Electricity enters your home through a cable that is connected to the electricity meter and then to a control box inside your home. The cable and the meter belong to your electricity supplier and must never be tampered with. The wiring and equipment inside your home are your responsibility.

Electricity can kill. If you have any doubts about dealing with electrical equipment or wiring, call in a qualified electrician. You should always treat electricity with care, and always follow these safety rules.

• Only use appliances which are BEAB approved or CE marked.
• Don’t leave electrical appliances switched on unnecessarily and unplug them whenever you can.
• Hand-held electrical devices or tools should be used in conjunction with a residual current device (RCD) where possible.
• When using extension leads, don’t place them where they may get damaged or cause you to trip. This is especially important when using electric lawnmowers or other garden equipment.
• Before working on an electrical circuit, always switch off the electricity supply at the mains.

If you smell gas and you think there may be a leak, act quickly.

• Extinguish all naked flames and cigarettes.
• Don’t use any electrical switches – the smallest spark could cause an explosion.
• Turn off the gas supply at the mains.
• Open doors and windows to help the gas disperse.
• Call the emergency number given by your gas supplier and follow their instructions.

Your Miller Home will have either:

• A central heating systems with a boiler, thermostatically controlled, supplying radiators and hot water. Most systems will have a selector for both the heating and hot water allowing you to control both in line with the needs of your family.
  
  Or
   
• Night storage heaters.

If the boiler or controls show any signs of leaks or corrosion have them checked by an expert.

Controls are electrically supplied and if a problem occurs please use an approved electrician to deal with remedial works.

When re-decorating your radiators do not paint over the small valves, these are the bleed valves which allow you to release any air trapped in the radiators.

Your new home will be covered by NHBC Buildmark. It is important that you familiarise yourself with Buildmark and what it covers. Your Development Sales Manager will give you a copy of the NHBC's brochure. This provides an explanation of the NHBC and what Buildmark covers. Further details can be found at www.nhbc.co.uk and in your homeowner manual.

Pages 4 and 5 of the NHBC's booklet - "Guide to your new home" also provide an overview of Buildmark.

The water supply enters your home through the mains stop tap and feeds directly to the boiler or thermal store fitted within the property. To prevent damage during winter months, we no longer fit cold water tanks within the roof space.

You can prevent most plumbing problems by following these simple rules.

• In winter, to prevent pipes freezing up, try to leave some background heating on all the time.
• Your pipes will be well insulated, but if you do think they may be frozen, don’t turn on the hot water taps as this will drain the hot water tank and may cause damage.
• If you go away during winter, drain the water system, heating system and boiler. If you don’t know how to do this call a qualified plumber or heating engineer. Alternatively, set the timer so the heating comes on for an hour or so each day, and ask a friend or neighbour to check in on your home while you’re away.
• Make sure the stopcocks to any outside taps are fully closed with the tap in the open position in order to drain any water that may remain in the pipework.

On all occasions when you are leaving your property unoccupied for a prolonged period of time, isolate the water supply at the boundary box which is usually located at your front footpath, in order to minimise any damage to your property in the event of any leak.

• In general, always close the main stopcock before working on the plumbing.
• If the system has been drained, don’t light the boiler or switch on the immersion heater until you’re sure the system has been refilled.
• Don’t let water overflow from storage tanks or cisterns.
• Take care when fixing down carpets. Make sure you know where the pipes run so you can avoid driving nails through them.
• If you’re unsure about working on your plumbing, call in a qualified plumber.

Drainage

To avoid blockages, or worse still, flooding of your own or your neighbours’ property, be careful what you flush down the WC or pour down the sink. Follow some common sense rules. Don’t try to flush away nappies, sanitary towels, baby wipes or facial wipes. Put them in with your domestic waste. Never pour fat, grease, chemicals or paint down the sink or into drains. Take them to a refuse collection point for safe disposal.

