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The status of Snagging.org (www.snagging.org) as the premier site for buyers of new-build homes was demonstrated this week after thousands of people visited the site immediately after it was featured on ITV1's Tonight with Trevor McDonald which had 5 million viewers. The site was shown on 'Dream homes or new-build nightmares?', broadcast on 21 March 2005, resulting in 3,000 visits to the site that evening.
More than 35,000 people have visited Snagging.org since the site was launched 12 months ago. Catriona Bright, director of New Build Inspections which is the company behind Snagging.org, said: 'The popularity of Snagging.org is a sad reflection of the growing dissatisfaction with the quality of new homes in the UK something which would not be tolerated in any other sector.'
Snagging.org provides resources for people buying new-build homes and includes a detailed 'Snagging Checklist' downloadable for just £14.99. This enables buyers to do their own snagging survey which would otherwise cost up to £480.
Bright added: 'The housing industry has been self-regulating itself via the NHBC which does not ensure that homes are finished to standard but instead simply provides housing developers with an insurance scheme to cover major structural defects. This government has a unique opportunity to ensure homes are finished to standard by ensuring that new homes are inspected by the new army of home inspectors currently being drafted as part of the 2004 Housing Act. However, the developers, in the guise of the NHBC, are campaigning hard to ensure that new homes are exempt. The motives are clear, dealing with snagging defects eats into profit margins and with a resale rate of less than 5% there is absolutely no incentive to provide good customer care by completing homes to standard.'
The results of surveys carried out by Snagging.org over the last 12 months are a shocking indictment of the housing industry. The majority of homes are delayed by at least two months. The British weather is often given as an excuse, it seems construction industry project managers are unable to factor this into their plans. The majority of new homes have over 50 defects with over a third having between 100 and 200 defects. This problem is compounded by the fact that it takes housing developers, for the majority of new home owners, more than 18 months to deal with these snags. The outcome is predictable, over 40% of new home owners would simply not buy a newly-built home again. Bright said: 'Once again this is another example of middle Britain being let down, as it is they who are affected the most. The well-off are able to afford high specification bespoke new-build homes and housing associations backed up by commercial contracts consistently provide social housing units finished to a higher standard, albeit to a lower specification, than the new homes available to private buyers.'
For more information please contact:
Catriona Bright
New Build Inspections Ltd
t. 0845 22 66 486
f. 0845 22 66 487
e.
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www.newbuildinspections.com
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