutually convenient time during normal working hours. Examples of non-emergencies are: •
Dripping taps
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Doors which require easing
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Faulty kitchen appliances
We have arranged for you to have access to some manufacturer’s own customer service departments. These numbers are with your appliance instructions within your handover pack.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Contact: +44 2871 042888
What is an emergency? We know that there are times when something goes wrong and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Take a look below at the lists of incidents that we class as an emergency.
Central heating and hot water
Total loss of gas
Complete failure of the combined central heating/hot water system. Before calling, please check that this has not been caused by local electricity or gas supply problems, or by incorrectly setting your timers or thermostats, or by any shut off device that can be reset by the user (refer to boiler/cylinder instructions for further details).
Before calling us, please check that your gas supplier has not turned off the mains to carry out repair work in the area.
Water supply Complete loss of water supply. Before calling, please check that your water supplier has not turned off the water to carry out repair work in the area.
Water leak When a leak cannot be contained and is causing damage, particularly if it is leaking into an electrical fitting.
Gas leak Please contact your gas supplier on the emergency number 0800 111 999, before calling us. They will be able to isolate the meter and make your home safe.
Loss of power supply to socket outlets When there is a total loss throughout the property and it cannot be solved by resetting the master trip switch, or if the loss is partial but there is a potential safety hazard (such as in a communal hallway). Please check that your electricity supplier has not turned off the mains to carry out repair work and that there is no local power failure.
Blocked drains When they are causing a flood or overflowing internally or externally.
Blocked toilet When you have no other useable toilet.
Buying a new home? Your guide to Buildmark cover for new and newly converted homes
What are you looking for in a new or newly converted home? An ensuite bathroom, designer kitchen or a beautiful location? But before you set your heart on a property, it’s also important to consider the practical issue of what cover the home will have. Fortunately, if your builder and your home are registered with NHBC, you have the assurance of knowing that the builder must build your home in accordance with NHBC’s Standards of construction, and that it will be protected by the 10 year Buildmark cover. This guide to NHBC and Buildmark cover should answer many of your questions.
What is NHBC? NHBC is the UK’s leading consumer protection organisation for new home construction. Providing risk management services to the house-building and wider construction industry, NHBC has approximately 20,500 registered builders who agree to comply with our Rules and Standards. NHBC registers around 80% of new homes in the UK and around 1.7 million homeowners currently benefit from our 10 year warranty and insurance cover. NHBC has protected over 30% of the existing homes in the UK.
Key facts you should know about NHBC and the Buildmark warranty: NHBC is the UK’s leading consumer protection organisation for new home construction. NHBC is independent of the Government and house builders. NHBC has no shareholders. Any surplus generated is reinvested within NHBC’s products and services to aid the continual improvement in the quality of new home construction. NHBC Standards are accepted as the definitive standards used for UK new home construction and conversion. The Standards are reviewed and updated regularly to ensure they remain relevant to minimise potential defects during construction. NHBC employs over 1000 staff across the UK whose aim is to support the industry to build homes to our standards. NHBC is the only warranty provider that has undisputed technical expertise inhouse, employing qualified technical experts for the key stages of new home construction, including: inspectors, building surveyors, engineers and sustainability consultants, which demonstrates our dedication to improve the standards of new homes.
Established more than 70 years ago as a non-profit distributing company, NHBC’s primary purpose is to help raise standards in the house-building industry and provide consumer protection for new home owners.
Why does my home need cover? If you are buying a new home you will need cover like Buildmark to help you secure a mortgage. Mortgage lenders prefer to lend on homes that have this type of cover because they know the home will have been built to specified standards of construction. If you are buying a converted property your lender may not require you to have cover. However, if you choose a converted property with Buildmark you will know that NHBC has carried out a technical investigation of the project to check its viability and that you have protection if problems arise. Due to the nature of conversion sites NHBC may, on occasions, add exclusions to the policy. These will be printed on the Insurance Certificate. If you have any queries regarding the cover being offered on your home please phone our Customer Service helpline on 0844 633 1000.
All new houses registered with NHBC are inspected an average of five times by our inspectors. NHBC’s Buildmark is the UK’s most comprehensive new home warranty available. NHBC is the only warranty provider providing a free Resolution Service if there is disagreement about your builder’s obligations.
