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Independent Inspection

All of our homes are designed to comply with, and often, exceed our local building regulation requirements.  The design of each of our homes, including the materials to be used, from the foundations, to the chimney top are specified and submitted to building control at the design stage for “Design Approval”.  Once approved, we then notify Building Control on the commencement of each home and they will then inspect at various stages, until each home is completed.  Their inspection & certification involves  10 key stages :

  • 1. Notification of Commencement
  • 2. Excavation & Foundations
  • 3. Placement of damp barriers & gas barriers (as required)
  • 4. Placement of internal & external drainage
  • 5. Superstructure (Walls, windows & doors)
  • 6. Roof installation
  • 7. Services (Water, Electric etc)
  • 8. Construction Completion (incl access & pathways)
  • 9. Submission of Test Reports
  • 10. Sign off & Certification

Full details can be found at the links below.

Building Control NI
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10 Year Protection

Alongside the inspections which are carried out by the local Building Control Department, we also employ the services of our Home Warranty Providers (NHBC & Premier) to carry out their own inspections throughout each build, which follow an almost identical path, so you can trust that your new home is checked independently by two independent bodies.

As part of the Building Control and Home Warranty inspections, all of the products we use, and systems we install, are also tested and certified by the installers, whether that be electrical, plumbing or gas, you know that your new home is safe and certified for you and your family.

10 Year Protection

Alongside the inspections which are carried out by the local Building Control Department, we also employ the services of our Home Warranty Providers (NHBC & Premier) to carry out their own inspections throughout each build, which follow an almost identical path, so you can trust that your new home is checked independently by two independent bodies.

As part of the Building Control and Home Warranty inspections, all of the products we use, and systems we install, are also tested and certified by the installers, whether that be electrical, plumbing or gas, you know that your new home is safe and certified for you and your family.

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Fermac Seal
Years 1 – 2 :
Fermac Properties Ltd – Defect Warranty Period

Every new home which we complete comes with a full 2 Year Defect Warranty Period which covers defects in all of the built elements of your home.  So what’s covered? For Years 1 & 2, the following areas are covered for defects in manufacture, or workmanship :

  • Walls
  • Windows & Doors
  • Wiring / Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Heating
  • Joinery
  • Drainage
  • Roof
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Floor & Wall Coverings

So if your home develops a leaky toilet, a wonky door, or a draughty window in the first 2 years, all you need to do is let us know and we will do our best to have your issue rectified as soon as reasonably possible.  There are some minor exclusions to this cover, such as appliances (manufacturer warranties still apply), damage/wear & tear and natural settlement, but these are all sensible and fair.

Years 1 – 10 :
NHBC & Premier Guarantee – Structural Warranty

Every new home which we complete also comes with the benefit of a full 10 Year Structural Warranty from either NHBC or Premier Guarantee.  NHBC & Premier Guarantee are the two largest home warranty providers in the UK and we are privileged to carry their very top A1 Rating, which is reserved for their long-standing developers with a proven track record and incredibly low claims.

So, for a period of 10 years from the completion of your new home, you will enjoy cover for any serious structural, or inherent, defect discovered in the first 10 years.  This covers the main structure of your home, from the foundations, to the walls & ceilings, to the roof and chimney, meaning you are protected in the unlikely event of a serious issue being discovered.

Full details of the 10 year warranty cover be found at the links below.

NHBCPremier Guarantee

Deposit Protection

We know that buying a new home is one of the biggest financial commitments that anyone can make.  We also know that for most people this means working hard to save enough money for the Contract Deposit and that you will want to know that this money is safe and secure while your new home is being built.  So, to give you peace of mind, we place insurance with our Home Warranty Providers (NHBC or Premier Guarantee) to protect your 10% Contract Deposit during the construction period, so you have one less thing to worry about while you plan for your big move.

Greenery

Management Company

Under the Quality Initiative, every development of 25 homes, or more, must have a dedicated area of open, green amenity space. This open space will serve the whole development and will be open for use to all residents, big & small, young and old.  It’s intended to provide 3 main things :

  • 1. Physical Amenity : in the form of large open green/play areas.  This ensures that there is always a large, safe area for a variety of uses to suit new homeowners.
  • 2. Visual Amenity : in the form of attractive paved/grassed/planted areas, with a variety of finishes, features and colours.  This ensures visual interest and variety, improving the aesthetics of your new home.
  • 3. Environmental Amenity : in the form of improved air-quality and healthy bacteria introduced from the variety of plants & trees, together with the natural wildlife they promote & support

These open spaces will naturally require regular and periodic maintenance, together with appropriate insurances in place, should the unexpected happen.  A number of different ways were tried over the years to achieve this, with varying degrees of success.  The winner, like VHS, Blu-Ray and Netflix, was the Management Company model.  This model provides for the formation of a limited Company, which will eventually acquire all of the open space and each homeowner(s) will also take an equal share in the company.  Initially, we will appoint a Managing Agent on behalf of the Management Company and they will undertake to liaise with homeowners, engage landscapers, place insurances and also to comply with all of the filing requirements of a legally limited company.  The Managing Agents will be engaged on a contract basis and after the initial period, homeowners can decide to keep them, or if unhappy, tender for alternative Managing Agents. The primary benefit of this model is that homeowners are fully in control of their company and their open spaces.

