For the first two years, from the date of legal completion, the NHBC are likely to refer all concerns back to Archway Homes for resolution.
Please refer to the NHBC website (nhbc.co.uk), the ‘Guide to your new home’ booklet, and your “Welcome to NHBC Buildmark” booklet, found in your handover folder, for full policy details.
Any alteration or extension made to your home following legal completion may adversely affect all, or part of your warranty.
The NHBC Warranty is not affected if you sell or let your home. If you sell your home, whilst it is still within warranty, the cover automatically transfers to the new owners once the NHBC have been sent proof of ownership.
The NHBC Warranty only protects you for the items outlined in your Buildmark policy document (in your handover folder or via nhbc.co.uk). There are some things that are not covered, such as, but not limited to:
The 2-year warranty covers you from the date of completion for defects that arise due to faults in the design, workmanship, or materials.
Your home will have gone through a rigorous quality inspection prior to your completion date. In the event you do find any cosmetic damage or defects, you will have 14 days to collate a “snag list” which will then be reviewed with your site manager and action will be taken accordingly.
General homeowner maintenance is not covered by Archway Homes.
Any cosmetic damage not reported within the initial 14-day “snag period” will not be addressed.
Should you make any alterations to your home, Archway Homes will not be liable to address any issues relating to the alterations or subsequent issues which may have arisen as a result. In accordance with covenants within the transfer deed, you must ask Archway Homes for permission to make alterations externally to your home. Please liaise with Archway Homes should you wish to make such alterations.
Many of the materials used to build a home, such as concrete, plaster, and mortar, contain a lot of water. As your home dries out, no matter how well designed and built your home is, “shrinkage” will naturally occur until your home has fully dried out. This can take several months subject to weather and seasonal variations. Shrinkage is not structurally significant so we recommend waiting for your home to fully dry out before repairing minor cracks. If a crack is consistently larger than the width of a £1 coin (> 2mm), please inform the Customer Care team and they will arrange an inspection.
As a new homeowner, it's important to register your appliances as soon as possible, as they are not covered under Archway's new home warranty or the NHBC warranty. Most manufacturers provide a separate warranty, but this typically requires registration within a certain timeframe after moving in. Registering your appliances ensures you can access repairs, replacements, or extended coverage if needed. It also helps manufacturers notify you of any safety recalls. Check the manuals or manufacturer websites for details, and keep a record of your registration and warranty terms for future reference.
Your stop tap will be located under your kitchen sink or utility room sink.
The isolation valve for the outside tap is usually fitted under the kitchen sink or utility sink and requires a screwdriver to open or close. During Winter, your outside taps can freeze and cause a burst in the pipe, therefore, it is important to isolate and drain outside taps before the first frost and throughout the winter months.
Turf can take several months, and in some cases up to a year, to fully establish. This can lead to waterlogging in some areas of your garden. We recommend regular aeration of your turf, using a garden fork is ideal and regular cutting, along with the use of a weed and feed treatment during the growing season (April – September). After a year, if you are still experiencing waterlogging, please get in touch with our Customer Care team.
The first few years of a tree's life are critical in building and establishing a strong, healthy root system. Once tree's have been planted, they should be watered every other day. However, during the Summer months, daily watering may be required. As a general rule, 3-4 litres of water should be used for every inch of the trunk's diameter.
Weeding and watering of the hedges and shrubs on your property are part of your general homeowner maintenance. Given the majority of landscaping done on Archway developments uses freshly planted hedges, trees, and shrubs, upon completion, the maintenance and care of all landscaping falls to you as the homeowner.
On occasion, turf has the potential to experience a breakout of the crane fly larvae (known as leather jackets) which can cause the turf to appear as though it is not thriving. This is a natural occurrence but can be treated by purchasing a suitable product from any reputable DIY store.
Ensuring adequate safety measures are taken, check the gutters for blockages. If there are no blockages and you are within your 2-year Archway Homes warranty period, please contact our Customer Care team.
If you're looking to make internal or external changes to your home, you should always seek advice from a suitably qualified structural engineer, building surveyor, or architect.
As outlined in your legal documentation, any alterations or additions affecting the elevation, external structure of any building purtaining to your home within the first 5 years of ownership will require written approval from Archway Homes before any work commences and may be subject to a fee. For more information or to submit a request, please email our Customer Care team.
Pest control is not covered under the Archway Homes warranty and is the responsibility of the homeowner. We recommend you contact your own pest control expert if needed.
Please note that plaster beetles can occur in new build homes and whilst they look concerning, plaster beetles are of no risk to human health. Their appearance is a natural occurrence in plaster/plasterboard and is not something which can be detected or prevented prior to your property being built. In addition, ordinary pest control measures are typically ineffective against these beetles. As the property dries out, these beetles will lose the moisture they need to survive within the property and as a result they will disappear over time. Please follow the NHBC guidance in regard to drying out and reducing moisture within the home as this in itself should eliminate them.
Mould can occur due to a build-up of condensation in the home.
Condensation isn’t normally a building fault. It can occur in a new home because large volumes of water are used when building newbuild homes and therefore it can take up to 2 years to fully dry out. Please keep your property well-ventilated, ensuring the window trickle vents are open (if you have them) and you are using the extractor fans where necessary.
Please click here to view a helpful guide from the NHBC regarding condensation.
Should mould occur, we recommend using a bleach based solution to clean the affected area.
The loft space plays a key part in the ventilation of your new Archway home. Condensation in the roof space is a normal occurrence particularly during the colder months and is not classed a build defect.
It is for this reason that we do not recommend using your loft for storage.
Please click here to view a helpful guide from the NHBC regarding condensation in your roof space.
Boarding your loft can also void both your Archway Homes and NHBC warranties for your roof structure and cause access issues to other utilities within your home. Any faults/damage caused by the work, or to your stored items, will not be covered by Archway Homes.
Many of the materials used to build a home, such as concrete, plaster, and mortar, contain a lot of water. As your home dries out, no matter how well designed and built your home is, “shrinkage” will naturally occur until your home has fully dried out. This can take several months subject to weather and seasonal variations. Shrinkage is not structurally significant so we recommend waiting for your home to fully dry out before repairing minor cracks. If a crack is consistently larger than the width of a £1 coin (> 2mm), and you are within your 2-year Archway Homes warranty period, please inform our Customer Care team and they will arrange an inspection.
It is because of the natural drying out process and potential shrinkage which may occur, that we recommend waiting 12 months before redecorating your new Archway Home.
To avoid invalidating both the boiler manufacturer's warranty and your 2-year Archway Homes warranty, you must ensure your boiler is serviced annually.
In your handover pack, you will have received instructions for managing your heating system, within which you will find some helpful troubleshooting advice. If you are within your 2-year Archway Homes warranty period and still need help, please contact our Customer Care team.
Archway Homes are committed to building high quality homes and providing service of the highest standard. It is our aim to build you a home you will be proud to come home to. We understand that sometimes things go wrong and in the unfortunate event you are unhappy with the service we have provided, we want you to know we are committed to taking your complaint seriously on the journey to a resolution. We are a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (nhqb.org.uk) and comply with the New Homes Quality Code.
If you come across a fault or defect with your home, in the first instance you should detail your issue in an email to our customer care team: customercare@archwayhomes.co.uk.
In the unfortunate circumstance you need to raise a complaint, please email the complaint and how best to contact you to: complaints@archwayhomes.co.uk
We will:
*The complaints initiation date (CID) is the first working day after a complaint is received. Thus, if the complaint is received on a Monday the CID is the Tuesday. If a complaint is received on a Saturday, then the CID will be the Monday (excluding bank holidays).
