Your guide to reserving an Avant home
• Our promise to you
• Making your move
• Personalising your home
• Visiting your home
• Completing your purchase
• Energy efficiency
• Outdoor and communal spaces
• Frequently asked questions
• Living in and maintaining your new home
• Emergency contacts
• Our complaints procedure
• The New Homes Quality Code
• Health and Safety
You’re not just a house number! We endeavour to provide a first-class service in every respect; this includes the procedures and information you’ll need to know at every step of your purchasing journey.
We have several procedures in place to meet our commitments to you and make your home buying experience as smooth and enjoy able as possible. Our team are here to help you every step of the way and will be available seven days a week to support you, providing impartial and in-depth information about buying your new home.
We fully adhere to the New Homes Quality Code and the New Homes Ombudsman Service which aims to provide you, the buyer, with all the information you require about the service you should expect from us. The code should provide you with more confidence and assurance of the high standards of quality, service, and customer satisfaction that we aim to deliver.
For more information on the Code requirements, their meaning and an introduction to the New Homes Ombudsman Service, please visit https://www.nhqb.org.uk/
Procedures are in place that will meet every commitment we have made to you
Our expert team understands their responsibilities to you, the customer, and will adhere to the charter at all times
You’ll be provided with the impartial and in-depth information you need to make an informed decision about buying the property
If you have any questions our Sales Team will be on hand 7 days a week to answer them
We will make sure you are aware of any choices and options available to you when you buy
Health & Safety advice will be provided if you visit the development during construction and also about living in your new home
We are on the New Homes Quality Board’s register of Registered Developers
We ensure that our contract-of-sale terms and conditions are fair and clearly set out
We will make sure that our cancellation policy is made clear to you
Your home will come with a 10 year warranty which includes a 2 year warranty from Avant Homes from legal completion, and a further 8 year structural defects insurance cover. Speak to your Sales Advisor for details on the provider that is relevant to your development. For information please visit www.avanthomes.co.uk/warranty
Your exchange deposit is protected and we’ll explain how. We recommend that you appoint a professional legal advisor to carry out the formalities of buying the property and to represent your interests
Information about the timing, (our best estimate) of construction, legal completion and handover of the property will be provided. When the completion date is confirmed we will invite you to a pre completion inspection and demonstration of your new home
Our after-sales and customer service procedures will be explained to you in detail. If there is any cause for complaint regarding any part of the purchasing process we have procedures in place to deal with them. These include warranties and we will cooperate fully with appropriately qualified professional advisors
You will have received this pre-reservation pack via email from your Sales Advisor. On the email containing this pre-reservation pack, you will have also received useful information including an affordability schedule, which gives you details on how much your outgoings are likely to be in your Avant home, your development brochure, and a link to give us a review on TrustPilot. Please make sure you review all this information before your reservation appointment.
At your reservation appointment, you will complete a reservation form. The reservation form will confirm your details, the house type you are purchasing, the price, plot number and reservation period. At this stage, you will pay a reservation fee, this will be deducted from the total cost of your new home on completion.
During your reservation appointment, you will be shown working drawings depicting:
Interior
• The layout of your kitchen
• The layout of your bathroom(s) and en-suite(s)
• The detailed specification of what’s provided in your home
• Position of radiators
• Position of telephone, TV and electrical points
• Paint finishes
• Layout of your home
• Finish of staircase (if applicable)
• Development plans
• The external finish of your home (remember this may differ from imagery in your brochure)
• The fencing details for your plot (if applicable)
• Details of your plot application
• Arrangements for the maintenance of public open space (if applicable)
• Driveways and visitor parking
• Landscaping
• Easements
• Boundary definitions
• Development plans
This information will ensure you are informed about the specific details of your plot and can visualise its layout.
If the property is already fully constructed and you have had the opportunity to view the finished property, then you acknowledge the property is sold “as seen” and deemed to be acceptable. There may be some minor outstanding works to be done, but these would not prevent the occupation of your new home. If the home has been a show home, an inventory of the fixtures, fittings and contents included in the property will have been provided.
