Consumer guide to buying a new home

LandmarksYour first kiss. Your first day at work. The birth of a child. Moving into your new home. It’s up there with the best feelings you are ever going to experience. It’s a landmark in your life. It is a dream come true. Whether it’s your first apartment or a perfect family home, there are few experiences that can rival standing proud in that bright, fresh, space and imagining the future there with friends and loved ones. It is the joy of living.

The joy of moving into your new home.

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The experienceof a lifetimeWe want to make your experience of buying a new home a hugely positive one. We want you to enjoy the whole process from start to finish. And that’s what this little book is all about - from beginning to end - it’s about making your move in to a new dream home seem not only possible, but exciting and appealing too.

We want it to be the experience of a lifetime for you - one built on a lifetime’s experience from us. We have been building new homes for over 30 years, and there’s not much we don’t know about it. And we want you to be able to take advantage of all our combined experience.

So we’ve produced this little guide to buying a new home, and put together a range of offers that make buying a new home from Stewart Milne Homes one of the smartest moves you can make. Especially in today’s market.

So while we hope you find this guide useful, naturally we would like you to consider buying a new home from Stewart Milne Homes. And, of course, we’re confident you will. And that’s the confidence that comes with experience. The experience of a lifetime.

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That’s where we can help.

Not only can we provide you with a perfect new home to make just yours, we can also ensure that the process of buying is simple and straightforward - even stress free. And we start right here. In this booklet we outline the benefits of buying a new home, and provide you with a lot of tips on the key things to think about when you’re doing it.

And towards the back of this book, you’ll find detailed information about the ways in which Stewart Milne Homes can help you to buy the new home of your dreams - right now. So what are we waiting for - let’s get started.

Buying your new homeIt’s a big step. It’s a great feeling. It’s a chance to start afresh in this clean new space that you can make your own. Completely your own. But the experience of buying a new home can also be stressful. There’s a lot to think about, a lot to do. You need to make sure that you have everything in the right place at the right time.

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Spoilt for choice

New homes come in all shapes and sizes, from small studio flats to grand five bedroom houses and there are countless designs and styles to choose from - something for everyone. Subject to the stage of construction, some builder’s offer a bespoke service to customers enabling them to choose fixtures and fittings, or a higher specification from the builder’s range at an additional cost. In some cases this will include flooring, soft furnishings, interior design or even a garden landscaping service.

More energy efficient

On average, new homes are six times more energy - efficient and generate over 60% less C02 emissions than older style homes, which is the equivalent of driving 10,000 miles less a year per household. So new home owners can take comfort that they are doing their bit for the environment. But it’s not just about the planet, improved energy efficiency saves money too and living in a new home can reduce energy bills by more than £500 per year, enough to pay for a holiday!

The advantages of a new home The standard of home building in the UK has never been higher than it is today. With the need for housing at unprecedented levels, home builders are investing huge amounts of resources into the quality of their homes; from exceptional features to improved energy efficiency. Below, and also on the following pages, we have set out the top reasons to buy new:

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Enjoy peace of mind Buying a new home eliminates the need to do any renovations, repairs or DIY, meaning new home owners can spend more time with family and friends, doing all the things they really enjoy. The majority of new homes come with an insurance backed 10 year NHBC warranty providing new owners with peace of mind which those buying a second hand property simply do not have.

Less chain means less stress and hassle

A new home buyer can move in to their new home as soon as it is complete, there is no need to wait for existing residents to vacate. This reduces the chain, stress and uncertainty associated with buying a second hand property.

Designed to suit modern lifestyles

New homes are built to make use of every inch of space. Research shows 17% of living space in older style properties often goes unused, which translates to £34,000 of a £200,000 house going to waste. New homes, on the other hand, provide flexible living space whatever your circumstances, whether you are single, a couple, a growing family or retired.

Stay safe and sound

New homes are designed to adhere to high building standards. These standards relate to every aspect of a building’s construction including its structure, ventilation, sound insulation, electrical and fire safety, so new home owners can enjoy living in a safe and secure environment.

Brand new means a blank canvas

Everything in a new home is clean and untouched by previous owners - it’s like buying a brand new car and driving for the first time. Most new homes are decorated in ‘neutral’ colours giving the owners a blank canvas to stamp their own style and a personality on from day one.

Be part of a new community

Moving to a brand new home is also an opportunity to make new friends and be part of an emerging community. Buying in an established street, where properties may change hands infrequently, makes it harder to break into the social network. Today’s neighbourhoods are designed with people in mind and with everybody starting from scratch, getting to know your neighbours and community is easier as you settle in and start to discover your new surroundings together.

