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Submit plansI am looking to purchase a part-finished new build that will be completed to the first fix plumbing and wiring stage. The builder that is selling the shell has advised me that the Council of Mortgage Lenders will insist that I take out a Zurich Building, NHBC warranty or produce an Architect’s certificate. Is this correct, or should I be able to take out a specific structural warranty, such as Build Zone?
In this case, the builder is correct in advising you that your lender will insist on an NHBC, Zurich Warranty or an Architect’s certificate. If these are already in place for the build, it should be possible to transfer them over to you, as the new owner. However if the builder hasn’t taken out a structural warranty policy, or has not had the build certified to date by an architect, then a new policy will need to be taken out.
You need to make sure that your lender will accept your preferred warranty provider, so its best to speak to a specialist who can advise you on what policies are available. If a warranty is taken out half-way through the build, or after the build is completed, then it’s known as a retrospective warranty. The building control inspections will have had to have been carried out throughout the build, and their reports should be made available to you by the person selling you the part-finished project.