At any time prior to exchange of contracts, you may withdraw from your reservation by informing us in writing that you wish to do so. If you do this within the 14-day “cooling off” period immediately following your reservation date, then we will refund the reservation fee to you in full within 14 calendar days. If you withdraw beyond the first 14 days, then a proportion of your reservation fee will be retained for administration purposes. This will be detailed on your reservation form.
Once contracts have been exchanged, you can only withdraw and receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us in very specific circumstances. These are outlined in the New Homes Quality Code and reflected in the contract of sale. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on this. We must receive a written withdrawal notice to process the cancellation. More information is available in the terms and conditions of the reservation agreement.
Your contact during the purchasing process is the Sales Advisor on your selected development, who will be available to answer any relevant questions you may have.
It is very important that you arrange your legal representation and organise your finances as early as possible during the buying process.
If you need a hand, we have a panel of recommended legal and financial advisors who all specialise in new build purchases and will be happy to assist you. These professionals operate independently from Avant Homes, so they will act only for you and only in your best interests.
Once your legal advisor has the contract, they will advise you on the contract terms and ask you to confirm these are agreed by signing the document and transferring your deposit to them. Once signatures have been attained from all parties, contracts will be exchanged. Your deposit money will be kept safely, pending legal completion of your new home.
This stage of the procedure is time consuming, so it is important to act quickly to get everything organised before your reservation period expires. If for any reason you see a potential delay, please keep your Sales Advisor informed.
When you first reserve your new home, your window of completion will be indicated on your reservation agreement. As construction proceeds, your Sales Advisor will provide you with further updates at key build stages. This will be explained in more detail at reservation. Estimated time frames are usually accurate, but there are many factors that can affect the build progress.
A fixed completion date therefore cannot be agreed until your home is completed, and all necessary quality inspections have been carried out by both Avant Homes and your warranty provider.
If you’re selling your current property and receive an offer, please discuss this with your Sales Advisor before agreeing any dates with your buyer.
Your legal advisor will be able to advise you on your available options if you are unable to complete both transactions simultaneously. Your legal advisor will explain the contract conditions relating to completion dates and your rights under the contract and the New Homes Quality Code in the unlikely event that build is significantly delayed.
We know you will be super excited to move in so we will keep you updated as much as we can on the progress of your new home.
This has got to be the best bit! You will be invited to browse through our options and extras with your Sales Advisor. This is your opportunity to get creative and personalise your home to your heart’s content.
Depending on timing and the build stage of your property, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a range of kitchen styles, bathroom tiles, and flooring options. Let your imagination run wild and select features like kitchen units and the colour and style of your tiles! Upgrade your home with wardrobes, chrome plug sockets and much more.
For more information on optional extras, please refer to our options brochure.
Before you are due to complete on your new Avant home we’ll invite you to a home demonstration, where we’ll show you everything you need to know ahead of your moving in day, from how to use your boiler to how to maintain your shower.
Your home demonstration will take place at a time that has been pre-arranged with your Sales Advisor and Site Manager. This is an important visit for you as the purchaser and it will require your undivided attention for the completion of the necessary paperwork. Please allow an hour or two for this visit.
Under the guidelines of the New Homes Quality Code, you can also arrange a precompletion inspection. You will need to appoint a suitably qualified inspector to carry out the inspection. The appointed inspector must use the pre-completion checklist prescribed by the New Homes Quality Board.
If you need to see inside your home to measure for carpets, curtains or blinds, please ask your Sales Advisor to arrange this so that we can ensure your keys are available. We take your health and safety very seriously and, as such, there are strict precautions that must be taken when visiting a development under construction. These are well sign-posted and your Sales Advisor will explain these precautions to you before your visit.
On your completion day, we know you will be raring to go; however, it’s worth noting that keys are not normally handed over before midday. This allows legal advisors time to arrange the successful transfer of funds – this is known as legal completion.
Your Sales Advisor will contact you as soon as these funds have been received and arrange a time for you to collect the keys to your new home. You may wish to advance your funds on the previous day to allow an earlier move.
Your Sales Advisor will accompany you to your new home and ask you to inspect items such as kitchen units and worktops, glazing, sanitary ware, etc. You will also be asked to sign your handover day document to say you are satisfied with the condition of these items and that you have received your keys. This will take one to two hours, but if you have any questions on time-scale, please ask your Sales Advisor.