Rainwater harvesting and SUDS systems

If your property is equipped with either of these systems please make sure we have given you the additional information you will need for using and maintaining it.

Radiators

If you notice your radiators are cool at the top this may indicate that there’s air trapped in the system and the radiators will need bleeding. To do this, first turn off the heating and allow the system to cool down. Attach a radiator key to the bleed valve at the end of the radiator, place a cloth under the valve and gently turn the key anti-clockwise. Open the valve just until you hear the hiss of air escaping. When water starts to bubble out, close the valve and tighten it up. Once air has been released, the pressure in the system may drop and re-pressurising may be required in order for the boiler to work. Please refer to your boiler or cylinder manual for details of how to do this.

The radiators in your home are pre-finished and shouldn’t need painting. However, if you’re re-decorating and you decide to repaint your radiators, don’t paint over the bleed valves or the feed valves at the bottom of the radiator.

Unvented hot water systems

Your home may be equipped with an unvented hot water system. With this type of system, water is stored under pressure which means you benefit from equal water pressure at both hot and cold taps, and generally increased hot water pressure. No cold water storage tank is required.

Because water is held under pressure, the system requires a combination of safety controls. These controls, and the system as a whole, should be inspected periodically by an approved engineer to ensure efficient and safe operation. Inspections are usually required once a year, although in hard water areas more frequent inspections may be necessary. For more information refer to the manufacturer’s instructions supplied.

Fire and smoke detectors

For your protection, we install smoke detectors as standard. We will provide you with the manufacturer’s instructions and you should follow their guidelines for maintenance and testing. Note that the smoke detectors are wired into the mains electricity supply and shouldn’t be opened unless they are switched off at the mains.

Intruder alarm

Your new home may be fitted with an alarm which may need to be activated by the installer. Consult the instructions that came with the system.

To maintain the warranty on your alarm and comply with your insurance company’s requirements, you may need to enter into a service agreement with the installer. This is something you should arrange directly with the installer.

New homes require time to settle. Some settling issues are covered by our warranty and some are not. Please refer to your NHBC documentation.

If you’ve spotted something wrong with your new home, of course you’ll want to get it sorted straight away. But in some circumstances it may be better to wait.

If we suggest waiting a while, don’t worry. Once you’ve reported an issue, there’s no danger of it being forgotten. When you agree to postpone work, our system will continue to remind us that the job still has to be done.

Sometimes we may need to inspect a problem to make a proper diagnosis of it and ensure we send the right people to fix it. This means it may take a little longer to complete the task, but of course we’ll always do our best to fix things as promptly as we can.

Fix now or inspect? Sometime we cannot be sure of the best course of action until a problem has been thoroughly inspected. For this reason we may arrange for an initial inspection of a defect to be undertaken in your home to ensure that the correct diagnosis is made and that the correct trades are deployed to fix it. Where such a defect is covered by our warranty we will either arrange deployment and completion within our normal procedures or we may ask you to defer. If an inspection is necessary, this may extend the overall time it takes for us to finally complete the job, however, we will do our utmost to meet the stated service criteria.

When your home’s being built, the structure absorbs a lot of water. During the first few months, as your home is lived in and heated, it will gradually dry out. As this happens, small cracks may appear in the walls and ceilings, caused by timbers and other materials shrinking slightly. This is quite normal for a new house. These cracks aren’t structurally significant and they can usually be taken care of when you redecorate.

While your home’s drying out, try to maintain an even temperature and use your central heating sparingly during the first few weeks. This will allow your home to warm up and dry out gradually. As your home dries out, moisture will need to escape. Open the doors and windows a little and leave the trickle vents above the windows open for as long as you can.

In summer, you may want to close the vents to stop dust getting in, especially if there’s building work going on nearby, but we recommend that you keep them open at night and during weekends to let the house ‘breathe’.

While your home is drying out, you may notice the appearance of white deposits known as ‘efflorescence’ on the external brickwork. This is caused by natural salts escaping from the wall materials, and is quite normal. The salts are not harmful and generally stop appearing after the house has dried out. If efflorescence occurs the deposits can simply be brushed off.

