Handover and the statutory warranty clock in Gledswood Hills NSW

Under the Home Building Act 1989 a new home in New South Wales carries a statutory warranty of six years for major defects and two years for everything else, measured from completion. The two year window catches people, because it covers most of what a handover list contains and it closes without a reminder. On a suburb where every house is inside that fifteen year span, this is the single most useful piece of paperwork to understand. Get the list written and dated before you sign, keep the correspondence, and put anything that emerges in the first two years in writing while the window is open.

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Handover and the statutory warranty clock in Gledswood Hills NSW: common questions

When does the clock start?

At completion of the work under the contract, usually practical completion or the occupation certificate. Ask for that date in writing instead of working it out yourself.

What makes a defect a major one?

In broad terms it affects a major element and renders the home unusable, uninhabitable or unsafe, or is heading that way. Structural connections and water penetration are the categories most often argued about.

Should I sign with items outstanding?

Your contract governs that, and it is a decision for you and the builder. What we can say is that your leverage is at its highest before you sign, which is why the booking belongs two to three weeks earlier.