We will also take all service meter readings, and your Sales Advisor will provide you with contact details for your warranty provider.
Please remember that your new driveway has been designed for private vehicles; therefore, it would be wise to avoid the weight of heavy removal vans.
A new build home is extremely energy efficient, so much so that the Home Builders Federation have found that new build homeowners save on average £1,980* per year on their energy bills compared to owners of older second-hand homes. That’s the cost of a four-star family holiday for a family of five!
Our new homes are jam-packed with energy efficient features to help you save money on your bills, from zoned heating and high-spec windows, to brand new boilers, energy efficient light bulbs and well-insulated lofts. Plus, all our homes are air-pressure tested to ensure they are air-tight, keeping them cosy and warm.
500mm of loft insulation is fitted over the upper floor ceiling, this means your home will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This approach provides high insulation values and scores an A+ on the Green Guide rating system (BRE).
A minimum of 250mm of high-performance insulation is laid below the screed floor. This also scores an A+ BRE Green Guide rating.
All our homes feature triple glazed windows – the glazing is argon-filled and achieves a U-value of 0.86 for windows, 0.89 W/m2K for French doors and a U-value of 1.3 W/m2K for front doors. It also provides excellent window and door security.
As well as having significantly more wall, floor and loft insulation, our homes are exceptionally airtight, exceeding the industry air pressure testing requirements and helping to further reduce your energy bills.
All attics are fitted with a thermally efficient hatch which is fully sealed and has 110mm EPS insulation.
Our homes are fitted with an efficient Ideal Heating Logic Combi Esp1 Boiler or Ideal Logic System S30 and Mixergy Tribune Cylinder. These are endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust and are compatible with a wide range of optional timers, providing control and peace of mind.
Energy efficient LED lighting is fitted throughout your home, which greatly reduces the running costs of your lights.
Our homes are designed around a ‘two zone’ heating system. A programmable thermostat separately controls the ground floor and upper floor. This delivers extra savings and flexible comfort. Each radiator (except those in rooms/areas with a programmable thermostat) also has an individual thermostatic control valve.
We always fit energy efficient appliances in our homes and work with suppliers who put sustainability at the forefront of their product development. From washing machines to fridges, cleaning to cooking, our white goods incorporate the latest energy saving technology. All fridges, freezers, hobs, and ovens are rated C or D (A+ or A on the old scale) for energy efficiency.
Vent-Axia-Lo-Carbon smart extraction ventilators are fitted to all bathrooms, kitchens, and WCs to provide continuous ventilation throughout the home. The fan is quiet with an innovative built-in touchpad.
It’s not only energy you’ll save on! With a new Avant home, your water bill is likely to be reduced considerably. Our new homes are built to ensure the water consumption of the home is lower than a second-hand home, and all of our house type designs have undergone water efficiency calculations, achieving 94-99 litres per person per day (lpppd), below the industry required minimum. This has been achieved by implementing initiatives such as low-flush and dual flush toilets and low flow taps and showers, as well as wastewater heat recovery.
To keep the noise levels from the bathroom to a minimum the partitions are supplemented with acoustic insulation within the wall. The insulation is 50mm knauf Earth wool acoustic insulation and is rated A+ on the Green Guide (BRE) scale.
‘SAP’ rating stands for Standard Assessment Procedure and is the Government’s recommended system for producing a home energy rating. The SAP charts have 7 bands ranging from A-G and each chart has a current and a potential energy rating out of a maximum of 100 points. The energy efficiency rating is a measure of the overall efficiency of a home. The higher the rating the more energy efficient the home is and the lower the fuel bills will be. All our homes have a minimum Energy Efficiency band rating B between 81 and 86. The Environmental Impact Rating is a measure of a home’s impact on the environment in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The higher the rating the less impact it has on the environment. Our Environmental Impact Rating is B between 84 and 87.
Our vehicles are changing to become more eco-friendly and so are we. Our new homes come with an electric car charger as standard*, giving you access to affordable car charging from the comfort of your own home!
We are proudly partnered with Ohme, a leading manufacturer of smart EV charging points to offer their Ohme ePod charger on a range of our new homes.