As a new house dries out, condensation can occur when water vapour comes into contact with cold surfaces like glass or tiles.

To reduce condensation, keep your home warm and well-ventilated. Close the bathroom and kitchen doors when these rooms are in use, and let vapour escape by switching on extractor fans or by opening the windows slightly. Keep pans covered when cooking and don’t let the kettle boil longer than necessary.

We do not recommend the drying of clothes indoors as this may well contribute to the level of condensation within your new home. Where tumble dryers are used, these should either be of the condenser type or be ducted externally. Please do not dry clothing on radiators, as this can be a major contributor to condensation levels.

At Miller Homes we understand that the ultimate judge of our product and service is our customer. 

For this reason we will email or call to conduct a short questionnaire with every customer around 4-6 weeks after their move in day. This questionnaire will take only a few minutes to complete yet it provides us with a lot of valuable information that is used to further improve our products and processes.

We do indeed take action based upon the feedback received.

We do hope that you will be able to take the time to complete your questionnaire - your feedback really matters.

 

When you call you may be asked to describe your problems in detail - this will help us to ensure that we provide you with the right level of service. You will also be asked to provide as many contact telephone numbers as possible.

If you report an emergency you should expect the following service:

• A telephone call within 20 minutes if additional information is required from you.
• Someone in your home within four hours to put an end to the emergency situation.
• Contact the next working day to establish if further work is required. Further work will normally be classified as Standard (see below).

If you report a Standard job (a standard job is anything which is NOT an emergency) you should expect the following service:

A telephone call within 24 working hours. (Working hours are Monday to Friday. Therefore if you call at 16.30 hours on Friday you will be contacted by 16.30 on Monday).

• Where the job requires labour only we expect to complete it within 10 working days.
• Where replacement parts are required we expect to complete the job within 20 working days. In rare cases where parts deliveries are held up by our suppliers then we may exceed the 20 days limit, we will contact you if this is the case.
• A letter from us explaining the jobs we have agreed to undertake and when we expect to complete them.

We recommend that if you have any minor problems during the first month of occupation that are not serious you should wait until you receive the courtesy calls from the Customer Service Department before reporting them.

The role of the Miller Homes Customer Service Department is to attend to and solve any problems or warranty issues you may have with your new home. So, after moving into your new home, please direct your questions to this department rather than to the Sales Representative or Site Manager on site. The Customer Service Department has systems and procedures in place to ensure that all problems or questions can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

The hours of operation of the Customer Service Department are 8.30am to 5.30pm Mon-Fri.

Your Miller home will either have a central heating system with a boiler that supplies radiators and hot water, or it will have night storage heaters. If the boiler shows any signs of leaks or corrosion, have it checked by a qualified heating engineer.

Your boiler, and any other gas appliances, should be serviced every year to keep them working at their best and to comply with the relevant warranties from the manufacturers, the NHBC, and any other organisation.

Make sure that the point where the boiler flue emerges outside your home, is kept clear of debris or plant growth, as these may impair the boiler’s performance.

The controls for the heating system are electrically operated, so if there’s any problem you should contact a qualified electrician or heating engineer.

Your Miller home has been designed so it can be heated efficiently. It’s already well insulated, but with care you should be able to save even more energy and keep your bills to a minimum.

Normally, you shouldn’t need to heat a room above 17°C (65F) unless it’s extremely cold, although young children and elderly people may need a little more warmth. Your heating system is fitted with a timer. This means you can control the heating so it only comes on when you need it.

Gas boilers will heat water more cheaply than an immersion heater used at peak times.

The hot water tank in your new home is well insulated so you will not need to heat water constantly.

We build our homes with care and we hope that nothing will go wrong. However it's good to know that Miller Homes has a comprehensive service network on stand-by should anything go wrong.

