Terms-Policies

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR USE OF COOKIES

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.

A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive.

WHICH COOKIES DOES OUR WEBSITE USE?

We use the following cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies. These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website.

• Analytical/performance cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.

• Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of region).

• Targeting cookies. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose.

You can find more information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them below:

• SESS plus unique session ID - This is a cookie that generates a random number key for you and is essential to enable the CMS (Content Management System) to work. Main and mobile sites.

• session_api_session - This is a cookie that generates a random number key for you when you start to use the Website and is essential to enable CMS to work. Main and mobile sites.

• has_js - This is a cookie that checks to see if you have Javscript enabled on your machine. Information is changed depending on this check and it is essential to enable the CMS to work. Main and mobile sites.

• __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmz - These are cookies that interface with Google Analytics. Analytics is used to capture information about your visit to the website. Main and mobile sites.

• _drt_, id - These are cookies that interface with Doubleclick to capture tracking information about your visit to the website. Main only.

Please note that third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.

All cookies will expire after a maximum of 2 years.

BLOCKING COOKIES 

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.

You can also visit www.aboutcookies.org, which contains very helpful information about cookies, the way that they are used and how to stop them from being stored on your computer.

INTRODUCTION

Avant Homes is committed to handling your personal information or “personal data” in a responsible manner. We follow four guiding principles when it comes to your privacy:

• Transparency: We work hard to be transparent about what personal information we collect and process.
• Simplicity: We strive to use easy-to-understand language to describe our privacy practices to help you make informed choices.
• Control: We give you control over the personal information you provide to us, including how it is used, shared, and retained.
• Security: We adopt administrative, technical and physical safeguards to ensure the safety of your personal information.

This privacy statement explains how we look after your personal data and tells you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. 

It is important that you read this privacy statement together with any other privacy statement or fair processing notices we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or using your personal data (for example if you reserve one of our new homes) so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This privacy statement supplements the other notices and is not intended to override them.

THE AVANT HOMES GROUP

The Avant Homes Group is made up of different legal entities. This privacy statement is issued on behalf of the Avant Homes Group so when we mention “Avant Homes”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy statement, we are referring to the relevant company in the Avant Homes Group responsible for processing your personal information in accordance with this privacy notice and in compliance with the relevant data regulation and law. We will let you know which entity will be the controller for your data if you purchase a new home or other product from us. Avant Homes Limited is the data controller and responsible for this website.

We have appointed a data protection manager who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy statement. If you have any questions about this privacy statement, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the data protection manager using the details set out in the “Contact us” section at the end of this statement.

CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY STATEMENT AND INFORMING US OF CHANGES TO YOUR PERSONAL DATA 

This version was last updated on 6^th May 2020.

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.

THE DATA WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU  

We may collect information from you when you: 

• fill in a form either face to face when you visit one of our developments, or over the telephone
• fill in a form on our website or a third party’s website (for example a property portal such as Rightmove or Zoopla)
• send us an email or letter
• enter into a reservation form or other transaction with us
• subscribe to one of our services or publications
• enter into a competition or promotion
• request marketing to be sent to you
• give us some feedback
• interact with our website, which may automatically collect some technical data
• use our social media pages, which are monitored by a third-party company on our behalf
• visit or call one of our developments.

The information collected may include the following: 

• your first name, middle name, maiden name, last name, marital status, title, date of birth and gender
• your contact details, including your address, a business address, email address and telephone numbers (fixed line and mobile)
• technical information such as your internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access this website
• information about how you use our website, products and services
• information including your preferences in receiving marketing from us and your communication preferences
• information you have provided to third parties, such as via a property portal or website or when you comment on one of our social media pages
• CCTV or telephone call recording, which we use on some of our developments to provide a safe and secure environment for our employees or for training and monitoring purposes for our customer services team.

We do not collect any special categories of personal data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.

We do not provide services to those under the age of 18 as the nature of our business means that only those over the age of 18 can enter into a contract to buy a new home.  We may collect and process data for individuals under the age of 18 in relation to specific marketing promotions, competitions and social media output.  The collection and processing of data of individuals under the age of 18 is subject to us gaining consent from the individual’s parent or guardian and that is the lawful basis for such processing.  If you are using our website and are under the age of 18, you should obtain your parents’ or guardians’ permission before you contact us.

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA  

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

• To provide you with details of our developments and new homes or other products and services we may offer
• To inform you of special promotions and offers
• To contact you if you have asked us to provide you with for information about one of our developments
• Where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation
• To carry out website analytics
• To carry our market research and development of our products and services
• Social media and website promotion and advertising.