Management Company

Under the Quality Initiative, every development of 25 homes, or more, must have a dedicated area of open, green amenity space. This open space will serve the whole development and will be open for use to all residents, big & small, young and old.  It’s intended to provide 3 main things :

  • 1. Physical Amenity : in the form of large open green/play areas.  This ensures that there is always a large, safe area for a variety of uses to suit new homeowners.
  • 2. Visual Amenity : in the form of attractive paved/grassed/planted areas, with a variety of finishes, features and colours.  This ensures visual interest and variety, improving the aesthetics of your new home.
  • 3. Environmental Amenity : in the form of improved air-quality and healthy bacteria introduced from the variety of plants & trees, together with the natural wildlife they promote & support

These open spaces will naturally require regular and periodic maintenance, together with appropriate insurances in place, should the unexpected happen.  A number of different ways were tried over the years to achieve this, with varying degrees of success.  The winner, like VHS, Blu-Ray and Netflix, was the Management Company model.  This model provides for the formation of a limited Company, which will eventually acquire all of the open space and each homeowner(s) will also take an equal share in the company.  Initially, we will appoint a Managing Agent on behalf of the Management Company and they will undertake to liaise with homeowners, engage landscapers, place insurances and also to comply with all of the filing requirements of a legally limited company.  The Managing Agents will be engaged on a contract basis and after the initial period, homeowners can decide to keep them, or if unhappy, tender for alternative Managing Agents. The primary benefit of this model is that homeowners are fully in control of their company and their open spaces.

Road & Sewers

All developments require infrastructure, roads, footpaths, sewers, street lighting etc.  In order to obtain permission to build these, a developer must get permissions from the relevant authority and as part of that permission, they must also place insurance in the form of a bond, equal to the value of any roads & sewers being installed.  This is to ensure that, if a Developer is unable to complete a development for any reason, that the relevant authority can call in the necessary bond/insurance money and complete the roads and sewers required to serve your new home.

Fermac Properties are privileged enough to carry the very highest A1 Rating with both the NHBC and Premier Guarantee (The two largest home warranty providers in the UK), so our developments are always properly bonded.  We install our roads and services first to help ensure a safe and tidy construction site.  We will form the necessary roadways and always have them base coated with tarmac at the earliest opportunity.  The final wearing or “carpet” coat will not normally be laid until a later date.  Our promise to our Customers is that we will never ask anyway to move into a home which does not have the roadway fully made up and safely surfaced with the base-coat tarmac to all necessary roads and footpaths.

Roads

Road & Sewers

All developments require infrastructure, roads, footpaths, sewers, street lighting etc.  In order to obtain permission to build these, a developer must get permissions from the relevant authority and as part of that permission, they must also place insurance in the form of a bond, equal to the value of any roads & sewers being installed.  This is to ensure that, if a Developer is unable to complete a development for any reason, that the relevant authority can call in the necessary bond/insurance money and complete the roads and sewers required to serve your new home.

Fermac Properties are privileged enough to carry the very highest A1 Rating with both the NHBC and Premier Guarantee (The two largest home warranty providers in the UK), so our developments are always properly bonded.  We install our roads and services first to help ensure a safe and tidy construction site.  We will form the necessary roadways and always have them base coated with tarmac at the earliest opportunity.  The final wearing or “carpet” coat will not normally be laid until a later date.  Our promise to our Customers is that we will never ask anyway to move into a home which does not have the roadway fully made up and safely surfaced with the base-coat tarmac to all necessary roads and footpaths.

Consumer Code

The Code gives protection and rights to purchasers of new Homes. It requires all new Home Buyers are treated fairly and are fully informed about their purchase before and after they sign the contract.  The Code is an industry led code of conduct for Home Builders, which was developed to make the home buying process fairer and more transparent for purchasers. The aim of the Code is for all new Home Buyers to:

  • be treated fairly,
  • know what levels of service to expect,
  • to be given reliable information about their purchase and their consumer rights before and after they move in, and
  • know how to access speedy, low-cost dispute resolution arrangements to deal with complaints about breaches of the Code

The Code reinforces best practice among Home Builders to encourage a consistently high level of information and customer service. It builds on successful efforts already made by the industry to improve consumer satisfaction in recent years.

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