Customer Journey

Buying an Archway home is unlike dealing with a large corporate company, when you buy from us you are buying from a small, dedicated team of individuals who have been brought together to build you the new home of your dreams and that journey starts the minute you first contact us.

Viewings and Reservation

All of our viewings are by appointment, this ensures we have enough time to understand your needs and help you make the right choice. Our sales advisor will explain everything about the houses including any financial liabilities and potential running costs. Not all our sites have show homes, so we have video tours of most of our house types and we will usually be able to point you in the direction of previous developments, so you can get a feel for what an Archway home might look like. We understand that buying off-plan is sometimes a leap of faith, so we will take the time with you to make sure we answer all of your questions before you make the decision to buy.

At the point of reservation, we will go through a very detailed process of full disclosure of all the important information about the plot, the site, the specification of your preferred home, and what extras are available to purchase. We believe that transparency is key to ensuring you make the right decision.

Communication

Archway Homes have signed up with Spaciable, which is a ‘pre-sales to aftercare’ portal, allowing us to communicate with you via the portal as we progress together along the journey. Spaciable allows us to send you regular updates and photos of your build and also upload documents and certificates as they become available. We will also keep you regularly informed of likely moving dates, so you can start to pack and get ready for moving day.

Demonstration

Once the property has been signed off by the NHBC and building control is complete, we will invite you to a home demonstration where our sales advisor will take you through the house room by room and explain where everything is and how everything works. This is an ideal time to ask those important technical questions and get a feel for your new home.

Exchange of contracts and Handover

Six weeks after reservation, we hope that we will have exchanged contracts. This means that the house is legally secured and you are fully committed to buy as we are equally committed to sell. Your solicitor will advise of your legal liabilities at this stage, but this is the real milestone in buying any home.

We have arrived at the big day! Once our solicitor confirms that all the monies are paid, we will arrange to meet you and hand over the keys, we will do final meter readings, and provide various certificates. The good news is most of the certificates will be uploaded onto the Spaciable portal for you to access at any time.

Customer Care

We understand that moving day will be a busy day followed by days of unpacking and arranging your new home, so we will leave you in peace. At the end of the second week of occupation, we will ask for your initial 14 day snagging list for you to identify any issues you have come across. Our dedicated customer care team will look after any identified snags or defects for the first two years following completion, with most communication being done via the Spaciable Portal, which allows us to make appointments for the aftercare operatives or subcontractors to visit. After the first two years, you can be reassured that your home is insured against structural defects by the NHBC for a further eight years.

New Homes Quality Code and New Homes Ombudsman Service logos

The New Homes Quality Board

Archway Homes are registered with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) and operate under the NHQB code of practice. The New Homes Quality Board Code of Practice is the rule book that all Home Builders have to follow and adhere to with their marketing, selling and aftersales care.

The NHQB code of practice sets out 10 Guiding Principles:

Fairness

Treat customers fairly throughout the buying and after-sales process.

Safety

Carry out and complete work in line with the regulations and requirements that apply to a new home.

Quality

Complete all work to a high standard in line with all regulations that apply and make sure that completion does not take place until the new home is complete.

Service

Have in place systems, processes and staff training to meet the customer service requirements of the code, and not use high-pressure selling techniques.

Responsiveness

Have in place a reliable an after-sales service and effective complaints procedure to make sure responses to customer queries are promptly resolved.

Transparency

Provide clear and accurate information about buying the new home, including tenure and any costs the customer may have to pay in the future.

Independence

Make sure that customers know they should appoint independent legal advisers and that they have the right to an independent pre-completion inspection before completion takes place.

Inclusivity

Take steps to identify and provide appropriate support to vulnerable customers and make sure the code is available to all customers.

Security

Ensure there are reasonable financial arrangements in place to meet all our obligations under the code, including repaying deposits if they are due and any financial awards made by the New Homes Ombudsman.

Compliance

Meet the requirements of the code and the New Homes Ombudsman Service.

Reporting Snags, Defects, and Complaints

We're always here to help

Archway Homes are committed to building high quality homes and providing service of the highest standard. It is our aim to build you a home you will be proud to come home to. We understand that sometimes things go wrong and in the unfortunate event you are unhappy with the service we have provided, we want you to know we are committed to taking your complaint seriously on the journey to a resolution. We are a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (nhqb.org.uk) and comply with the New Homes Quality Code.

