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Just wondering if anyone has experience of making an NHBC claim and how you went about it? Our house and garden is built on an incline and therefore we have a retaining wall at the top of the garden with a property behind us (constructed by the same builder) and a retaining wall at the bottom of the garden also holding up the land behind. The "wall" is made up of Timber posts, which are rotting away and falling down causing the land behind to collapse through. The "walls" are therefore not fit for purpose, not structurally sound and more importantly pose a health and safety risk when falling down. Will I need to get legal support to make the claim? I estimate it could cost in excess of £10k.

Hi all Does anyone have any experience good or bad with, or know of how Advantage new build warranty provider are considered? I'm currently looking at an off plan opportunity with MCR Properties and Advantage are the insurer so conducting some due diligence. https://ahci.co.uk/ Appreciate any insights hubbers may have. Thanks James

Hi guys could really do with some advice and guidance on the below! Developer gave me the below response when I asked how my deposit would be protected. Your thoughts? Thanks in advance! "With regards to the protection, upon exchange of Contracts you become a shareholder within the LTD company that the development is under. The developer has to be working in arrears at all times on the build meaning that if they was to go bust you would have a development part completed but the building would be worth far greater than what your initial 25% along with whatever funds was still remaining in the accounts of the company, this would enable the shareholder to then re appoint a new construction company to finish the remainder. This is a far better security than usual with normally only 10% of your deposit being covered by the majority of developers.In any case, with this being a renovation of an existing building the likelihood of them not completing is very slim."

Yo I have bought a few new build properties off-plan in recent years. If you buy early enough off-plan, one potential strategy is to think about investing in new build as a sort of property tracker bond. i.e. invest your deposit at Exchange, forget about it for a year or so, and then get your cash return post-Completion. An annoyance with this approach is that most lenders will lend at Completion against the purchase price rather than the market value at the time of Completion, which is annoying because you can't realise the equity that is now "baked in" other than through taking a mortgage product with no early redemption penalties or one that allows additional borrowing. It does, of course, also dampen your cash flow between Exchange and Completion, so not an approach for those looking to pull their cash fast and keep recycling it. The foregoing wasn't actually my top tip! My top tip is to make sure that your deposit is never released to the developer between Exchange and Completion except where the NHBC or equivalent warranty protects your deposit against the risk of the developer's insolvency during that period. Prior to Exchange, check that the NHBC or equivalent warranty coverage offers this protection. If it does not, the deposit should be held by the developer's solicitor as stakeholder (NOT agent) for the developer and the purchaser until such time as this insolvency protection is put in place. This is market standard, and you are well within your rights to make a fuss about this, and ensure that it is drafted into the Contract. Cheers, M