8 NEWS FEATURE
Gettingquality rightfirst time G
lobal HomeWarranties, a leading supplier of latent defects warranties for new homes, is
calling on housebuilders to work more closely with them to not only improve quality and delivery times, but also signif- icantly reduce the cost of snagging and other types of avoidable repairs. The move follows recent re-confirma-
tion that targets for new houses, particularly affordable homes, are still not being met, says the firm. Compounding the situation, many new build homes face a “raft of different repair issues from ill- fitting windows, poor finishing standards and much more.” Global believes that the situation is
serious enough that major housebuilders are setting aside millions of pounds every year to “put right what has already been built.” However the firm says it’s possible for contractors to achieve “massive cost savings” in this area if they are willing to work in partnership with warranty suppliers – while at the same time increasing productivity and delivering more new homes.
THE EXTENT OF THE DEFECTS PROBLEM It is clear that there is a very real ongoing issue. In 2017/ 2018, the House Builders Federation reported that 34% of buyers claimed that their new home had more problems than they had been expecting. Some 42% of buyers said they had reported more than 10 problems to their builder and more than a quarter
(26%) stated that they had reported in excess of 16 problems – and the trend is worsening year on year. By 2019 the Federation was reporting that 91% of new homes had defects. Other industry commentators reckon
that only up to 25% of all new homes have defects – yet despite this not painting such a pessimistic picture as the House Builders Federation. It still demonstrates that the housebuilding business is facing significant difficulties. According to Global, this is helping to
delay the delivery of the new homes the nation needs to house its growing population.While builders are spending time on unnecessary repairs, they could be creating new homes. Every new home requires a latent
defects warranty to ensure consumer confidence – an insurance backed policy which kicks in after two years, by which time in theory all defects should have been corrected by the builder. Suppliers such as Global work hard to identify potential defects during the build process however, but it is clear that not all companies are as stringent at the front end, which could mean that some builders are not getting the kind of service they should be receiving. Jim Edwards, commercial director for
Global HomeWarranties, explains: “When we issue a latent defects warranty, we know that we have eliminated, where humanly possible, risk to the homeowner and the insurer.” However, he adds: “but
THE HOUSE BUILDERS FEDERATION REPORTED THAT 34%OF BUYERS CLAIMED THAT THEIR NEW HOME HADMORE PROBLEMS THANTHEY HAD BEEN EXPECTING
it is clear that there is no common standard – and this is the problem.”
FIXINGTHE ISSUE The key to making the changes needed on quality is a rigorous inspection regime at every stage of the build process, says Global, and surveyors working in collaboration with the contractor, from the moment that concrete is first poured into the footings until the building is finally delivered. Jim Edwards,: “It is like having another layer of quality control. An intensive multi-stage inspection process means we can work closely with contrac- tors to ensure that survey teams are available at every major stage of the build process. It helps to reduce costly repairs and snagging.” He continues: “The build process is
not delayed in any way, and more importantly we can ensure that every- thing is done to the highest possible standard; It is all about getting it right the first time.” However he adds that “dealing with warranty suppliers that fail to provide an inspection process is just a false economy.” Edwards adds: “We believe it is time
for the entire warranty industry to partner with builders more closely, to ensure that everyone has a rigorous inspection regime to identify defects faster.” Making this change, says Global,
could save the industry millions of pounds each year in repairs while simultaneously elevating the construction industry’s image. It would also help eliminate from the marketplace those service providers offering what the firm calls “so-called low-cost warranties” without thorough inspections. This is the compelling case for getting it right first time.
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