No need to write in :
Your NHBC Buildmark cover requests that all complaints should be put in writing to the builder. With Miller Homes you do not need to do this, just pick up the phone and let our sophisticated customer service systems do the rest.

For our joint peace of mind after your call we will write to you with details of every problem that you tell us about. If you do not agree with the contents of this letter or you do not receive anything within three working days then please call customer service right away. If we hear nothing we will always assume that our letter to you is an accurate description of the problems reported.

Sometimes it's better to wait :
Having remedial work carried out on a new home can be different to other types of remedial work that you may have experienced. Sometimes it is better NOT to have the problems fixed straight away. Please see our 'Deferring problems, what does this mean?' question for more information.

We can only work on your home if you allow us access to it. If you’ve made an appointment for us to visit and you find you can’t be there, please let your Customer Services contact know.

Our staff work from Monday to Friday during office hours. Unfortunately, we cannot arrange weekend visits

Your loft is insulated to help keep your home warm. Please adhere to the following:

• Do not obstruct the ventilation provided as this may cause condensation.
• Do not store anything in the loft that can be damaged by the cold conditions.
• Do not leave loft access open in cold spells this will allow heat loss to your home and condensation to form.
• Do not store heavy objects in the loft as it is not designed to carry such loads.

In the event of an emergency in your new home, all problems should be reported to the Miller Homes Customer Service Department NOT to your site manager or sales representative.

If you have an emergency out of normal office hours, or on weekends, bank holidays and over the Christmas period you should use the emergency number provided in your 'Moving' book. This is a regional number, unique to each of the Miller Homes regions.

General
We’ve provided information about the construction of your property. Always check this before starting any maintenance or alterations. If you are using contractors, it’s important to make sure that they are familiar with the information given here before they start work.

Working on walls or floors
Check for the location of services buried within walls or floors before drilling or chipping away the surface.

Gas and water pipes may be embedded in floor slabs. Power cables are likely to be positioned vertically or horizontally from power sockets and light switches. Never forget that mains electricity can kill.

Load-bearing walls
The load-bearing walls in your home are the walls that carry the weight of the structure down to the foundations. Generally speaking, load-bearing walls include all external walls, most of the internal walls on the ground floor and some partition walls above ground floor level. Some load-bearing walls also provide lateral support to an adjacent wall, usually one positioned at right angles to it.

Load-bearing walls are usually constructed from masonry – brickwork, blockwork or stone. In timber or steel-framed houses, however, they may be constructed from timber or steel instead.

If you’re planning to make any alterations to your home which would involve the removal of a load-bearing wall or any part of it, then you’ll have to replace it with an alternative means of support. This must be capable of supporting the remaining structure and carrying any load that was previously carried by the original load-bearing wall.

We strongly recommend that you seek professional advice from an architect or a structural engineer before carrying out any alterations to the structure of your home.

Loft
Although it’s unlikely you’ll spend much time up there, there are a few important points to note about your loft. First of all, if you have to go into the loft to carry out any work, be very careful where you tread and always walk on the joist timbers.

We do not recommend that the loft space is used for storage. It isn’t designed to carry heavy loads and therefore should not be boarded out.

In winter you may notice moisture forming on the roofing felt under the tiles. This is caused by warm moist air from inside the house condensing on the cold felt. Vents in the eaves normally allow this moisture to escape, so it’s important to keep them clear and free from obstruction. Don’t leave the loft access open longer than necessary as heat will escape and condensation will be encouraged.

Don’t make any modifications to the roof frame or you will invalidate our warranty conditions and those of the NHBC.

Roof and gutters
We strongly advise you not to climb on to the roof of your home. Always employ a suitably qualified engineer where attention to roof tiling or an aerial is required.

To reduce the risk of weather damage, look for and report any broken tiles. You should also check the lead flashings to make sure they’re not coming loose.

Wet patches on the wall may indicate that gutters or downpipes are blocked. You should check your gutters at least once a year and keep them clear of debris to prevent further damage. Don’t lean ladders against plastic gutters, they may split.