All Ohme’s EV chargers feature dynamic smart charging technology to connect with the national grid in real time and automatically adjust their charging to take advantage of low-price charging times with smart off-peak electricity tariffs.
*Specification from June 2023 onwards, please check with your Sales Advisor if applicable.
Our specification introduced in June 2023 saw us install solar panels on each of our new homes*, saving you money on your energy bills and giving you access to sustainable energy!
*Please check with your Sales Advisor if applicable, homes at slab prior to this date may be built with different features.
We know your outside space is just as important as inside! It’s worth noting that gardens may not always be flat. Levels depend on the gradient of the land upon which we’re building your home. If in doubt, please ask your Sales Advisor.
If you want to add fencing or boundary planting or wish to carry out alterations, please consult the relevant planning authorities and your legal advisor who will advise you on the necessary permission.
Areas such as open spaces, play areas and roads require ongoing maintenance. As people move onto the development, the upkeep of these areas of land may be transferred to the local authority, a homeowners’ association, a commercial managing agent or a combination of all three.
A pavement or grass service verge may be located at the edge of your garden or communal area. This contains pipes and cables that supply water, electricity, and other public services to your development. Restrictions are in place to ensure that the public service companies always have access to their equipment and without prior notice. In some situations, the service verge will be used for surface water treatment. In this instance, it will be shaped to collect water prior to discharging it into the sewer. Grass service verges should not be planted, fenced, or built upon. This could damage services and endanger your safety.
We are sure you have plenty of questions about your new home. Your Sales Advisor is always on hand to answer any questions you may have. Some of the more common questions we receive are...
The local council choose every street name in their council area. Avant Homes have no influence over the actual name.
Although the local council choose the street name in most areas, Avant Homes is then responsible for ordering a sign and placing it at the location specified by the council.
This is carried out by the local council on an allocated day. On move in day, your Sales Advisor will be able to tell you when refuse is collected and provide you with information on how you can order your bins.
We put the provision for fibre optic Wi-Fi into all our homes.
Access to your property is entirely at the discretion of the Site Manager. Please ask your Sales Advisor or Customer Liaison Manager to check this. Please note that if this is agreed, you will have to sign a disclaimer regarding any possible damage.
Open Reach do our infrastructure and connect our properties, then when you move in you can choose your WiFi provider.
Whether you’re looking for contact details, guides or just more information about features in your home, visit the customer care section on our website.
On your completion day you will receive some gifts from us, along with important information, including a copy of our how to take care of your home guide. This guide explains how to maintain your home, and what is covered as part of your warranty.
This guide thoroughly covers how to look after items in each room in your house, the exterior of your home and your garden.
In addition to this, you will receive our lawn care guide, which explains how to bed in your freshly laid turf.
For more tips on how to look after your home, visit our website section herehttps://www.avanthomes.co.uk/customer-service/hints-tips-and-guides.
In the unlikely event that you experience an issue with your new home, you will be covered by the Avant Homes warranty. This is a 10-year warranty, which includes a two-year builder (Avant) warranty from legal completion, followed by a further eight years of structural defects insurance cover provided by your warranty provider. This will either be the NHBC Buildmark Warranty or Premier Guarantee.
Speak to your Sales Advisor for details on the provider that is relevant to your development.
For more information visit: https://www.avanthomes.co.uk/avant-homes-homeowner-warranty-yourpersonal-guide
https://www.premierguarantee.com/ https://www.nhbc.co.uk/builders/warranties-and-cover
We hope that you’ll enjoy every aspect of living in your new home, and it will be handed over with no problems. Your home has been constructed by several different trades in accordance with relevant Building Control requirements. However, faults can happen and sometimes there might be a minor issue that only becomes apparent once the home is occupied.
As part of your Avant 2-year warranty, on our website, in the customer care section, you can report an issue. We are committed to putting things right within 30 calendar days, unless there is a reason for a substantial delay, in which case we will keep you informed.
You can report an issue on our website herehttps://www.avanthomes.co.uk/contact-us/customer-service/report-an-issue
If you experience an emergency, the first thing to do is not panic. If something goes wrong, we’re here for you, night and day.
If you experience any of the below emergencies outside of normal working hours, please contact our out of hours team on 01207 503 293.
A risk of flooding, water ingress or leaving your home without a flushable toilet.