More detail relating to the legal basis on which we use your personal data is set out in the table below:

Purpose/Activity	Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest (where applicable)
To register you as interested in receiving marketing communications for one or more of our development sites	Consent
Asking you to leave a review or take a survey	Necessary for our legitimate interests (to keep our records updated and to study how customers use our products/services)
To enable you to partake in a prize draw, competition or complete a survey	(a) Performance of a contract with you (b) Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them and grow our business)
To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data)	(a) Necessary for our legitimate interests (for running our business, provision of administration and IT services, network security, to prevent fraud and in the context of a business reorganisation or group restructuring exercise) (b) Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
To deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you	Necessary for our legitimate interests (to study how customers use our products/services, to develop them, to grow our business and to inform our marketing strategy)
To use data analytics to improve our website, products/services, marketing, customer relationships and experiences	Necessary for our legitimate interests (to define types of customers for our products and services, to keep our website updated and relevant, to develop our business and to inform our marketing strategy)
To make suggestions and recommendations to you about goods or services that may be of interest to you	Necessary for our legitimate interests (to develop our products/services and grow our business)
Social media and website promotion and advertising	Consent

 

Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending marketing communications to you via email, post or text message or for any social media and website promotion and advertising. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time through the unsubscribe link embedded within any emails that are sent to you or by contacting us to unsubscribe by post or email (see the “Contact us” section below).

MARKETING  

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the use of our personal data for marketing and advertising. For example, when we collect your contact details, we ask you to specify your preferences for how we contact you, whether by telephone, post, email or SMS. We do not share or sell personal data to third parties outside the Avant Homes Group for their marketing purposes. Some of our advertising campaigns are managed and issued by a third party marketing or PR agency on our behalf, but those third parties will only contact you on our behalf with information about Avant Homes’ products and services.

You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased goods or services from us or if you provided us with your details when you entered a competition or registered for a promotion and, in each case, you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.

You can ask us to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you or by contacting the Group’s data protection manager at any time (see the “Contact us” section below).

Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us for other reasons. 

CHANGE OF PURPOSE  

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose.

Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

WHO WE MAY SHARE YOUR PERSONAL DATA WITH

We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes set out in this privacy statement:

• other companies in the Avant Homes Group who also act as controllers or processors

• service providers acting as processors based in the UK who provide IT and system administration services to the Avant Homes Group

• the Avant Homes Group’s appointed marketing, PR or advertising agencies for the purpose of running the Avant Homes Group’s marketing campaigns, carrying our market research, surveys and customer focus groups.

• professional advisers acting as processors including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers based in the UK who provide consultancy, banking, legal, insurance and accounting services

• HM Revenue & Customs, regulators and other authorities

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own marketing purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS  

We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

DATA SECURITY  

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

HOW LONG WILL YOU KEEP MY PERSONAL DATA FOR?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

By law we have to keep basic information about our customers for six years after they cease being customers for tax purposes.  In some instances, if you go ahead and buy a new home from us or one of our part exchange properties, we will keep your personal data for up to twelve years.

In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS  

Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data, including the right to:

• Request access to your personal data
• Request correction of your personal data.
• Request erasure of your personal data.
• Object to processing of your personal data.
• Request restriction of processing your personal data.
• Request transfer of your personal data.
• Right to withdraw consent.

If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us (see the “Contact us” section below).  

YOUR RIGHT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE ICO

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.

CONTACT US

Our full contact details are:

Full name of legal entity: Avant Homes Limited

Name or title of Group Data Protection Manager: Group Company Secretary & General Counsel

Email address: [email protected]

Postal address: Avant House, 6 and 9 Tallys End, Barlborough S43 4WP

Avant Homes Limited is registered on the register of data controllers with the Information Commissioner’s Officer with registration number: ZA354346.

All companies within the Avant Homes Group adhere to the same privacy policy.

WHAT’S IN THESE TERMS?

These terms tell you the rules for using our website www.Avanthomes.co.uk (our site).

WHO WE ARE AND HOW TO CONTACT US

www.Avanthomes.co.uk is a site operated by Avant Homes Limited (”Avant”). Avant is registered in England and Wales under company number 03215228 and we have our registered office at Avant House, 6 and 9 Tallys End, Barlborough S43 4WP. Our VAT number is 181 3492 62.

We are a limited company.

Click to find the telephone and email contact details for Avant Homes regional offices.

BY USING OUR SITE YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS

By using our site, you confirm that you accept these terms of use and that you agree to comply with them.
If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our site.
We recommend that you print a copy of these terms for future reference.

THERE ARE OTHER TERMS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOU

These terms of use refer to the following additional terms, which also apply to your use of our site:

• Our Privacy Policy which sets out the terms on which we process any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us. By using our site, you consent to such processing and you warrant that all data provided by you is accurate.

• Our Acceptable Use Policy, which sets out the permitted uses and prohibited uses of our site. When using our site, you must comply with this Acceptable Use Policy.

• Our Cookie Policy, which sets out information about the cookies on our site.

• Our Sales Scheme Terms and Conditions, which details the schemes and promotions available to buyers on Avant Homes properties.

