buyers guide

1. How much can you afford to spend

Whilst this may seem like an obvious statement if you are going to be reliant upon the sale of your existing home or a related sale you will need to have an up to date valuation of your property, or even better the property on the market already with a recommended estate agent. You may also wish to speak to an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) and if you do not already have an IFA, you will at least need to talk to your bank or mortgage provider to establish your borrowing levels.

2. Choose your property from Environ

Oakshamlet provides a considerable variety of choice of homes for the most discerning buyer. However, even with the choice available you will normally be able to embellish your choice with a number of additional features. You will be asked to select your preferences that may be available to you, for example flooring, kitchen, bathroom fittings and fully landscaped garden. The number of options available to you will depend on how far along the build programme your choice of unit is.

3. Complete a reservation agreement and pay your deposit

The reservation deposit is £1,500. Reservation is done at the Sales & Marketing Suite. Upon reservation you will be asked to review a number of documents and plans to ensure you fully understand a number of important details about the development and the details of the design and specification of your dwelling along with the extent of the curtilage.

4. Appoint your legal advisor

This is typically a solicitor but does not have to be. The person appointed must be a professional, and qualified in English conveyancing law. You can ask the Oakshamlet Sales Team for advice, but we simply suggest that buying a house is obviously one of the most expensive things you will buy and using the cheapest conveyancing company (you get what you pay for) could lead to uneccessary delays.

Established and relatively local law firms are more likely to be used to dealing with Kings Hill as an entity and this could help enormously. In any event you will need to promptly advise your solicitor of the lead-to-the exchange period, which will normally be 28 days. If you have a house to sell you should inform your legal advisor of this as they will have to apply for title deeds which can take up to three weeks to obtain.

Once appointed, please provide the details of your legal advisor to the Sales Team as soon as you can.

5. Draft contract, conveyance plan and any other relevant documentation sent to your legal advisor

Once you have appointed your legal representatives detailed information will be sent out promptly by Environ’s solicitors Cripps Harries Hall LLP.

Legal completion may well have had a date agreed at reservation stage if the property is complete but if the property is still under construction then notice will be served under the contract when the property is complete.

Give notice if in rented accommodation.

6. Apply for a mortgage

Once you have applied for your mortgage, you may want to chase up any referees that are required for your mortgage application. Check your mortgage offer, sign it and return it to your lender. Confirm with your legal advisor that your mortgage offer has been received and that you have accepted the offer.

7. Contact your legal advisor to discuss the contract

You will need to:
  • Agree how to pay the deposit when you exchange (this will be 10% of the purchase price)
  • Sign the contract ready to exchange
  • Agree how to pay the balance of the purchase cost on completion

8. Your legal adviser exchanges contracts with our solicitor and pays us your deposit

At this point we would normally provide an indication of the date of legal completion. With a legal commitment now there is certainty with acquiring your new home and it is essential that you finalise your options. Some of these may need detailed cost analysis and take a little time in orchestrating. Most options when included within the purchase of a new home are VAT exempt and what might appear as cheaper alternatives may prove to be actually poorer quality and more expensive. Ask our Sales team to explain.

All of the NHBC and Building Control information and completion certificates are normally forwarded to you by your solicitor.

The National House Building Council inspects your home at key stages of the construction process to check the quality of workmanship and attention to technical standards. A ten year warranty is provided on the structural elements of the home with the developer providing a two year warranty against latent defects.

Building Control is provided by the Tonbridge and Malling Council. Technical plans are approved for the homes and the council’s inspectors make regular checks during the course of construction to ensure compliance with the approved plans and current regulations.

9. Arrange the removal

You can either do this yourself by hiring a self-drive van or get a quote from a specialist removals company. Doing the move yourself will cost less but don’t underestimate the time and effort required to move home. You will also need to ensure that you are fully insured in the event of any potential damage during loading, transit and unloading of your possessions. If you choose to use a removals company, confirm what the quote includes, i.e. packing boxes, doing the unpacking/packing, insurance etc. A number of websites are available with contact details for removals companies including:

The sites listed in Step 10 can also provide contact details of storage companies in your area. Minimise your removals and/or storage requirements by throwing out anything you don't use anymore. Arrange to have your unwanted furniture and white goods collected by a charity, or a skip if necessary.

