Buying a New Build Home in the Countryside

Head Office

The RTW Group

Enterprise Way

Pinchbeck

Spalding

PE11 3YR

Phone number – 01775712027 – Option 1: Sales Enquiries

Option 2: Customer Care

Option 3: TM Civils Construction

Option 4: Accounts

Option 5: Head Office

Email Address – info@emeraldhomes.org

Customer Care is available Monday – Friday 0830hrs to 1730hrs. On completion of your new home, you we will make an appointment with yourselves to complete a 14 day walk around where customer care will be in touch to arrange dates and times for any areas to be dealt with.

Following on from this, at around six months after you have moved into Emerald Homes, we will organise a walk around with yourselves to ensure all remedials are in conjunction with LABC guidelines.

We know that not all emergencies happen between 0830 – 1730 Monday to Friday, therefore we do provide 24-hour emergency care throughout the period of your warranty for plumbing, heating, and electrical issues. 

Home emergencies are regarded as the following: uncontrollable leaks, complete loss of water (remote to your property only), complete loss of power (providing certain steps have been conducted first) and sewage issues.

If you do have a genuine emergency outside of office hours, please call: 07502157893 and a member of the Emerald Homes team will be accessible.

You will face emergency call out charges if an engineer attends your property and it is not a direct result of system failure but user error instead.

Please visit www.consumercodeforbuilders.com for more information.

Your new home may be subject to restrictive covenants. These should be outlined to you by your solicitor. 

For all information, please read the transfer of part of registered title(s) thoroughly to outline all covenants. 

The LABC warranty will cover your property for any structural faults that may occur during this time and will be taken care of. Emerald Homes will provide you with a Certificate of Insurance on handover.

You must be aware that the LABC warranty will not provide cover for all issues you may have and therefore you must check over your property carefully and make Emerald Homes aware of any issues you have on the 14-day settling in review.

Your policy documentation will provide full details of the insurance cover provided.

If you choose to sell your property with in the 10-year period, the LABC warranty is fully transferable to the new buyer.For further information please visit www.labcwarranty.co.uk

Gas, Electric & Water: On the day of completion, you will be asked to fill out a GDPR form authorising Emerald Homes to pass on your name and address to EON and Anglian water, where final meter readings will be given by the customer care team, so it enables you to receive your welcome packs from the utility companies.

GDPR: The form, if you are happy to sign, authorising the passing of information to the utility companies is the same form we use for the information to provide contractors for use during the snagging process to arrange appointments. We are not allowed to pass on your information without consent, so to enable us to deal with issues quickly we ask that you sign the form as soon as possible. 

Appliances: After completion, it is important you register all warranties on your integrated appliances. If any faults occur and your appliance is not registered, you may face charges from the manufacturer. Please note that this is not the responsibility of Emerald Homes.

Health and Safety information: You are most likely to come upon heavy machinery and traffic as we continue to develop the site of your new home.

For everyone’s safety we ask that you comply with the following advice when moving around.

• Always use footpaths, please note that temporary footpaths may be in use where permanent footpaths are not yet available.
• Use pedestrian crossings where designated.
• Beware of raised ironworks and speed bumps.
• Be mindful of children playing.
• Never walk behind any construction vehicles under operation or stood stationary.
• Be always vigilant
• Please ensure that all children stay away from construction areas.

Shrinkage: Your new home has been man made and during the first year it will go through several natural changes as it adjusts to the different temperatures we experience. Some materials used such as mortar, plaster and wood may dry out, creating slight cracks. Slight cracks and small imperfections should be expected and should not be any cause for concern.

Minor dry lined and plaster cracking: Nail pops, panelling and coving cracks are common due to shrinkage. These are normal maintenance issues.

Is this covered by warranty?

No, unless the crack is 3mm wide (the width of a pound coin) if this is the case, please contact the Emerald homes head office to which someone will be able to assess this at the earliest convenience.

Decorators’ filler and mastic: Maintenance and touch-ups are your responsibility; these can usually be easily filled using filler for any cracks.

Is this covered by warranty?

No, unless the crack is 3mm wide

Concrete cracks: Garages, patios, paths, and concrete around manholes can develop minor shrinkage cracks, this is normal and do be expected.

Is this covered by warranty?

No

Exterior wood: This can develop minor separations, shrinkage and warping which is all completely normal.

Is this covered by warranty?

No

Exterior brickwork, mortar, and render: Most homes will develop minor cracking during your warranty period due to the foundations settling, expansion and contraction. Natural salts may appear to come out from inside the wall materials, this is not harmful and will disappear over time.

Is this covered by warranty?

No

What is condensation: Condensation is a frequent problem which can cause damage to your home. Gallons of water are used and absorbed during the build of your home, and as you begin to occupy your new home and heat it, the moisture must dry out. Condensation is caused by steam and vapour turning into water when it touches cold surfaces such as window and doors.

