10 Steps to Buying a New Build House

Whether you’re buying a house for the first time or stepping up to a new level of luxury property, one thing is for sure: the process can be intimidating. From scouring the market for your dream property to the intricacies of mortgages and the stress of moving, there’s a lot to think about.

That’s why we’ve prepared this short overview of the ten major steps involved in buying a new build house, based on our unique experience across the UK. It’s just one of the many ways we strive to make life easier for home buyers and streamline the process from start to finish.

Step 1: Make sure you’re ready to buy a house

Before you start that exciting journey of finding your dream home, take a moment to check that you’re genuinely ready. This will depend on numerous factors including:

• The stability of your income

• The size of your deposit or equity

• The stability of your lifestyle and whether a new home would match that lifestyle long term

• Is your home ready for sale?

Step 2: Speak to a mortgage adviser

Once you’ve decided that you’re ready to buy, you may consult with a financial adviser to understand your financial options. However, it can still be worthwhile to speak to a more specialist mortgage adviser who understands the high-end property market and associated mortgages.

A mortgage adviser will look at your requirements and assess your financial circumstances through the unique lens of mortgages, as opposed to your wider financial position. It’s generally worth paying the small fee for an independent mortgage adviser who can recommend mortgages from across the market, rather than those from a single provider.

Step 3: Research your desired location

Everything starts with finding the right location. This will depend on your lifestyle and practical considerations like work and school commitments. At Brookworth, we make it easy by carefully selecting the very best locations for our developments.

Our expert sales consultants are always available to discuss your requirements, share our local knowledge, and help you understand the right location for you. Across every one of our developments, you’ll find the ideal combination of peaceful surroundings and practicality, giving you the exclusivity of a small, local community with the convenience of nearby transport links and amenities for the entire family.

Step 4: Get a mortgage Decision in Principle

Before you go through the complex process of applying for a mortgage, secure a Decision in Principle (sometimes called an Agreement in Principle) from your preferred mortgage provider. This provides a confirmation of how much you can mortgage and allows you to reserve a property with confidence.

A specialist mortgage broker for high-end homes or your financial adviser can typically help you understand the financial risk associated with your mortgage, including how things will change if interest rates increase. It's also a good idea to start comparing solicitors at this stage, although you may not choose to engage one until you’ve chosen a new build house.

Step 5: Choose your dream new build home

Now you’ve made progress with the financial aspects of your search, it’s time for the fun part: finding and falling in love with your dream home. At Brookworth, we’ve helped hundreds of people find the ideal new build property. 

To begin, we’d recommend creating a list of the non-negotiable features you’re looking for. This could be aspects of the architecture or house design, but we also encourage you to consider the smaller details, from space for parking to fixtures and fittings.

The best advice, though, is to step inside as many properties as possible. If you’re considering a Brookworth home, our expert team is always available to guide you through a showhome or sales and marketing suite. 

Step 6: Reserve your new build home

Found a place you could see yourself calling home? Then it’s time to make sure nobody else swoops in before you do. Luxury new build homes are in high demand and quickly go off the market, even long before they’re built.

Across our developments, we tailor our reservation process depending on how far along the development is. A reservation deposit is taken to secure your home, and our sales representatives will help you understand how long the property is reserved for. Whether that’s a limited amount of time for you to progress the buying process, or a legal completion date for the development.

This will also begin the paperwork process so, if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to appoint a solicitor.

Step 7: Arrange your mortgage

Once you’ve reserved your property, your mortgage broker or mortgage provider will work with you to turn your Decision in Principle into an actual mortgage. This may include an independent valuation carried out by your mortgage provider or, in the case of previously owned properties, a survey.

Generally, your independent mortgage broker will be able to take care of the entire process, simply asking you to sign the various documents as required. This enables you to focus your time and energy on planning your move.

Step 8: Exchange contracts on your new build home

Once you’ve accepted a mortgage offer and your solicitor has undertaken any relevant searches and enquiries, the time will come to exchange contracts. As the name suggests, this is the simple handover of documents from your solicitor to the seller’s solicitor. 

At this stage, your 10% deposit will be paid to the seller, a completion timeframe will be agreed and, from a legal perspective, your dream home will be yours.

Step 9: Prepare for the big move

Moving home can feel overwhelming, but there are several things you can do to streamline your moving process and ensure you can get into your dream home without a hitch.

We’d recommend:

• Taking the opportunity to clear out the clutter from your home over time, leading up to completion

• Arranging a reputable local moving company

• Start planning your soft furnishings and the other details that make your new property feel like home

Your seller may also play a role in making your transition more seamless, especially if you’re buying a luxury new build home. At Brookworth, we include an informative home demonstration as part of the process, where our experts lead you through your property to answer any questions and tell you everything you need to know.

Step 10: Move in and make it yours

Finally, the day is here: after what was undoubtedly a busy few months, it’s time to start the next chapter in your life.

On completion day, you’ll collect the keys to your home and you’ll be free to move in. It’s an exciting time, but it remains important to take a strategic approach. Upon moving in, you will have 48 hours to report any issues. These should be highlighted early and will be addressed promptly. 

With a Brookworth home, you’ll count on our robust quality assurance process to take care of any issues before you move in - and, since every property is move-in ready, everything from built-in wardrobes to media units and security will be in place before you arrive. It’s a level of service and simplicity that delivers a premium experience from day one.

Ready to find your dream home with Brookworth? Explore our developments to see what makes us different--and how we can help make the experience of buying a new build home frustration free.