Buying off plan
More and more people are choosing to look for new homes, thanks to their modern fixtures, stylish designs and energy efficiency. With developers like Redrow, you may be able to buy property 'off plan' at our developments near you.
But what does buying off plan mean, and what are the advantages? We've put together a guide to buying property off plan, so you can find the perfect home for you.
Guides & FAQs | Guides | Buying | Buying off plan
What to know when buying with Redrow
- Prime Position is a scheme to secure your dream home and location within your chosen development.
- We can recommend a panel of trusted, independent new build mortgage specialists to help make the process as quick and easy as possible.
- Buying off plan with Redrow means being able to customise and upgrade your home.
What does buying a property off plan mean?
Essentially, buying property off plan means you purchase your new home before it's completed by Redrow. This might be during construction, so you can see the home's frame before the interiors are fitted, or it might even be before any part of the home is built.
If you complete your off plan purchase early enough, you may have the option to choose elements of the internal layout - for example, choosing your kitchen style and worktops, or adding electric underfloor heating to the bathroom of your en-suite bedroom. To start a property purchase off plan, you'll pay a deposit to the developer. Depending on when you reserve your home, you could have a say in the build, design and fixtures of your new property. At Redrow, our Prime Position scheme is designed to help you secure your dream property at your chosen development even before it is officially released for sale.
Whether you're selling a current property or are a first-time buyer, an off plan new build home can offer a unique and personalised experience.
What are the pros and cons of buying off plan properties?
Benefits of buying an off plan property with Redrow
- You're guaranteed a brand new home at your chosen development, ready for you to personalise to your style.
- Your home will be ready to live in, without the need for complicated renovation or DIY.
- You'll have options to personalise your home - potentially down to things like the worktops, bathroom and tiles.
- You may save money, as home prices are confirmed in advance of completion.
- You can choose to add optional upgrades to your home.
- With schemes like Redrow’s Prime Position, you can also secure your ideal home placement within the development.
- Your new home may go up in value between reservation and completion date.
- You can reserve your home before it's released to the property market and other potential buyers.
Why might buying off plan not be for you?
- If you need to move particularly quickly, buying off plan might not be for you, as you will be waiting for the construction process to complete.
- You may have fewer mortgage lenders to choose from - however, Redrow works with a range of recommended new build mortgage specialists and we're happy to assist.
- There may be mortgage implications involved when buying new build homes off plan, meaning you need to speak to a specialist solicitor - we can recommend a selection of new build specialists to help.
How to buy an off plan property with Redrow
So, clearly, there are plenty of reasons to think about buying off plan. Rather than matching your lifestyle to your new home, you can make sure it fits you exactly. Here are the main steps usually required for buying a new build off plan property:
- Check your mortgage options - Speak to a mortgage broker to find out how much you can borrow. It's a good idea to have an idea of property prices at the development you're looking at when you start looking at off plan mortgages. Our panel of independent mortgage specialists can help with this.
- Reserve the property - Once you've chosen your dream new build house or apartment, you need to reserve the property. If it’s not already released for sale, you'll complete a Prime Position option agreement to start the process. Speak to a member of our Sales team at your development.
- Start the legal process - As with any other property purchase, you'll need to appoint a conveyancer or solicitor to handle contracts and legal advice.
- Apply for your off plan mortgage - You'll use the purchase price and a surveyor valuation to apply to a lender and get your mortgage offer.
- Exchange contracts - You'll usually exchange and pay the property deposit within 28 days of reserving your property, after which you'll wait for the developer to build according to the plans.
- Check the property before completion - By reserving your home so early in the build process, you’ll be able to take a ‘Hard Hat Tour’ at first fix stage followed by a home preview, closer to your completion date.
- Completion - With off plan Redrow homes, you'll generally be given two dates ahead of time - the first will be the date the home is expected to be ready, and the second is when it must be completed.
Join My Redrow to start your new home journey. You'll be the first to know about properties in your area, so you can save your favourites and get in touch to reserve your dream property.
To the best of Redrow’s knowledge, everything in this guide is true at the time of writing. All descriptions, images and plans are illustrations, examples and/or approximations only and some processes listed may differ when buying a Redrow home, please speak with the sales team at your chosen development for more details. Redrow does not accept any liability or responsibility contractual or otherwise for any reliance on the information contained within the guide.