Is this covered by warranty?

No, unless the crack is 3mm wide (the width of a pound coin) if this is the case, please contact the Emerald homes head office to which someone will be able to assess this at the earliest convenience.

How do I know if I have condensation? Condensation is noticeable when it forms on non-absorbent surfaces. It can however form on any surface and may not be noticeable until mould occurs. 

How can I reduce the condensation in my home? 

• Keep your new home warm and ventilated e.g., open windows and keep trickle vents open and unobstructed.
• Close bathroom and kitchen doors when using these rooms, open trickle vents and use ventilation systems such as fans.
• Open windows after baths or showers and whilst cooking or washing allowing moisture to escape outside rather than other areas of your home.
• Wherever possible try and dry washing outdoors. If you must keep your washing inside keep a window open to avoid moisture build up.

Insulation: Insulation has been installed into your roof space and cavity walls to prevent heat loss from your home. You should check this regularly to make sure it remains dry.

One of my sockets is not working. Check your consumer unit to check that all your switches are in the “on” position. Evaluate the appliance in a different socket to ensure the fuse has not blown with in the plug.

My lights will not turn on. Make sure that the bulb has not blown and tripped your consumer unit in to the “off” position, if it has simply moved the switch to the “on” position.

Loss of power: If you experience loss of power, you should adhere to the following steps:

• Check your consumer unit to see if any of your trip switches have moved. If any are in the “off” position switch them back to the “on” position. Proceed to check all bulbs around the house to see if any have blown and is the cause. There is a further isolator switch in the electricity meter box which should be checked also.
• If the issue does not appear to be isolated to your property, check the status of your area with the distribution company. You can check your distribution company by visiting www.energynetworks.org 
• If there is no known power cut, please contact Emerald Homes.

If this is out of hours, please contact the emergency number at the top of this guide and please remember that you may incur an emergency call out charge if it is not considered to be a genuine emergency or if it is the result of intentional/malicious damage to the system,

Where is my consumer unit (Fuse Box) The location can be found on the working drawing and will also be shown to you by our sales advisor on completion of the sale.

Smoke Alarms: The smoke alarms in your home are hard wired into the main electrical supply and have a backup battery to ensure it still operates during an electrical failure. If the batteries need replacing it will beep. Make sure you evaluate your smoke alarms regularly to ensure that they are in working order.

What to do if my smoke alarm does not sound when evaluated? For your safety, it is imperative that you make sure your smoke alarm is working effectively. Follow the steps to ensure it is functioning:

• Check the fuse box and make sure that the switch is in the “On” position
• If it is, replace the backup batteries and test again
• Vacuum it, to see if there is any dust affecting the unit’s sensor
• If the problem has not been resolved, please contact customer care.

Your Gas supply: Gas appliances require adequate ventilation. NEVER block or cover gas appliance ventilators. Your gas supply is brought into your home through a service pipe which ends at the meter. It is advised that you know the location of your mains gas tap and how to isolate the gas supply.

Where is my gas meter located? The meter is in a box on the outside wall of your home. You will have been given a key to access this on legal completion.

IF YOU SUSPECT A GAS LEAK OR SMELL GAS – 

• Extinguish all naked flames
• Turn off the gas supply at the meter
• Open all doors and windows
• Call National grid on 0800 111 999
• DO NOT use any electrical switches until you are told you are safe to do so.

Boiler and Central Heating Maintenance: To maintain its warranty ad for your safety, your boiler and hot water cylinder should be serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months from your date of legal completion. Please keep all paperwork from the engineer at the property. For details of when your boiler service is due, please refer to your documents. DO NOT attempt to service your own boiler or central heating system. A Gas Safe registered engineer must complete this. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ARRANGE ANY SERVICING. If you are having any problems with your boiler, please refer to the manufacturers manual which you will have from the completion of your home. Your Boiler comes with a 5-year warranty (This is providing the customer adheres to the manufactures terms and conditions)

Cleaning & Maintenance: To prevent the build-up of everyday dirt and to ensure that your windows and doors remain in good working order, your windows and doors will require occasional cleaning and maintenance.

You can clean UPVC surfaces with warm water and a mild detergent (e.g., washing up liquid) using a soft cloth. Never use abrasive or solvent cleaners as these will damage the UPVC surfaces, letterboxes, and handles.

Drainage holes, roller tracking, and lock pin locations should be inspected regularly keeping them free from debris and dirt.

Dirt and grit should also be removed from door threshold, opening windowsills and other moving parts.

Plumbing Maintenance: Over time, tap washers will fail. This is perfectly normal due to wear and tear. The replacement of washers is common and necessary to stop dripping taps. It is your responsibility to replace these.

Drainage: Large solid items going through drains and sewers cause considerable issues and damage.