A breakdown of your electricity supply affecting your property only.
A total breakdown of your heating and hot water system.
Damage or fault to external doors, locks and windows that render your home insecure.
If you witness a health and safety concern during usual site opening hours you should report this immediately to the site Sales Advisor.
For gas leaks, please call gas emergencies on 0800 111 999.
Usually, any issues or concerns can be resolved quickly and to the satisfaction of all concerned. If you wish to make a complaint, our robust five-stage complaints procedure will ensure your issues are dealt with appropriately and within a timely manner.
In the first instance, please complete the online complaints form via www.avanthomes.co.uk/make-complaint. Your complaint will be acknowledged by the Regional Head of Customer Service within five days from the first business day after receiving your complaint (the complaint start date).
Within 10 calendar days of the complaint initiation date, we will provide a written ‘Path to Resolution’ which outlines how we will investigate your complaint.
Within 30 days of your complaint initiation, we will send you a complaint assessment and response letter. This will contain the following information:
• Details of and a separate report on each complaint.
• If a complaint has been settled, what action has been taken to do this.
• If a complaint has not been settled, and we need more time to investigate your matter, we will provide an estimate of how long we will need to reach a decision and a brief explanation as to what further steps are needed and why.
• If further investigation or correction work is needed, we will give you an update within 28 days.
• If we do not accept your complaint, we will provide a clear explanation of the reasons for the decision. Information about any dispute resolution service, offered by both the warranty provider and the New Homes Ombudsman Service, that you can refer your complaint to if you remain dissatisfied will also be provided.
If your complaint is not closed within 56 calendar days from your complaint start date, we will send you an eight week letter which will include the following information:
• A clear summary of what action has been taken to date.
• Clear details of what is still outstanding, a reason why and the actions to be taken as well as an idea of when the complaint will be settled.
• How often we will give you updates, which will be at least every 28 days.
We will send you a closure letter at any stage after your complaint start date if we consider your complaint is resolved.
This will include a list of the items agreed in the complaint assessment and response letter and confirmation that each item has been resolved.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may refer the matter to your new home warranty provider’s resolution scheme at any time, or after 56 calendar days from the complaint start date, to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.
Referral to the New Homes Ombudsman can be made in respect of any complaint raised within the first two years after legal completion of the home but must be referred within 12 months of the first complaint raised. We will consider any complaint referred to either the new homes warranty provider, or to the New Homes Ombudsman Service to be closed, and will issue a closure letter.
We fully adhere to the New Homes Quality Code and New Homes Ombudsman Service which aims to provide you, the buyer, with all the information you require about the service you should expect from us. The Code should provide you with more confidence and assurance of the high standards of quality, service, and customer satisfaction that we aim to deliver.
For more information on the Code requirements, their meaning and an introduction to the New Homes Ombudsman service, please visit https://www.nhqb.org.uk/
The safety of our colleagues, customers and subcontractors, and the communities in which we build is our number one priority.
Customers visiting or living on active developments.
1. Introduction
This policy sets out the Avant Homes Group arrangements for ensuring, as far as reasonably practical, that we meet our Health and Safety obligations to our customers visiting or living on one of our development sites.
1.2 The Avant Homes Chairman has overall responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Avant Homes Group, its operations and implementation of this policy. Directors and Managers have been appointed across the Group spectrum to assist the Chairman and have delegated responsibility for the management of Health and Safety within their own regional business.
1.3 The Group directly employ a Group Health and Safety Department who in turn assist and advise the business in matters pertaining to the Health, Safety and Welfare of employees and any person who may be affected by the Group’s undertaking.
1.4 The Avant Homes Group will conduct our works in such a way to ensure, so as is reasonably practical, that persons not directly employed but who may be affected by our undertaking are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
1.5 This policy may be amended by Avant Homes at any time. We will continue to review this policy to ensure it is achieving its aims.
2.1 At some point you may wish to see how the construction of your home is progressing. This may mean that you will have to visit whilst your home is still not build complete and located within an active construction area.
2.2 Pre-visit preparation: Before the visit the site and sales teams will carry out an inspection of the area to be visited. The Site Manager will explain to you any specific hazards that may be present or adjacent to the area that you are visiting. Please note that children are not permitted to participate in the home visit, this is due to the potential hazards associated with an active construction site and the requirement to wear appropriate PPE.