Important Note The cover described in this leaflet generally only applies to homes built on sites registered with NHBC on or after 1 April 2007. It does not apply to sites registered before that date even though the homes on it are built after that date. You should not rely on the house builder’s sales staff to provide you with exact details of the cover on your home. If you require more information about Bulidmark cover call NHBC Customer Services on 0844 633 1000
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Does Buildmark cover me against all faults and defects? Buildmark is not a complete guarantee against all defects. Buildmark is an insurance policy which covers you against specified risks, some of which could be very expensive to put right. It does not provide cover for general wear and tear, condensation, normal shrinkage, damage arising from failure to maintain the property, or minor faults which first appear after the second year. For full details you should read your copy of the Buildmark policy which outlines the cover provided. The Buildmark policy belongs to you so make sure you ask your solicitor for this document. When you move in, you should also receive NHBC’s ‘Guide to your new home’ from your builder. It contains useful information about ‘running-in’ your new home. A free NHBC DVD/CD-ROM is also available from your builder.
What does ‘NHBC registered builder’ mean? Only builders and developers who can demonstrate financial security and technical competence can be registered with NHBC. They must follow the NHBC Rules and build homes to NHBC Standards of construction.
What are NHBC Standards and who sets them? NHBC Standards are the definitive standards for house construction and conversion in the UK and have been developed over many years. They are set by a committee representing all relevant organisations interested in improving the quality of new and converted homes. Builders, consumer organisations and professional institutions are represented on the committee. The standards take into account the Building Regulations, British Standards and NHBC’s own claims record of defects. We believe that prevention is better than cure, so the Standards are continually updated to minimise defects and raise the overall standard of construction.
How does NHBC check that my builder complies with the Standards? During the construction of homes, NHBC Inspectors carry out inspections to satisfy themselves, as far as practicable, that homes conform to NHBC Standards and are an acceptable risk for Buildmark cover. Inspectors aim to visit each property during construction at predetermined key stages in the construction process. However, the NHBC inspector does not check every detail of construction on each property, and the responsibility to build in accordance with NHBC Standards and Building Regulations is that of the builder. If you have concerns about the quality of your home you should in the first instance consult the builder. If you are not satisfied with the response, telephone NHBC Customer Services on 0844 633 1000.
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What is Buildmark cover and when does it start? Buildmark is a ten year insurance policy divided into four main parts:
Cover before completion
The first 2 years after completion
Cover in years 3 to 10 including cover for contaminated land
Additional cover in years 3 to 10 for building control
Cover before completion If, due to insolvency or fraud, the builder does not start building or converting your home or fails to finish it, NHBC will reimburse money you have paid the builder for the home that cannot be recovered from him. If the property is not finished, NHBC can pay for the property to be finished in accordance with its Standards. There is a separate financial limit to this part of the cover.
The first 2 years after completion For the first 2 years Buildmark covers you against any damage and defects which results from the builder failing to meet NHBC Standards. Under this part of Buildmark, the builder is responsible for any repairs necessary. You must report any faults to the builder as soon as possible, and you should keep a copy of any correspondance. If the builder fails to rectify the problems, NHBC offers a free Resolution Service which aims to resolve disputes between you and the builder. Under the Resolution Service, NHBC can also help arrange the remedial work needed to put things right if the builder fails to do so. If the builder is insolvent, then NHBC insures their obligations. Please remember that the builder is not responsible for items such as normal shrinkage or normal condensation due to the property ‘drying out’, general wear and tear and damage arising from failure to maintain the property.
Cover in years 3 to 10 Buildmark covers you against the full cost, subject to a minimum claim value, of putting right any physical damage to the home caused by a defect in any one of the specified parts of the building. Buildmark covers: -
foundations load-bearing walls non load-bearing partition walls wet-applied wall plaster external wall rendering and external vertical tile hanging load-bearing parts of the roof roof coverings ceilings load-bearing parts of the floors staircases and internal floor decking and screeds where these fail to support normal loads retaining walls necessary for the structural stability of the house, bungalow, flat or maisonette its garage or other permanent outbuilding double or triple glazing panes to external windows and doors (in converted properties they must be newly installed at the time of conversion) below-ground drainage for which you are responsible defective chimneys and flues causing a danger to the health and safety of occupants.