Live in a high spec home

New homes are built to a much higher specification than many older properties. The amount of ‘as standard’ features included in new build homes has also greatly increased. Today many new developments have fitted kitchens with cooker and hob, fridge/freezer, washing machine and dishwasher plus many have a fitted

en-suite bathroom or shower room. Designed to comply with the very latest building regulations set by the Government, new homes are also kitted out with the latest heating systems, excellent wall and loft insulation, double glazed windows and doors.

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What can you afford?

You should talk to an Independent Financial Advisor so that you know what you can afford before you start to look. This gives you peace of mind. Once you know what you can afford to pay each month, then you might be surprised by how many great mortgages are available with good interest rate deals. You just have to ask. And you can start by asking us!

What’s the location like?

When you’re looking at a new home, you have to consider the location from the outset. The location will not change! So it has to be right for you. What are the local facilities like? Is the area safe? Is it attractive? Do you have a view? And then there’s a host of practical things to think about like schools, leisure facilities, shops and access to transport. Take your time and explore the neighbourhood.

How to choose your new home

Ok so perhaps we’ve convinced you that buying a new home is the right choice for you. But obviously there’s still a lot to consider when it actually comes down to choosing the right new home for you. To help you, we have prepared a brief summary of some of the key considerations. Here it is.

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What do you want?

Once you have established your budget, there’s still going to be the small matter of choosing what kind of home you want. You need to set out your priorities and needs. Is it an apartment or a house? How many bedrooms? Matching your budget to the right property in the right location for you, needs some careful planning to ensure you get exactly what you want.

Is it right for you?

What do you like? Think about how your lifestyle will fit with your new home. If you like to cook, then you might like a larger kitchen? If you’ve friends around a lot, then the size of the living spaces will be key. And if your family live far away and like to come and stay, then that guest bedroom might be a must. So think about your life in your new home - throughout a full year.

Do you get choice?

When you choose a new home, you want to make it yours from day one. It’s all about having personal choice. Do you have a choice of kitchen finishes? Does the tiling suit your tastes? You should always ask what options are available - so you can make your home perfect for you.

What do you need?

Deciding what you need is slightly different. Because needs can change in a very short time indeed. So does the property meet your needs now and your planned needs in the future? Do you have enough storage? Could you use an extra room as a study or playroom and still have a guest room? The key thing is to consider a few scenarios - and then make an informed choice.

Do you get quality?

When you are buying a new home you should expect quality throughout. The property itself should be finished to the very highest standards - inside and out. The service you receive must be exceptional at all times. And there should be guarantees and warranties to give you peace of mind. So ask around, check with friends, share experiences - and listen to what is on offer.

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Why buy from Stewart Milne Homes?There has never been a better time to buy a new home from Stewart Milne Homes. With more than 30 years experience in creating beautiful homes, we understand every aspect of home buying and can provide you with invaluable information and advice so that you can make the choices that best suit you - today and tomorrow.

Great Locations

We carefully choose where to build our premium homes to ensure every aspect of your surroundings will delight you.

Superb construction

Our homes are hand-built to exacting standards and provide long lasting value for money.

Premium quality

We provide the highest quality finishes inside and out and all our fittings are premium quality in keeping with the expectations of our customers.

Wow factor kitchens

Our kitchens are the heart of the home, spacious, custom-designed and with integrated appliances.

Spacious interiors

Our expertly planned interiors are designed for flexible living with plenty of light throughout.

Attractive landscaping

All our homes have landscaped front lawns and paved driveways.

Energy efficiency

We build energy efficient homes complete with great insulation to help reduce the cost of running your home.

Exceptional service

We appoint a dedicated personal consultant as your one point of contact throughout the buying process, making it easy for you.

Complete reassurance

You can relax in the knowledge you’re buying from a company with an excellent reputation and over 30 years experience.

Peace of Mind

Our 10 YEAR WARRANTY, covers all Stewart Milne homes. Our Customer Service team prides itself on dealing with queries as quickly as possible so you can rely on us even after you’ve moved into your new home.

When you buy a new home, we’re on hand at each step of your journey to guide and support you. We’ve helped thousands of home buyers to find their perfect home. We know just how to make the whole process easy and carefree. Below are just some of the reasons why customers continue to come to Stewart Milne Homes for their new home:

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We believe that the better we know our customers the better our homes will be. That’s why, before we build anything, we devote a lot of time to understanding homebuyers just like you.

Your dreams. Your needs. Your expectations.

We understand the ever-changing demands and aspirations of modern living. The styles and choices you desire, the attention to detail you expect and the practicalities you need to make life easier. We then translate this knowledge into every aspect of our homes. That means a great choice of individual styles.