Outside
Remember that pipes and cables for gas, electricity and water are likely to be present in your front garden. Remember, too, that drainage pipes for sewage and storm water will be found around your property. Always check for pipes and cables before starting any work, especially if it will involve deep digging.

Chimneys, fireplaces and gas fires
If you have an open fireplace with a chimney above, the room may also have permanent air vents, usually located in the floor or the external walls. These allow the chimney to ‘draw’ effectively and they must never be covered or obstructed as this could cause smoke to enter the room while the fire is in use.

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion in all types of gas fire. It is colourless, odourless and without the proper precautions it can kill. To make sure they operate safely, gas fires and gasfired boilers should be serviced annually by an approved gas engineer who is registered by the Gas Safe Register or a similar scheme. Coal, coke or log-effect fires also rely on permanent vents in the floor or external walls to prevent the build-up of carbon monoxide. All vents like this must always be kept clear.

Damp-proof course
Make sure that soil or garden material doesn’t cover the damp-proof course or the airbricks. Soil, paving or patio areas should be kept 150mm (6 inches) below the level of the damp-proof course.

Squeaking timbers
Timber floors and staircases may shrink slightly as they dry out. As a result, you may notice some squeaking as the parts move against each other. This is quite natural and some squeaking is to be expected from wood structures.

Baths and showers
It’s possible that settlement may occur in your bath or shower tray once they are in regular use. This can cause the silicone seal to pull away from the sanitary ware, leaving a gap that may allow water to leak out and cause further damage. It’s important to have this taken care of. Just contact your Customer Services department and we’ll arrange for the job to be done.

Driveways
Where large drives are laid or where settlement has taken place, some pools of water might form after rainfall. In most cases this won’t be a cause for concern and a certain amount of pooling is acceptable.

If you’re planning to carry out any work on your new home always remember, safety first. Before you get started, make sure you read and understand the following health and safety guidelines.

Working safely
Whatever the job you’re planning to do, there are some basic safety rules you should always follow.

• Plan the job thoroughly. Think about what needs to be done and how you’ll go about it.
• Think about the risks involved. Remember, a job that may be perfectly safe in the open air could be hazardous in an under ventilated room.
• If the risks are potentially severe, falling from a great height for example, think about ways to avoid or reduce the risk, possibly by tackling the job another way.
• Check the guidance supplied with the materials you’ll be using to see if there are any precautions you need to take.
• Make sure you have the right tools, you know how to use them properly and they are in good condition.
• Wear adequate protective clothing and equipment, especially if there’s a risk of injury from the materials or the tools you’re using.
• If the job has to be carried out above ground or floor level, use suitable access equipment such as a ladder or stepladder.
• If the task is inherently risky, such as working from an extended ladder, avoid working alone and use a safety harness or other secondary protection.
• If you plan to work at height for an extended period, consider hiring access equipment such as a scaffold tower. It’ll make the job easier and safer.
• Dispose of waste materials carefully. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for disposal and clean-up.
• Have a well-equipped first aid kit available.

Working at height
If you are planning to use a ladder, you should only do so if you can work with one hand, leaving the other free to hold the ladder firmly, and if you are not afraid of heights.

• Inspect the ladder before use – check wooden ladders for broken rungs and split styles. If the ladder is damaged, do not attempt to repair it yourself.
• Try to use a ladder with non-slip foot attachments.
• Set the ladder at a stable angle (one out to four up) on level ground and secure the top if possible. If the top can’t be secured, secure the feet by setting them in a shallow trench or chocking them with a heavy object.
• Move the ladder regularly. Don’t try to over-reach rather than shift the ladder along.
• When moving the ladder, be aware of overhead obstructions, especially power lines.
• Use attachment trays and hooks to hold paint tins, brushes and tools.
• Check the manufacturer’s guidelines for extending the ladders and never extend beyond the maximum.
• Never attempt to work on a sloping roof without a proper roof ladder.
• Do not climb if you are taking medication.

