Even though the UK may not undertake as much house building as some of its European counterparts, it certainly has an excellent record for house building regulations and safety. In fact, as any British house builders will tell you, house building in the UK is very strictly regulated and developers must undertake extremely rigid planning regulations before even beginning the house build.

Furthermore, when the house builders begin the actual build, they have to adhere to the ever increasing and changing building regulations. You may have never thought about it before but as our social attitude changes, so do the required building regulations. A good example of this is the changing attitude towards environmental issues which have resulted house builders being required to build more energy efficient houses which encourage the local biodiversity and include green areas. Simply put, our house builders are making our homes more environmentally friendly. With an estimated 185,000 houses built in 2004 alone, the impact of this environmentally-friendliness should not be underestimated.

However, like any legal requirement, there are always people who attempt to profit from cutting corners or simply ignoring the laws which are put in place. This may not just be a question of ending up with a new house which poses a threat to your personal safety but also having many problems further on down the line when you decide that it is time to sell your property. So, how do you avoid these future problems?

The best way to ensure that you have the new house that you have been dreaming of is to hire reputable house builders. Unfortunately many people are stumped when it comes to finding reputable house builders. There are, however, a few steps that you can undertake to ensure that you avoid the cowboy house builders:

·         Ensure the house builders are officially registered with the National House Builders Council (NHBC). Their affiliation with this body will provide you with a ten year warranty for new buildings.

·         Enquire about their after-sales service. Reputable house builders will always return about a year after you move in to inspect the property and rectify any possible problems they may come across. You should also be given an after-sales phone number which you will be able to ring should you have any problems and require the house builders to return.

·         Try to visit the house builders’ previous constructions, to see if they have the style and quality that you are looking for.

·         If you have a house built in a development make sure that you understand the difference between the features which are included in the price as standard and which you will be required to pay more for.  

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.