Reporting a fault or defect

If you come across a fault or defect with your home, in the first instance you should detail your issue in an email to our customer care team: customercare@archwayhomes.co.uk.

Reporting a complaint

In the unfortunate circumstance you need to raise a complaint, please email the complaint and how best to contact you to: complaints@archwayhomes.co.uk

Timescales

We will:

  • Acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days of the complaint initiation date *.
  • Investigate your concerns and send a response detailing the proposed pathway to resolution within 10 working days of the complaint initiation date* including anticipated timescales.
  • Send a full complaint response within 30 working days. If the complaint has been resolved this response will detail what steps were taken. If the resolution is still ongoing, then this will detail what steps are still to be taken and why, and the anticipated date for resolution.
  • Once the complaint has been resolved then we will send a closure response confirming what action was taken.
  • If the complaint remains unresolved after 56 working days of the complaint initiation date*, we will send a further response providing information on what is causing the delay and the anticipated date of resolution. We will keep you updated no less than every 30 days until the matter is resolved.
  • If your complaint has not been resolved in accordance with this procedure or you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, then you may be able to refer your complaint to the new homes ombudsman service or the NHBC who is your warranty provider.
  • It is within the discretion of the new homes ombudsmen service whether to accept a complaint in accordance with the scheme rules. The new homes ombudsmen service can accept complaints that have arisen within two years of legal completion.

*The complaints initiation date (CID) is the first working day after a complaint is received. Thus, if the complaint is received on a Monday the CID is the Tuesday. If a complaint is received on a Saturday, then the CID will be the Monday (excluding bank holidays).

FAQs

Our answers to common questions

  • Do we need an appointment to visit the development or show home?

    Yes you do. Our sales centres are unmanned, so we request that you make an appointment via our office on 0800 612 3404.

  • How much is the reservation fee?

    The reservation fee is £1000, this reserves the property for you for the duration of the reservation period.

  • Is the reservation fee refundable?

    Once we have taken your reservation, you have a 14-day cooling off period, in which your reservation fee is fully refundable. After the 14 days you will be entitled to a partial refund as per the terms of the reservation agreement.

  • How long is the reservation period?

    Our standard reservation period is 6 weeks which is why we need to make sure that you are in a position to proceed before you reserve.

  • Can I personalise my home?

    Whilst we do not offer a bespoke service, purchasers have the option to choose their kitchen, flooring, wall tiling and master bedroom wardrobes depending on the stage of build. There are also a small number of customer upgrades available, consult with the sales advisor for further information.

  • How long will it take to build my home?

    The time it takes to build a home will vary slightly dependant on size and any adverse weather or issues, however an average build time would be approximately 6 months.

  • Can I visit my home during construction?

    Whilst we understand that you will be excited with your new home purchase and keen to see inside, due to health and safety considerations we cannot allow visits until we invite you to a home demonstration before you move in. We will however send you regular updates and photos during construction.

  • I have a house to sell, when can I buy a new one?

    You can reserve an Archway home when you are either, not dependant on the sale of your home to finance your new one, or if your existing home has a sale progressing on it.

  • Will I need to move into rented accommodation?

    Depending on your personal circumstances and the timing of when you reserve your new home, you may need to find alternative accommodation in between the sale of your existing home and the completion of your new home.

  • Does my home come with a warranty?

    Yes. All Archway homes come with a ten year NHBC warranty, which includes two years customer care provided by Archway Homes.

  • What is not covered by the NHBC warranty?

    General home maintenance such as changing lightbulbs, painting and decorating, and shrinkage relating to the natural drying out process. Damage caused by the homeowner. Damage caused by severe weather.

  • Are your homes freehold or leasehold?

    All Archway homes are freehold.

  • Is there a management charge?

    Some developments have an estate charge to cover maintaining private roads, biodiversity landscaped areas, or other areas requiring maintenance. Speak to our Sales Advisor for more details about a specific development.

  • Are Archway Homes registered with the NHQB?

    Yes. The New Homes Quality Code replaces the consumer code. This gives you as a purchaser additional piece of mind and protection. The code helps homebuyers understand the level of service and information you should receive from us, and gives you a point of redress in the event that something goes wrong. More information can be found at nhqb.org.uk