Handling materials safely
Many materials used for building or maintenance are potentially harmful if handled or used incorrectly. Examples include:

• Cement, which can cause alkali burns or dermatitis on bare skin.
• Some hard woods, whose dust can cause respiratory problems if inhaled.
• Glues and adhesives which may give off harmful fumes.
• Solvents which can be harmful and flammable.
• Cleaning substances which can be corrosive and give off harmful fumes.
• Concrete products whose dust can cause chronic disease such as silicosis if inhaled over a long period of time.
• Lead-based paints which may give off harmful fumes if they are burned off.

Materials which have been purchased recently should be supplied with health and safety information covering safe storage, handling, application and disposal. Make sure you follow this information carefully and take all precautions recommended by the manufacturer during use.

Never mix different products unless this is recommended by the manufacturer.

When having work done on your new home, it is always advisable to employ a suitably qualified and competent contractor to carry it out. We strongly advise you not to work at heights or with electricity yourself as you could get seriously hurt. Always ask an expert!

Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than at higher temperatures uses around 40% less energy.

Recycling one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60 watt light bulb for six hours.

Leaving your car at home for just two days a week will save 1590lbs (721kg) of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Televisions left on standby cost the UK approximately £88m a year – this equates to 480,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

If chargers for devices such as mobile phones and MP3 players were unplugged when not in use the UK could save enough electricity each year to power 115,000 homes.

A running tap wastes more than six litres of water a minute, so turn off the tap whilst brushing teeth, shaving or washing your face and use cold water if you don’t need hot.

Roofs and gutters:
If you should need to carry out any works on the roof of your home you should always use a roof ladder to protect the tiles or slates, and for your own safety.

Gutters and any gullies should be regularly checked and if necessary cleaned of leaves and other debris. Take care not to lean ladders against plastic guttering.

When using ladders make sure the foot is on level ground and an adult is holding the base.


Damp Proof Courses and Air Bricks:
Please ensure that no garden material or soil covers the damp proof course and airbricks. Soil and any paving or patio areas should be kept 150mm (6 inches) below the damp proof course.

Your new home may have built-in appliances provided and these will have a manufacturers guarantee.

Should you have any problems with your appliances contact the manufacturers.

Your home includes many different high-quality fittings and finishes. Follow these simple cleaning guidelines to keep them looking good for longer.

Lacquered brass

Use a non-abrasive wax polish to clean these items. Do not use metal polish, abrasive cleaners or wire brushes. Normal dirt can be removed with a sponge and soapy water, but make sure you rinse with clean water and wipe dry. Over time, the lacquer coating may deteriorate and may start to lift. Unfortunately, this can’t be avoided, but careful cleaning will help prolong the life of your brassware.

Acrylic baths

These should be washed out thoroughly after use otherwise white deposits may form. Do not use undiluted bleach, or any kind of abrasive cleaner.

Toilets, sinks and pedestals

These should be cleaned with warm soapy water or a suitable cream cleaner. Wooden toilet seats benefit from the occasional application of a wax polish.

Chrome fittings

Clean with warm soapy water and wipe dry with a clean cloth to prevent streaking.

Windows

Windows can be cleaned easily from the inside. It’s okay to use warm soapy water on windows and frames. Stains can be removed using uPVC cleaner, but this shouldn’t be used too frequently. Use a non-abrasive cream for windows once a month. Avoid using solvent cleaners as these can damage the uPVC.

Laminate flooring

Laminate floors can be swept, vacuumed or mopped with a damp mop. Only use a vacuum with a hard floor attachment, and when using a mop make sure it’s only lightly dampened – don’t swab the floor with water or cleaning products. Make sure you dry the floor after damp cleaning. Spot clean with a damp cloth or an approved cleaner. Don’t use soaps, abrasives, polishes or wax. Wipe up any spills immediately.