2.3 Escorting the visit: You will be always accompanied by Avant Homes Group Colleague during the visit.
2:1. 2.4 PPE: On a site visit you will be required to wear Personal Protection Equipment such as:
• Hard hat
• Hi-visibility vest or jacket
• Safety footwear inclusive of steel mid sole and steel toecap
• Sturdy outdoor shoes or boots. You will be shown the correct way to wear all the equipment.
2.5 Walkways / pedestrian routes: Walkways / pedestrian routes will be provided for you to walk along with every effort made to remove any obstructions or tripping hazards.
As you will be visiting an active construction area there is a possibility that not everything will be complete to a finished standard, the site and sales team will ensure as best they can that all potential obstructions are removed or sufficiently highlighted and protected along the route of the walkway. All crossing points will be clearly marked out and temporary covers will be placed over any excavations.
2.6 Plant operations: All plant operations will stop in the immediate vicinity and adjacent to where you will be visiting, operations will not recommence until such times as the visit is complete and when you have left the area.
2.7 Scheduled visits: All visits will be scheduled in advance and only occur between 11:00am and 3:30pm on weekdays. This will allow site to start operating in the morning and give the Site Manager the opportunity to instruct his team.
2.8 Site visit co-ordinator: In the unlikely event that the site visit Co-Ordinator thinks or considers that you are at risk or that you may be putting yourself or others at risk, then they have the authority to end the visit immediately.
3.1 Unless you are purchasing one of the last homes to be built and occupied on your development it is possible that we will still be working on other customers’ homes within the development when you move in.
3.2 The Avant Homes Group will always ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, that you and / or any of your visitors are not exposed to any risks to your health and safety as construction works progress.
3.3 The construction area will be enclosed behind either temporary or permanent fencing, please note that this could at times include some areas in the occupied areas due to associated work activities, for example service excavations and connections. The fencing is there for a reason and that is to provide perimeter protection around an area where people might not be familiar with the hazards and risks that could be present. Accordingly we respectfully request that you, your family or any visitors do not enter these areas.
3.4 We have identified the following as some risks that our customers visiting or living on our development sites might encounter or see:
Construction traffic: a development site is frequently busy with construction vehicles, such as forklift trucks, JCB’s, Excavators and a variety of delivery trucks and vans. The Avant Homes Group will take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff and contractors use, drive.
Harmful substances: on an active worksite there are several activities and products that can give rise to potentially harmful dusts, vapours and gasses if they are not used correctly or if the is not correct protective equipment worn by the user / persons in the immediate vicinity. It is extremely unlikely that you or anyone else will ever be potentially exposed to any harmful substance if you remain outside the fenced off construction area. In the event that you do come across anything that causes you concern please do not hesitate to contact your Site Manager or Sales Advisor immediately.
4.1 In the unlikely event that you do suffer an accident or an injury, however minor, on any of our development sites, please report to your Site Manager or Sales Advisor who will ensure that the incident or injury is recorded in the accident book which is kept in the Site Office.
5.1 Avant Homes is responsible for ensuring that its development sites are a safe environment not only for its staff and contractors, but also its customers and others visiting the site. However, you must also take care of your own health and safety and that of others. It is your responsibility to observe applicable health and safety rules and signage and follow our instruction for safe access to the development site.
5.2 During usual site opening hours, you should report any health and safety concerns immediately to the site Sales Advisor.
5.3 You should co-operate with Avant Homes’ personnel giving you guidance regarding health and safety matters.
5.4 For those of you with young children that are living on an active construction site it is crucial to ensure that your children are aware of the many potential hazards associated with the construction area and why there is a site perimeter fence. Please emphasise the importance of not attempting to enter the construction area and why they should always remain fully aware of construction traffic movements throughout the development.
6.1 It is our job to make sure anyone visiting or living on site is as safe as possible. If you have any concerns please don’t hesitate to contact your Site Manager, Sales Representative, or our Customer Service department.
We can’t wait to support you through your home buying journey and beyond, as you occupy your beautiful new Avant home.
Thank you for choosing Avant!
Avant Homes 2025
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