NHBC reveal new registration benefits for builders and developers…
With NHBC’s annual registration statistics showing a 9% increase in 2014 over the previous year and demand for new homes growing steadily, the industry is facing up to a new set of challenges to build upon this buoyancy, which came on top of the significant sector growth in 2013.
Builders and developers who are registered with NHBC have always benefited from being able to use the NHBC brand in promoting their businesses, to offer Buildmark new home warranty and insurance to their customers, and have access to the technical expertise and advice that NHBC offer in new house building.
Following the findings of the NHBC Foundation research into issues impacting small builders NHBC is now launching a wide range of new benefits to its registered builder and developer customers which support their businesses. Smaller companies often do not have the scale to gain significant discounts on trade materials or business insurances, or the contacts to get deals on land sourcing, surveying and valuation services that are essential to building new homes.
From April 2015 NHBC registered builders and developers will be able to access a new set of free or discounted services that will support their business whether or not they are currently building new homes, enabling smaller building companies to operate at lower costs and with increased professional support.
For example, NHBC has teamed up with TradePoint for registered builders to receive special discounts on building materials. With 360 trade counters across the UK open 7 days a week and for longer working hours than most merchants, their stores are more accessible for the builder customer.
NHBC’s support to builders extends to the technical and health & safety helplines which are available for registered builders to call for a range of advice on house building. NHBC already offers a number of land-related services including market reports, site evaluation reports and land quality endorsement.
To add further value to registered builders NHBC has now agreed a new partnership with Countrywide Properties to provide free access to a dedicated regional land manager for land sourcing.
Countrywide’s nationally based land division source quality on and off-market sites throughout the UK, using their local area knowledge and experience of the local planning system to identify the unidentified.
From single plots to strategic land, residential to retirement, the Countrywide land & planning team will listen to a developer’s land requirements, provide input and guidance on planning matters and can provide early notifications when suitable land opportunities become available.
Also available is a free pre-site valuation advice service, designed to suit smaller developers who can access Pre-site mortgage related valuation advice from a RICS qualified surveyor and direct contact with a qualified, RICS registered valuer through Countrywide Surveying Services, one of the largest new build valuers in the UK.
Also new as a benefit this year is a 10% discount on asset protection insurance with DUAL Asset Underwriting Ltd on residential and commercial legal indemnity and title insurance products.
The new partnership means that builders will have access to a 10% discount on an extensive range of ‘Specific Risk’ and ‘All Risks’ legal indemnity policies that can help manage issues identified during land acquisition and site development such as:
- easement/servitude
- restrictive covenants/title conditions
- breaches of planning
- mines and minerals
- boundary issues
To assist in selling homes, builders and developers also now have access to the NHBC Home User Guide which is available free for every new plot registered, discounted home exchange solutions services via the Countrywide Home Exchange Exclusive service and can promote properties on the Propertywide portal.
For more information on becoming an NHBC registered builder, or any of the benefits, both new and existing, please visit www.nhbc.co.uk/register or call 0844 633 1000 and ask for ‘register’.
NHBC
Tel: 0844 633 1000