Vinyl flooring

Scuff marks are fairly easy to remove from vinyl floors. First sweep the floor to remove dust then wipe the area with a damp cloth. You can use a pencil eraser to remove stubborn scuff marks or, if the mark remains, try gently rubbing it with toothpaste or a paste of baking soda. If that doesn’t work, try dishwashing detergent on a moist sponge. Don’t scrub one spot in isolation as loss of colour may occur.

Kitchen units

Clean with warm water and a mild detergent using a damp cloth. Never use abrasive or chemical cleaners. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. While cleaning, it’s a good opportunity to check all the screws are tight to prevent damage to the units. Don’t lean or place heavy weights on open doors or drawers.

Kitchen door fronts

Clean melamine and laminates with a damp cloth, warm water and detergent. Never use abrasive or chemical cleaners which could damage the finish. Clean and protect timber surfaces with furniture polish. Don’t let water stand on timber surfaces as this may cause irreparable damage. Always wipe dry with a soft cloth. Wood is a natural material and variation in the grain and texture is to be expected. Timber also mellows when exposed to sunlight, so a slight change in colour may be noticeable over time.

Worktops

Clean laminate and granite worktops with water and mild detergent. Cream cleaners and other non-abrasive cleaners will remove more stubborn marks. Don’t use abrasive cleaners as these will damage the finish. Worktops resist most household substances but strong chemicals or dyes can discolour and damage the surface. Spillages should be wiped away immediately and the area rinsed thoroughly. Avoid placing hot pans directly onto the surface as this will cause irreparable damage.

You’ve probably spent some time thinking about how you want your home to look. Well now’s the time to start bringing your ideas to life. Remember though, it’s all about preparation. So first, here’s some practical information.

Inside

Emulsion paints are usually used on the interior walls. You can apply further coats of emulsion, oil-based paints, or wallpaper if you choose to re-decorate after the drying out period (normally nine to 12 months). At this stage, any cracks in woodwork or plaster can be filled with filler before re-painting.

New woodwork absorbs a lot of paint or stain, so you’ll probably achieve a better finish when redecorating for the second or subsequent times.

When repainting ceilings or walls, these shouldn’t be washed or sanded as this could spoil the texture. Just brush the surfaces lightly before applying one or two coats of emulsion.

If you want to fix anything to the wall make sure you know how the wall is constructed and use the correct fixing. If in doubt, contact our Customer Service department and ask them.

We strongly recommend you buy a pipe and cable locator to check before fixing anything to the wall, but remember that these devices may not detect plastic pipes.

If you’re fixing something to a dry-lined wall, the fixing device must cross the gap between the plasterboard and the solid wall behind. You’ll find suitable fixings at most DIY stores.

Ceilings are not designed to support heavy loads. If possible, find the ceiling joists and fix to them. If not, use a fixing recommended for ceilings.

Outside

Exterior woodwork should be repainted regularly with a good quality paint or stain to protect it from the elements. Make sure the woodwork’s dry before you paint it. Exterior paintwork is best done in the summer months or early autumn.

Over time, exterior paint finishes will become dull due to exposure to sunlight and pollution. The first repainting should be completed within the first two years. After that, provided the work has been completed properly, repainting should only be necessary every four to five years.

Your new Miller home is yours to enjoy inside and out. In this section, we offer some practical advice that will help you on the way to creating a glorious garden.

Whenever we plan a development, we employ a team of landscape architects to create a layout that’s attractive to you, the residents, and sympathetic with the local environment.

There may be turfing and planting in the front gardens to enhance the appearance of the development. Planting usually takes place in the period from October to March, and in some cases this may mean that it isn’t finished when you move in. Our landscaping team will complete planting at the appropriate time and may require access to your property. Contact your Customer Service department if you need to know more about the planned work and its scheduling. Gardens to the rear are a matter of personal taste – like decorating, we leave it up to you to design them as you choose.