10. Prepare for a change of address

There are a whole range of people and organisations that need to be told about your move including:

  • Schools
  • Doctor/Hospital
  • Optician
  • Dentist
  • Vet
  • Pet Insurance
  • Private Health Insurer
  • Employer
  • Life Policies/Pension Provider
  • Banks
  • Building Societies/Investments
  • Insurers
  • Credit Card Companies
  • Share Holdings/Premium Bonds
  • Local Authority/ Council Tax Office
  • DVLC for car licence
  • TVLRO for TV licence
  • Satellite/Cable TV provider
  • Parking permits
  • AA/RAC/ Recovery organisation
  • Library
  • Professional/Club/ Magazine /Subscriptions
  • Milk/Paper/Other Deliveries
  • Friends/Family/Neighbours
  • Domestic suppliers and maintenance companies
  • Passport Office
  • Inland Revenue
  • Loyalty Cards

There are a number of useful websites that can help you through this process, including:

You will also need to contact the Royal Mail to forward your post. You can find out how to do this at:

11. The Move

  • Confirm arrangements with the removals firm
  • Sort out parking problems. You should inform neighbours about any parking issues. Some local authorities may be able to help with parking bay suspensions to allow better access to your property.
  • Services : arrange final accounts and arrange for new connection.
  • Arrange a plumber/electrician to disconnect relevant appliances
  • Make arrangements for pets. The www.helpiammoving.com site has advice for this.
  • If you are doing the packing yourself, start packing non-essential items
  • Clean the house and empty/defrost fridges and freezers if they are being left
  • Remove fixtures and fittings not included in the sale
  • Complete packing all items except those required the following morning - change of clothes, breakfast essentials, overnight toiletries etc.
  • Confirm where to leave your house keys eg Estate Agent/Solicitor.
  • Confirm with your Customer Relations Team when you will have access to your new home. This will typically be in the afternoon on the day of completion to allow funds to clear. It is important to determine in advance whether the fitting of carpets is possible prior to this date.
You'll need to:
  • Turn off central heating, water, electricity etc
  • Note down gas, electricity and water meter readings
  • Lock all windows and doors

12. Before moving into your new home

You'll need to:
  • Check legal completion has taken place and the remaining balance of the purchase has been paid
  • Arrange to meet with a member of the Sales team to pick up the keys to your new Environ home. At this point you will be asked to sign for the keys and be given full details of the meter readings. You will also be provided with a Guide To Your New Home providing all the instructions books etc.. You will also at this point be asked to formalise any items that you regard as outstanding.

financial matters

Can we help...

House builders have numerous schemes on offer but at the end of the day it comes to down three basics...

Can you sell or part exchange your house?
The price agreed for your new home.
Do you have sufficient equity to obtain a mortgage?

... with selling your current property?

See how Design Director Bethany Rossiter's home staging service can help you sell your property. Learn more at www.miragedesigns.co.uk

... with any financial advice?

See how Mortgage consultant Lee Holland can help you with his financial and insurance advice. Learn more at www.tandcmortgages.co.uk

after care

Prior to moving in to the property the supervising architect inspects your home and prepares a “snagging” list for the contractor. These snags are then rectified and signed off by the architect. At this stage, you will be asked to meet with the finishing foreman in order to identify any further “snagging” items and these will be rectified in most cases before your move in date.

It is important that you read the NHBC guide to your new home as this explains issues such as normal shrinkage and helps you to understand the definition of a defect. Defects are covered by the NHBC warranty but Environ without charge also provides a six month maintenance from the date of practical completion of the property. On or around six months after practical completion, we ask the purchaser to prepare a list of any items causing concern. Such items might include excessive shrinkage, binding doors, loose silicone seals or similar types of work.