What's included in an End of Warranty Survey?

Protect your position before it's too late!

Most new build homes come with a two-year builder warranty period, during which the developer is responsible for resolving defects in the property. Once this period ends, responsibility for many issues may transfer away from the builder and onto the homeowner.

An End of Warranty Survey is carried out shortly before the two-year warranty period expires to identify defects, workmanship issues or performance concerns that may still be the responsibility of the developer. These are known as ‘latent defects’.

Many homeowners are unaware that problems can develop or become visible over time as the property settles and is lived in. Issues that were not obvious when the property was new can often emerge during the first couple of years of occupation.

homeperform's End of Warranty Survey helps ensure these issues are identified and properly documented before responsibility shifts away from the developer.

Why problems often appear after you move in

When a new build home is first completed, many elements of the building are still settling and drying out. Construction materials such as plaster, timber and screed naturally shrink as moisture evaporates during the first months of occupation.

As the property is lived in, normal day-to-day use can also begin to reveal issues that were not obvious during the initial handover.

Doors and windows may start to move slightly as the building settles, small cracks can appear in walls and ceilings, and minor installation defects may only become noticeable once the home has been used over time.

In some cases, issues such as ventilation performance, insulation gaps or poorly sealed elements of the building envelope only become apparent after the property has experienced its first winter.

For this reason, many homeowners begin to notice problems during the first one to two years of living in the property.

An End of Warranty Survey allows these issues to be identified and documented before the builder’s two-year responsibility period expires, helping ensure that any defects can be raised with the developer while they may still be responsible for resolving them.

Once the 2 year warranty period expires, only certain structural issues may remain covered by the longer warranty scheme.

Common issues that may become apparent during the first 2 years

➡️ Settlement cracking to walls and ceilings

➡️ Poor finishing or workmanship defects that become more visible over time

➡️ Doors and windows that have dropped or become misaligned

➡️ Poorly sealed windows, doors or service penetrations

➡️ Plumbing leaks or poorly installed fittings

➡️ Ventilation systems that are not performing correctly causing damp issues

➡️ Persistent cold spots caused by insulation gaps or thermal bridging

➡️ Drainage or external defects that were not obvious when the property was new

➡️ Plumbing leaks or poorly installed pipework

An End of Warranty Survey allows these issues to be identified and documented before the builder’s two-year responsibility period expires, helping ensure that any defects can be raised with the developer while they may still be responsible for resolving them.

An independent inspection helps distinguish between normal settlement and defects that should be addressed by the developer.

What we inspect

homeperform's End of Warranty Survey is a condensed version of our New-Build Snagging Survey to give you piece of mind there are no underlying issues before it's too late and your developers warranty ends.

External elements

✔️ Brickwork/render

✔️ Roof and guttering

✔️ Fenestration

✔️ Garages

Internal areas

✔️ Loft inspection

✔️ Heating & thermostat

✔️ Carbon Monoxide test

✔️ Fire Safety Measures

Specialist Performance Checks

 ✔️ Thermal Lite

The Thermal Lite Inspection is an internal thermal inspection of your property. Thermal imaging is used to help identify cold bridging, insulation defects and potential areas of heat loss. Any thermal inadequacies found will be detailed and evidenced in your survey.

✔️ Airflow Ventilation Test

The Airflow Ventilation Test measures extraction performance to ensure systems are extracting to the required levels. The test is carried out by a qualified ventilation surveyor with specialist equipment. Any extraction inadequacies found will be detailed and evidenced in your survey.

✔️ Aerial Roof Inspection

Using specialist pole camera equipment, we inspect roof coverings and high-level areas that are not easily visible from ground level.

When should an End of Warranty Survey be carried out?

The survey is typically carried in the second year of owning your new home,

before your builder's warranty period ends.

This allows sufficient time to identify any defects that have developed while still providing time to raise these issues with the builder before the two-year warranty period ends.

We recommend booking the survey several weeks before the warranty expiry date to allow time for the report to be issued and any issues to be raised with the developer.

What happens if I miss the two-year deadline?

Once the 2 year period expires, responsibility for many issues may transfer away from the builder. At this point, only certain structural elements of the property may remain covered under your warranty provider.

This means many common defects, including finishing issues, poorly installed components or performance problems, may no longer be the responsibility of the developer once the initial warranty period has passed.

Don't leave it until it's too late. Book your End of Warranty Survey today!

Book now