Here are a few points to bear in mind when planning your garden.

Trees and hedges take moisture out of the soil. If the soil is clay, new planting may cause shrinkage while removing hedges or trees may cause swelling. In either case, if the shrinking or swelling is excessive, it could damage the foundations. Much depends on the type of soil and the type of trees or shrubs, so it’s a good idea to ask an expert gardener for advice before planting.

Newly-planted trees and shrubs may need a lot of water during the first few months.

Be careful not to plant trees too close to your neighbour’s home. They could cause damage and you’d be liable for the cost of repairs.

After completion you’ll be responsible for the upkeep of your lawn. A new lawn should be watered regularly during dry spells. Once it’s established it will benefit from regular attention, including feeding, weeding, cutting and raking.

Garden drainage

With your new garden, you may notice some surface water forming after rainfall. This is normal for newly laid-out gardens. Drainage can take a while to settle – up to a couple of seasons – but it will gradually improve.

In the winter months, lawns may become saturated and slow to drain. There are many reasons why this may occur, including local water tables, heavy rainfall, compacted ground underneath as a result of construction, new topsoil needing time to settle. Putting in shrubs and plants can also help the garden to absorb moisture naturally.

Wildlife

With a little help from nature, it’s possible to create a garden that provides a haven for insects, birds, small mammals and reptiles.

There are other advantages to this type of garden. Not only does it provide a habitat for wildlife, the stable eco-system in a wildlife garden means fewer weed or pest problems. This is gardening with nature, rather than against it.

Indigenous plants

Make sure you buy these from a nursery rather than taking them from the wild. Choose scented, colourful open blooms with nectar or pollen to attract bumblebees. Favourites include primrose, foxglove and geraniums. Butterflies, meanwhile are drawn to the nectar in buddleia, marjoram and knapweed.

Trees not only clean the air, they also provide a rich habitat for nesting birds and insects. A silver birch for example can host up to 280 different species. If you don’t have room to plant a tree however, a hedge of hawthorn, dogwood and wild rose will also attract wildlife. If you only have space for a climber, the tangled foliage of an ivy will be irresistible to nesting birds and hoverflies.

Water

One of the best ways to bring wildlife into a garden is to create a pond. Before long you’ll attract dragonflies, damselflies and pond skaters. It’s an open invitation to frogs and newts, and birds, voles and hedgehogs may also stop by to drink or bathe.

Before you start digging for a pond, get in touch with Miller Homes Customer Services department to make sure it’s safe to do so without causing any damage. The pond should be secure from young children.

Shelter

If a garden is too tidy it can deter wildlife, so try enticing animals in with a more laid-back approach to gardening.

A small area of undisturbed long grass will provide a haven for a whole host of creatures. So too will dense shrubs or hedges suitable for nesting or hiding in.

Hedgehogs are welcome visitors to the garden as they feed on slugs and other pests. They can be encouraged to take up residence if you provide a pile of twigs and leaves or a nesting box in an undisturbed corner of the garden.

Now you’ve moved in, it’s our Customer Services department’s job to make sure everything is okay. They are there to make sure any queries or issues you may have are dealt with as quickly as possible.

Keeping in touch

Around one week after completion, our Customer Services department will contact you. At this point they’ll ask if you have any queries or issues that need to be taken care of. As a matter of course, we’ll call you back again around one month after completion.

If you have any minor issues to report during the first month, it’s best to wait until the Customer Services department calls you before reporting them.

No need to write

NHBC Buildmark ask that complaints to the housebuilder should be put in writing. With Miller Homes, you don’t need to do this, all you have to do is call. Once you’ve contacted us, your query will be entered into our system and followed through until it’s resolved.

After your call, we try to send you a written summary detailing the issues you’ve told us about. If you don’t agree with the contents of this letter, or you don’t hear from us within three working days, please call your Customer Services contact straight away. If we don’t hear back from you, we’ll assume our letter is an accurate description of the issues you’ve reported.