From April 1 the Council of Mortgage Lenders will not release money for new homes until they have been signed off by an approved warranty organisation such as NHBC. This means both warranty firms and housebuilders are having to change the way they work to ensure customers can move into their homes promptly. According to NHBC head of registration Neil Jefferson the move is &amp;“one of the biggest challenges that the industry has faced in recent years&amp;”.<p></p><p> Robert Lee, head of the property department at law firm Davies Arnold Cooper, said: &amp;“It will be vital for housebuilders to comply with the new steps the warranty organisations have developed and not just at the pre-handover inspection if they are to ensure there is to be no delay in their sale of homes.</p><p> &amp;“Housebuilders will need to ensure that homes are physically finished and finalled well ahead of the date of legal completion. A delay in legal completion through non-compliance will undoubtedly have contractual and financial cost implications for the housebuilder and the buyer, as well as accounting implications for the housebuilder seeking to complete sales ahead of a financial year-end.&amp;”</p><p> NHBC has been introducing its new systems for tackling this radical …