Among the problems we have helped to remedy are dry rot affecting structural timbers and foundation failure due to inappropriate design. Please remember that this part of Buildmark does not cover items such as gutters, central heating, fixtures and fittings etc. Nor does it cover you against any claim that is insured elsewhere, or by your household insurance policy (e.g. storm damage to roof tiles). In addition we provide cover against the cost of cleaning up contamination of the land on which the home is built, if a local authority or the Environment Agency take action against the homeowner under environmental law.
Additional cover in years 3 to 10 for building control This cover only applies if NHBC Building Control Services Ltd or an Approved Inspector registered with NHBC has carried out the building control. If it has, you are covered against costs arising from the builder’s failure to comply with specified statutory Building Regulations. The Insurance Certificate will show if this cover applies to your home. The financial limit for a claim made under this section is the original cost of the work covered by the building control Final Certificate.
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Please refer to your policy or telephone us on 0844 633 1000 for details of the cover provided. Is there a financial limit to the cover after legal completion? Yes. For 10 years after the legal completion of the first sale of the home the most we will pay is the original purchase price as shown on the Insurance Certificate up to a maximum of: £1 million for a newly built home (up to £25 million for all the homes in a continuous newly-built structure), or £500,000 for a converted home (up to £5 million for all the homes in a continuous converted structure) The financial limit is increased each year in line with the RICS House Rebuilding Cost Index or by 10% compound per year if less, from the date of the Insurance Certificate (please see the Buildmark booklet for full details).
Who pays for the Buildmark cover? The cost of Buildmark is included in the purchase price of your home. Your builder pays the premium directly to NHBC. The premium is based on a scale of charges relating to the sales value of each home.
What if I sell my home before the ten years expire? If you sell your home while Buildmark is still in force, the benefit of the rest of the cover automatically transfers to the new owners. You should pass the Buildmark documents to the new owner.
Where can I find out more about Buildmark cover? NHBC’s website at www.nhbc.co.uk offers a wide range of useful information including advice on what to look for when buying a new home, and how to ‘run-in’ a new home. You can also make use of our on-line register to check that your builder is registered with NHBC. If you have a problem with your new home, you can also log your claim online at www.nhbc.co.uk/claims/claimsonline/.
(This guide does not apply to self build projects. If you would like information on our Solo for Self Build product please contact us.)
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NHBC’s Checklist
Buildmark – The distribution process
Check that the home is NHBC registered by calling us on 0844 633 1000 or use our online ‘Builder check’.
Employ a solicitor (or licensed conveyancer) and seek professional advice if you are in doubt.
Before completing your purchase we recommend you inspect your new home carefully, especially baths, basins, windows, appliances and other items to ensure they are not damaged before you move in.
Purchaser’s solicitor confirms the purchase price on the documentation, and signs the Acceptance Form on behalf of the purchaser. The Acceptance Form is returned to NHBC.
Check that NHBC has carried out a pre-handover inspection and issued a cover note before you move in.
Builder forwards these documents to his solicitor, who forwards them to the purchaser’s solicitor.
Make sure you take the opportunity to discuss and understand the Buildmark cover with your solicitor or licensed conveyancer.
NHBC allocates policy number to newly registered property and sends the Buildmark documents to the builder.
If you need a mortgage, ask your lender at an early stage.
Check the builder has a good national or local reputation.
Builder registers home with NHBC.
Report any damage or defect to your builder and be sure to keep a copy of any correspondence and a note of telephone calls, as you may need these to show that the problem has been reported.
For a copy of the policy applicable to your home please contact customer services on 0844 633 1000 and quote your policy number.
Purchaser’s solicitor passes the Buildmark policy documents to the purchaser.
To view a specimen copy of the latest Buildmark policy document please visit our website at www.nhbc.co.uk or request a copy from our Distribution team on 0844 633 1000 quoting reference BM8/3.
If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Customer Services on 0844 633 1000.
On receipt of the Acceptance Form and following structural completion of the property, NHBC sends the Buildmark Insurance Certificate to the purchaser’s solicitor.
Buildmark cover (parts 2 and 3) usually commences from date of legal completion of the sale.
NHBC Buildmark House, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Bucks HP6 5AP Tel: 0844 633 1000 Fax: 0844 633 0022 www.nhbc.co.uk CSSupport@nhbc.co.uk NHBC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
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Head Office
General Contact
Taggart Homes The Innovation Centre Bay Road, Derry~Londonderry BT48 7TG
Call. +442871 042888 Email. enquiries@taggarthomes.com www.taggarthomes.com