The inside story.Let’s start in the kitchen. Firstly, a kitchen is about people - we know there’s no better place to gather together and eat with family and friends. It’s the true heart of a family home. So you can be sure that most of ours are large and eat-in.

And it must have the wow factor. You’ll find ours are beautifully designed to a high specification and we offer a choice of styles* so that your kitchen fits in with your taste.

Upstairs, the bedrooms are generous. We know your priority is storage, so many include built-in wardrobes.

Then to the master bedroom - your sanctuary - in with a luxurious en-suite in many of our homes.

You’ve told us that you want your new home to be neutral, so you can stamp your individuality on each room. We paint every home in magnolia, with ceilings and internal woodwork in brilliant white. Doors throughout your home are painted white and feature chrome lever handles.

A new home has many other advantages over second-hand. Central heating and energy efficiency is maximised, with double glazing (and the added safety feature of locks to all ground floor windows that open), loft insulation and gas fired central heating for lower bills. And safety is always a priority - all homes come complete with a mains smoke detector (and battery back-up pack) linked to other detectors within the house. All external doors have multipoint locking systems.

And the outside story.We know that the outside space of a home is just as important to you as the inside space.

So our commitment to giving you the perfect living environment is equally focused here with a landscaped front garden and a stylish driveway. And of course, no home would be complete without private parking.

Step Inside The insightful and impressive specification

is inspired by you.

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With this in mind, The Stewart Milne Homes Distinction offers a range of options that can be tailored to suit your individual circumstances. We have developed these options to make it easy to buy a new home. So talk to us to find out how we can best help you secure your dream home.

We’ll take care of the detailWhen it comes to buying a new home, we like to believe that we think of everything. Most importantly, we strive to take care of all the detail so that we make it as easy as possible for you to buy.

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Sell Your Home in Five Days* We will buy your existing home right now. Using independent valuations, we’ll buy at an agreed market rate. You can then move into your new home without the worry of a chain or the cost of an estate agent.

A Guaranteed Buyer for Your Home

Ideal if you have an existing house to sell. You can simply look for a buyer as you would normally and if you haven’t found one by the time you are ready to move, we will step in and buy your house at a guaranteed price.

Our Deferred Payment Plan

We make owning easy and affordable. With this offer, you can buy a Stewart Milne home for between 75% and 90% of the purchase price. We will keep the balance of the equity as an investment which you can repay at any time up to 10 years.

First Time Buyer?

You can rely on us to take care of every aspect of your purchase. We will help with your deposit, pay your fees and work with your solicitors to make the process easy. We’ll also hold your hand every step of the way. After all, it is your first time.

The Stewart Milne Homes DistinctionOur aim is to make it easy for you to buy your new home. From the moment you get in touch, you’ll be in safe experienced hands. Below are just some of the ways we can help - you’ll have your own dedicated consultant from the start, here to offer help, advice and guidance, so just ask. Nothing is too much trouble.

*Terms and conditions apply to the above offer. Please ask for details.

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Your dream home is waiting

So there you have it. We’ve explained why we believe there’s never been a better time to buy a new home. And we’ve outlined everything that we will do to help you make your dream come true. So now it’s over to you.

We suggest that, if you have not already, talk to us. We can recommend an Independent Financial Advisor to establish how much you can afford on a mortgage. We will be able to offer you a highly competitive package on a new home in your area. Let us know what you want and what you need. Share your dream with us - and we’ll help to make it a reality. And we will help you do it today.

Next StepsVisit Us To check our marketing suites and showhome opening times please visit our website at www.stewartmilnehomes.com Come and visit us.We’re also happy to see you outwith these hours if that’s more convenient. Please call to arrange an appointment.

Reserve your home We’re giving you the chance to reserve your dream home now.When you get in touch, you’ll be assigned your own sales consultant, who will help you choose your property, discuss any offers or packages we may have available at the time – and, if suitable, offer you a choice of fittings and finishes even at this stage.We’ll keep paperwork to a minimum, and a simple non-refundable deposit will secure your home.

Let us help with your move We can help with: – Solicitors – Mortgages – Interior designers – Advice on marketing

and selling your existing house, or even taking it as part exchange*.

We’ll make the whole process easy and affordable – our 30 years of experience have proved how vital that is. We can even help you find a suitable removal company – any little aspect that will help make your move as smooth and pleasurable as possible.Please just ask your sales consultant.

