Article: A brand new start; From 1 April, buying a brand-new home will be easier, thanks to a Homes & Property initiative. Mira Bar-Hillel reports.

Byline: MIRA BAR-HILLEL

ONE of the main attractions of buying a brand-new home is the perception that it will be trouble-free. Pay the money and you become the first occupier of a newly built property, where everything will be squeaky clean and work perfectly.

In recent years, however, this dream has all too often become a consumers' nightmare. New homes are bought offplan, often long before they are built.

The sale contracts provide no binding completion date that you can rely on as a buyer - but they do allow the builder to serve a 14-day completion notice on buyers, who have to pay up and move in, regardless of the condition of the property. ...

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