When you buy a property from Tulloch Homes, we want you to have an enjoyable experience, so we’ve created our Homebuyers’ Pledge to make sure that happens.
Tulloch Homes is devoted to offering you outstanding service throughout the buying process. We are committed to making sure your experience of buying a new Tulloch home is a happy one. Our Homebuyers’ Pledge sets out clearly the standard of service you can expect from us.
PRE-CONTRACT INFORMATION
You will receive all the pre-contract information required, before you are asked to sign missives. All Tulloch Homes correspondence is written in plain English, without jargon, to help you reach an informed decision.
Pre-contract information usually covers:
The main contract terms of sale, including price
Details of the home, including land and communal areas, location, development, site layout, demarcation and boundary details
A sketch layout plan marked with approximate room sizes
Summary details of the construction type of the house
Fixtures and fittings included in the property
Any available choices and options
The type of heating system and number of radiators or outlets
Kitchen and bathroom layouts
Summary of external works and materials
Details of elements that may not be finished before you buy the property, such as final surfacing to roads and footpaths, and landscaping
Details of any annual costs or charges, where known
LEGAL FORMALITIES AND CUSTOMERS’ INTERESTS
You should choose and appoint your own solicitor to:
Represent your interests
Deal with the legal aspects of buying the property, including the conclusion of missives, date of entry, handover and occupation
WHO TO CONTACT WITH YOUR QUESTIONS
You will be given the contact details of our sales consultant for the site, who will help you during the buying process and explain the process of dealing with any questions you may have. Our staff are fully trained to understand their responsibilities to you, including the Tulloch Homes key legal responsibilities to you and the commitments made through the pledge.
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING
We will ensure that our marketing literature and advertisements are clear and truthful, and comply with relevant laws and advertising codes.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
The “Builders Missives”, which are the terms and conditions that we enter into with you, will be clear and fair, and comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.
NHBC BUILDMARK COVER
Your new home will benefit from the 10-year NHBC Buildmark cover,included in the purchase price of the property. An overview of the cover is given below, but you should always refer to the policy for full details.
Before the sale is legally completed (Scotland; ‘date of entry’) NHBC’s Buildmark cover provides protection in the unlikely event that the house builder becomes insolvent. In the first two years after completion it says that the house builder must repair defects.
Over the following eight years, NHBC’s Buildmark provides cover against the cost of repairing any significant damage to the load-bearing structure and certain parts of the home that first appeared during this period. This is subject to the minimum claim value, plus exclusions and limitations shown in the policy document. The policy does not cover wear and tear or lack of maintenance.
You will find full details in your own NHBC Buildmark document, which you will receive from us through your solicitor. Read it carefully and ask your solicitor to explain anything you don’t understand. You can see a specimen NHBC Buildmark cover at our sales office. You can also visit NHBC’s website.
CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR PROPERTY
Once your property is reserved, we pledge to keep you regularly informed of construction progress. We provide an expected completion date for your property, which is updated as building work progresses:
On reservation we will advise you of the anticipated quarter of completion. Four weeks prior to the anticipated date of entry we will advise you of this date, subject to appropriate warranties being in place.
The final date of entry will be agreed with you to fall within the notice period already agreed in Builders Missives.
We will provide you with an information pack about your home at the time, or just before, we hand over your property. We also arrange to meet you at your new home to demonstrate how all the equipment and fittings operate. You will be given the keys when your solicitor has agreed the date of entry and finalised payment with Tulloch Homes.
HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION PACK
Your information pack will contain:
Essential Health and Safety Information when you move into your new home while a development is under construction
Product information, including instructions for the central heating boiler
Guidance on any items that need servicing and maintenance
An explanation of our after-sales procedures
An explanation of NHBC’s Buildmark cover, which details our responsibilities
Details of when NHBC’s Buildmark cover comes to an end
DEMONSTRATION VISIT
At the demonstration visit, our representative will show you how everything works and point out important items including the position of stop valves, the electrical consumer unit, gas-controlled valves, and the central-heating controls and hot-water systems. We will explain any points you are not clear about.
HANDOVER OF YOUR NEW HOME
When the date of entry is reached and your solicitor has paid the money due to us, you will receive the keys. This legal formality must take place to protect you and your interests. To avoid delay and disappointment, please make sure that your solicitor and any mortgage lender are fully aware of your timetable and arrangements.
We will arrange with you for a member of our staff to be available for the Handover Ceremony and make sure that your home is clean and that there is safe and clear access. Our commitment to you continues after the sale is completed to ensure that if any initial difficulties arise they can be handled efficiently.
You will therefore be given details of who you should contact and the procedures you should follow if you require non-urgent service calls, or in dealing with an emergency. We will repair any defects in your home under the terms of NHBC’s Buildmark cover, but problems caused by wear and tear, decorating and routine maintenance are the homeowners’ responsibility.
EMERGENCIES
We define an emergency as a problem that is, or seems to be, an immediate danger to your property or your health, safety and security. This does not include:
Anything caused by failing to follow operating instructions or take reasonable precautions.
Fair wear and tear.
Events such as storm damage that are outside the house builder’s control and are normally covered by household insurance.
Our information pack gives details of our emergency contact, procedures and response times.
COMPLAINTS
Our complaints system:
A service that can help resolve complaints about warranties that are not resolved by our own complaint procedures.
Further complaint procedures if Tulloch Homes cannot deal with the complaint satisfactorily.
If you are dissatisfied with any part of the service you have received from us under our charter, please contact our customer services manager in Inverness on 01463 229300 or customercare@tulloch-homes.com.
DISPUTES
In the unlikely event of a dispute, Tulloch Homes Ltd. will co-operate with your appropriately qualified professional advisors to resolve any disputes.
You must write to us to:
Say who you want to represent you
Give details of his/her qualifications
We will provide the same level of co-operation as we would give you if you were acting alone. If we do not believe your representative is appropriately qualified, we will discuss the matter with you. For example, an architect may not always be qualified to deal with a structural engineering matter.
However, with the Homebuyers’ Pledge to help you along the way, you can look forward to a smooth transaction.
CONSUMER CODE FOR HOME BUILDERS
The Consumer Code for Home Builders gives protection and rights to purchasers of new homes, ensuring that all new home buyers are treated fairly and are fully informed about their purchase before and after they sign the contract.
The code came into force on April 1, 2010, and is designed to help home buyers who reserve a new or newly converted home built by a home builder under the insurance protection of one of the supporting home warranty bodies.
The purpose of the code is to ensure that home buyers:
- Are treated fairly;
- Know what service levels to expect;
- Are given reliable information upon which to make their decisions;
- Know how to access speedy, low-cost dispute resolution arrangements if they are dissatisfied.
For further information and to view the Consumer Code, visit the Consumer Code website.