How we’ll carry on helping afterwards The best thing about buying a new Stewart Milne home? You have nothing to worry about once you’ve moved in. Our comprehensive warranties take care of all the things that might be a problem with an older home. The list of what’s covered runs to three A4 pages, and includes central heating (other than boiler servicing), wastes and drains, kitchen appliances, alarm installations, flashings, gutters and downpipes, roof, sanitary ware, structural defects, water services and much more.On the day you move in, you receive a comprehensive Guide to your New Home and a detailed Home Owner’s pack. You’ll also be given the name of your Stewart Milne Customer Service Coordinator, who is on hand to help you settle in.

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Our customer charterOur promise to you

We value you as a customer and our commitment is to provide you with a high quality home that you are proud of. We will make the process as easy as possible and will always be polite, professional, punctual, pro-active and presentable.

We aim to making buying a new home an enjoyable experience

We will be on hand throughout to provide you with advice and support, with one point of contact throughout to make it easy. We will provide you with as much information as possible about what to expect at each stage of the process. We aim to provide information that is accurate, clear and up to date.We provide high quality homes with superior finishes and superior designed kitchens.Our aim is to provide you with all the information you require to make an informed choice. This includes our brochure showing details of our homes with floor plans, specification, a written reservation agreement, details of our Home Warranty cover and details of any management or factoring fees which may apply to individual developments.We recommend that you appoint a

professional legal advisor to carry out all legal aspects of your home purchase and represent your interests throughout.

We promote professional standards

Our staff will provide a high level of customer service and offer every support and assistance. We strive to continually improve our service to you and we welcome feedback. We ensure that our sales consultants and customer service staff receive full training to ensure they are friendly, helpful, professional and knowledgeable and understand our commitment to providing high quality customer care.Should there be any delays due to inclement weather or delays in materials, we will keep you informed.We will communicate with your solicitors and other bodies to provide all information required to complete your purchase. We will provide your solicitors with a written contract giving full terms and conditions of sale including termination clauses.When you visit our developments your health and safety are of prime importance. Therefore we will inform you of any precautions to be taken before visiting any area where work is in progress. Additional health and safety information will be provided

when you reserve your new home on how to live safely in an active development. Please note that children may not be permitted onto active sites to ensure their safety.We do our utmost to ensure that our marketing and advertising materials are accurate and reflect our product in a clear and honest manner, complying and adhering to legislation.When you reserve a home with us, we will provide you with a reservation agreement that details the terms of your reservation, including details of the reservation fee, property details, selling price and term that the price is valid. Details of any management or factoring fees as well as terms and conditions for cancellation of your reservation, will also be provided.

Our service promise

We will ensure that your new home is clean and ready for you to move in and enjoy. Our commitment to you continues once you move in with our two year guarantee and NHBC Buildmark 10 year structural warranty.We aim to respond to you as quickly as possible should you have any queries and provide you with information or responses as requested in a professional efficient manner. Contact details for our customer care team will be provided in the Stewart Milne Guide to Living in Your New Home, provided when you move into your new home.If there are any remedial works to be completed, we aim to arrange the work at times to suit you during normal working hours, as fast as is possible.We will provide you with a personal contact who will assist you with

any queries and agree a time for completing works which may depend on availability of materials required.Our maintenance staff will arrive on time and provide identification. We will respect your privacy and carry out all works in accordance with approved risk assessments and method statements, for your safety, security and peace of mind.We will respond to emergency calls as fast as possible and aim to contain emergency situations on the same day.We will respond to any requests for remedial items within two working days and aim to resolve those items within 28 days, depending on the availability of materials. As far as possible, we will ensure that any remedial work is carried out in one visit, as quickly as possible, while adhering to our high standards of service and quality.Should you need our services, our appointed skilled trades will not smoke in or around your home, will wear shoe covers at all times and dust sheets throughout your home where required. They will cover any furniture, where required and clean up work areas before leaving your home.

Our mission

Our aim is to get it right, first time, every time. We seek to continually improve our standards and all aspects of our service to you.We adopt the principles and good practice of the Consumer Code for Home Builders. If you would like a copy of the Code, please see our website www.stewartmilnehomes.com or ask one of our sales team.

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Stewart Milne Homes

www.stewartmilnehomes.com

North Scotland Osprey House Mosscroft AvenueWesthill Business ParkWesthillAberdeenAB32 6JQ

T 01224 747400F 01224 747199E sales@stewartmilne.com

Central Scotland Kestrel House3 Kilmartin PlaceTannochside Business ParkUddingston G71 5PH

T 01698 804804F 01698 804801E sales@stewartmilne.com

North West England Harrier House 2 Lamsdale RoadCobra Business Park Trafford ParkManchesterM32 OUT

T 0161 8666900F 0161 8866909E sales@stewartmilne.com