From reservation to key handover: What happens behind the scenes?
5 min read - by Redmile Homes
Reserving your new build home is an exciting moment, but it can also leave you wondering what happens next. While you’re getting your finances and legal paperwork in order and waiting to move in, there’s a lot of work taking place behind the scenes to turn a plot on a plan into a finished home ready for you.
At Redmile Homes, we’ll always keep you updated as your home progresses, but we know it can still be helpful to understand what’s happening between each update. From construction and inspections to snagging, legal completion, and the final preparations, here’s what goes on behind the scenes before house key handover.
What happens when reserving a new build?
When you reserve a plot with Redmile Homes, we’ll start by getting to know what you’re looking for in your new home. We’ll discuss your lifestyle, preferred location, layout, and space requirements, then look at the available plots and property types with you.
Once you’ve chosen your home, we’ll go through the reservation process and collect the reservation fee needed to secure your plot. We’ll also carry out an affordability check at this stage to make sure you’re in a suitable position to proceed.
If your plot is early in the build stage, you’ll then be invited to a dedicated choices appointment at our selection room. This is where you can explore a range of design possibilities, from kitchen units and worktops to bathroom tiles and flooring finishes.
After reserving a new build with us
Once your plot is reserved, there are a few important things you’ll need to do. This is the point to organise your mortgage, instruct your solicitor, and keep on top of any information or documents they need from you.
At the same time, we’ll be getting on with everything needed to progress your home. Exactly what happens will depend on how far your plot has reached when you reserve it, but while you’re getting the buying side in order, you can generally expect us to be:
- Continuing with the planned construction of your home
- Preparing and providing the legal pack to your solicitor
- Coordinating the different trades and stages of the build
- Liaising with your solicitor and responding to any legal enquiries
- Monitoring the quality and progress of the construction work
- Arranging Building Control and NHBC inspections at relevant stages
- Keeping you updated as your home reaches key milestones
So, while you’re getting your finances and conveyancing in order, our site, office, and legal teams will be working through their own stages to keep everything moving. There may be periods when you’re waiting for the next update, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening. And if you’re ever unsure about what comes next, our team is always happy to answer your questions.
From foundations to finishes: How your home takes shape
If you’ve reserved your home early enough in the build, you’ll see a big change from the first foundations to the finished property. Construction follows a planned sequence, with different trades coming in at different points and checks taking place as the work progresses. The exact timing and order can vary, but these are some of the main stages you’ll see.
1. Foundations and below-ground construction
Before your home can be built upwards, the foundations and other below-ground work must come first. This stage can involve drainage and other elements that will eventually be concealed once the ground and floors are finished.
While it isn’t necessarily the most exciting stage to look at from the outside, it provides the base for everything that follows. Building Control also carries out inspections at relevant stages of construction to check that the work complies with the Building Regulations.
2. Walls, floors, and roof structure
Once the foundations and initial structural work are complete, construction can move upwards. Walls, floors, and the roof structure start to give the house its shape, and you can start to see the rooms and proportions of the finished property.
The next big milestone is getting the building enclosed. After the roof covering, windows, and external doors are in place, the house is made watertight, meaning it’s protected from the weather and more internal work can take place.
3. First fix and internal services
With the main structure built, work can take place inside. Internal walls are constructed, and the services behind your finished surfaces are fitted, including plumbing, electrical wiring, and other systems needed around the home.
You’ll hear the phrase “first fix” used to describe this part of the build. This is simply the stage where these underlying services are installed before walls and ceilings are closed up and the final fittings are added.
4. Plastering, fitting out, and your chosen finishes
When the work behind the walls is complete, the house will look much more like the home you imagined when you reserved it. Walls and ceilings are finished, followed by flooring, tiling, decorating, and the installation of kitchens, bathrooms, fixtures, and fittings.
This is also where the detail starts to come together. Your chosen worktops, units, tiles, flooring, and other finishes are installed, along with sockets, switches, doors, and the other everyday elements that make the house usable.
5. Driveways, fencing, and landscaping
There’s still plenty to complete outside the home too. Depending on your plot and property type, this can include driveways, paths, fencing, gardens, landscaping, and other external works. Some of this work happens alongside the internal finishing stages, while other elements are completed towards the end.
What happens while your home is being built?
It’s easy to think of the construction process as the main thing happening after reserving a new build, but there’s also the legal side of your purchase. While our site team coordinates the build, your solicitor, mortgage lender, inspectors, and other professionals are each working through their own part of the process to get your purchase ready for legal completion.
This is why the journey can sometimes feel like it’s moving slowly from your side; even when your home looks nearly finished, there can still be important checks, paperwork, and practical tasks to do before everything is ready for house key handover. We’ll continue to liaise with the relevant people and keep you updated as your purchase progresses.
Checking build quality at key stages
Building Control is the statutory process that ensures all of our new homes comply with current UK Building Regulations, covering areas such as safety, structure, insulation, drainage, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Building Control officers review and inspect building plans and construction work at key stages to make sure everything meets the required standards.
Alongside Building Control checks, all Redmile Homes properties are covered by the National House Building Council (NHBC). NHBC is the UK’s leading provider of new home warranties and insurance, trusted by lenders, developers, and buyers alike. For the warranty to remain valid, NHBC carries out their own inspections of the build quality at every key stage of construction.
Before you move in, our site manager and contracts manager will also personally inspect your home to ensure it meets our own high standards.
Snagging and your first two years
You may notice a few minor issues as your new home settles and you start using it day-to-day. These are known as snags, and they can range from small cosmetic details to problems with things like doors, plumbing, heating, or lighting. Your home is covered by a 2-year defect period, so if you notice something that needs attention, let us know and we’ll assess it and arrange any necessary work.
Remember: Your NHBC Buildmark warranty also provides protection for 10 years. Your solicitor should provide your NHBC certificate when you complete, so keep it somewhere safe as you may need the policy details if you make a claim or sell your home.
A team behind you throughout the process
There are a lot of moving parts between reserving a new build and house key handover, and it’s understandable to have questions along the way. From the construction team on site to your solicitor, mortgage provider, and the people working behind the scenes at Redmile Homes, everyone has a part to play in getting your home ready.
Our team stays involved throughout the whole process, so you can feel confident at every stage. We’ll keep you updated, answer your questions, and help you understand what’s happening, so you’re not left wondering what comes next. You can meet the Redmile Homes team here and put some faces to the people helping you through your purchase.
Thinking about reserving a new build with Redmile Homes?
Explore our available plots at Gongoozlers Walk in Killamarsh and let’s find your perfect home!
FAQs about reserving a new build home
What happens after I reserve a new build home?
After reserving your plot with Redmile Homes, you’ll finalise your design choices where applicable, progress your mortgage, and instruct your solicitor. At the same time, our team will continue with the construction, inspections, legal work, and other preparations needed to progress your home towards completion. You can read more about the process of buying a home with us in our guide.
Will I receive updates on the progress of my new home?
Yes. We’ll keep you informed as your home progresses and our team will be available if you have questions along the way. The exact updates you receive will depend on where your home is in the construction process, but you’re welcome to get in touch at any time.
When does snagging take place on a new build property?
We carry out detailed checks as your home approaches completion, and you’ll have the opportunity to inspect it during your final visit before legal completion. Once you’ve moved in, you may notice smaller issues as your home settles and comes into everyday use; you can report relevant defects to us during the two-year defect period and we’ll assess and arrange any necessary work.
Author: Redmile Homes
9/30/2026
Value for money and a home to be proud of.