Call outs to remove blockages caused by anything other than toilet paper, including the below, will incur charges:

• Condoms / contraceptives
• Menstrual products
• Nappies
• Paper towels / wet wipes / baby wipes
• Cotton buds
• Packaging
• Dental floss

Please keep in mind that cooking fat/grease may be easy to pour down the sink when it is hot, however when it cools it will solidify in your waste pipes. Please dispose of this into a container a put in your general waste bin.

Blockages caused by foreign objects disposed of by the occupier will not be covered by your warranty.

Cleaning your bathroom: Please clean your bathroom regularly to prevent soap scum build ups and discolouration, DO NOT use abrasive cleaners as these may damage your bathroom.

Avoid the use of chemical cleaners on taps and fittings as this may also lead to discolouration. Instead, use warm, soapy water to clean and use a dry cloth to buff clean.

Make sure that you continually clean and maintain the grout and mastic around the edges of baths, sink and showers. It is possible that this may crack over time – This is perfectly normal and is your responsibility to maintain.

Manholes – Occasional access may be required to any manholes located in your front and rear gardens. Please ensure that these are not covered and are always accessible.

Outside Taps – Outside taps are not frost proof unless you disconnect hoses and other appliances during the freezing weather.

A common cause of burst water pipes is a frozen outside tap which has not been drained or isolated properly. You can isolate the tap under your kitchen/utility sink and drain.

During the colder months, remove hoses and adapters from external taps and store these in a safe place. This will prevent them from becoming damaged in freezing weather.

Keep gutters free of debris to ensure they always function correctly.

Lawns: 

• It takes around 2 years for your lawn to develop from turf. 
• Keep off newly laid lawns as much as possible, especially if it has been laid during wet conditions or in the winter.
• If your lawn was laid in dry conditions, keep it well watered, it is the responsibility of the homeowner on completion that the turf is regularly watered.
• Wait until the roots establish before mowing. New turf can take at least one season to settle properly. When you mow it for the first time do not cut it too short.
• Feed the lawn each spring (after the last frost) and throughout the summer.
• During the autumn aerating the lawn with a garden fork will allow good healthy root growth and drainage.
• Shrinkage may appear where turf joins, this is normal and to be expected.

Shrubs and Trees:

• Most trees and shrubs need truly little attention once established but should be watered regularly during the first year.
• Newly planted trees should be watered to the point of soaked at least twice a week and more frequently during dry spells.
• Never plant trees too close to your home, as roots may interfere with your foundations.
• Cut plants during the autumn to improve root growth.

Wear and Tear:  Cupboard doors have been made to withstand the normal wear and tear of everyday kitchen life and are treated to resist normal household cleaning products. However, any spills should be rinsed immediately and dried thoroughly. Avoid placing kettles and steamers underneath wall units and worktop joints to minimise condensation.

Melamine and Laminate Maintenance: Doors and drawers should be wiped clean with warm soapy water such as washing up liquid. Avoid using abrasive pads and cleaning products. 

Worktop Maintenance: Never place hot pans or cooking tins directly on worktops – always use a hot pad or heat shield to avoid blistering or cracking of the laminate.

Laminate worktop surfaces are designed to be maintained easily and long lasting. Everyday stains such as coffee spills and finger marks clean up easily with a quick wipe of a damp cloth, whilst tougher stains may require the use of non-abrasive products. It is advisable to always use a cutting board with using sharp knives.

You can use a light coat of non-oily furniture polish to hide fine scratches on your worktop.

White goods: Any white goods purchased through Emerald Homes whether integrated or not, will be under warranty with the manufacturer for the first year or dependant of their terms.

Remember to register your new appliances with the manufacturer to avoid any issues with the guarantee.

Emerald homes are not responsible for the repair or maintenance of any appliances, any issues should be directed back to the manufacturer for advice on action required.

Wall Maintenance: As mentioned in the” Shrinkage, Condensation, and Insulation” section, cracks and minor defects are a common result due to the drying out process. Filler and a new coat of paint is sufficient to rectify the problem.

When repainting walls and ceilings, make sure that the surfaces are wiped down and free of grit and grease. Also make sure you sand down and smooth the area when you have used a filler prior to painting.

If you are drilling into a wall, make sure you check what is behind using a pipe detector to avoid causing damage to your property as this is not covered by your warranty.

Extreme weather including high winds or torrential rain may cause damage to your roof and roof tiles. Any damage caused by weather is not covered by your warranty and should be referred to your property insurer.

Please note that your loft should not be used for storage.

In your green handover pack your documents will include the following:

• Environmental Performance Certificate (EPC)
• LABC Warranty Form
• Building control certificate
• Standard Assessment Procedure
• Air permeability test
• Electrical Certificate / Extractor certificate
• Gas Certificate
• Boiler book including warranty
• Windows and doors guarantee (warranty for sealed units, 5 years)
• Water calculations
• Alarm guide
• Thermostat guide
• Various booklets regarding products installed
• Emergency contacts