WE MAY MAKE CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

We may amend these terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our site, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time. 

WE MAY MAKE CHANGES TO OUR SITE

We may update and change our site from time to time to reflect changes to our products, our users’ needs and our business priorities.

WE MAY SUSPEND OR WITHDRAW OUR SITE

Our site is made available free of charge.

We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend or withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our site for business and operational reasons. We will try to give you reasonable notice of any suspension or withdrawal.

You are responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our site through your internet connection are aware of these terms of use and other applicable terms and conditions and that they comply with them.

Our site is directed to people residing in the United Kingdom. We do not represent that content available on or through our site is appropriate for use or available in other locations.

HOW YOU MAY USE MATERIAL ON OUR SITE

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our site, and in the material published on it. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

You may print off one copy and may download extracts, of any page(s) from our site for your personal use and you may draw the attention of others within your organisation to content posted on our site.

You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.

Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of content on our site must always be acknowledged.

You must not use any part of the content on our site for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors.

If you print off, copy or download any part of our site in breach of these terms of use, your right to use our site will cease immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made.

DO NOT RELY ON INFORMATION ON THIS SITE

The content on our site is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up to date.

PROPERTY DETAILS AND SPECIFICATION

The prices and availability of our homes are updated regularly. However, to ensure that you have the most accurate, up to date information, you should contact the sales team based at the development that you are interested in. Full contact details for each of our developments are available on the “Find your new home” pages on our website.

The information available on our website for each of our developments and the homes we are planning to build is for general information only. The information and photography used in our marketing literature is intended to convey the lifestyle offered to customers buying our homes and individual homes on our developments may differ in external appearance, specification and layout. We may also, on occasion, decide to change our development layouts or the external appearance or layout of our homes or our specification options. The interior design, furnishings and some fittings and fixtures that are displayed in our showhomes may not be part of our standard specification. Full details of what is included in our standard specification is available from the marketing suite at each of our developments.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WEBSITES WE LINK TO

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. Such links should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or information you may obtain from them.

We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE SUFFERED BY YOU

Whether you are a consumer or a business user:

• We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
• Different limitations and exclusions of liability will apply if you decide to buy one of our homes, which will be set out separately in any contract for sale (England) or missives (Scotland) relating to the sale and purchase of that home.

If you are a business user:

• We exclude all implied conditions, warranties, representations or other terms that may apply to our site or any content on it.
• We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising under or in connection with:
• use of, or inability to use, our site; or
• use of or reliance on any content displayed on our site.
• In particular, we will not be liable for:
• loss of profits, sales, business, or revenue;
• business interruption;
• loss of anticipated savings;
• loss of business opportunity, goodwill or reputation; or
• any indirect or consequential loss or damage.

If you are a consumer user:

• Please note that we only provide our site for domestic and private use. You agree not to use our site for any commercial or business purposes, and we have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.
• If defective digital content that we have supplied, damages a device or digital content belonging to you and this is caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill, we will either repair the damage or pay you compensation.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR VIRUSES AND YOU MUST NOT INTRODUCE THEM

We do not guarantee that our site will be secure or free from bugs or viruses.

You are responsible for configuring your information technology, computer programmes and platform to access our site. You should use your own virus protection software.

You must not misuse our site by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our site, the server on which our site is stored or any server, computer or database connected to our site. You must not attack our site via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack. By breaching this provision, you would commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our site will cease immediately.

LINKING TO AVANT HOMES

You may link to our home page, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it.

You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists.

You must not establish a link to our site on any website that is not owned by you.

Our site must not be framed on any other site, nor may you create a link to any part of our site other than the homepage.

We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.

The website in which you are linking must comply in all respects with the content standards set out in our Acceptable Use Policy.

If you wish to link to or make any use of content on our site other than that set out above, please contact [email protected] 

WHICH COUNTRY’S LAWS APPLY TO ANY DISPUTES?

If you are a consumer, please note that these terms of use, their subject matter and their formation, are governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction except that if you are a resident of Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.

If you are a business, these terms of use, their subject matter and their formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law. We both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

OUR TRADE MARKS ARE REGISTERED

Our trademarks, including “Avant Homes” and “Dare to be Different” are UK registered trademarks of Avant Homes Limited, one of our Group companies. You are not permitted to use them without our approval.

PROPERTY REPRESENTATION

Please note that we have endeavoured to portray a reasonable account of the properties we are planning to build. Circumstances may force us to change certain issues and therefore we would advise you to carefully discuss all issues with your Sales Advisor at each stage of the process. All facts and photographs used in our marketing literature are intended to reasonably convey the lifestyle offered by an Avant Homes property. Each home may differ in external finish and appearance and elevational issues may differ from those photographed or illustrated. Floor plans are as accurate as we can be but please be aware that individual construction may result in a slight variance. Please also note that the interior design, furnishings and some fittings and finishings that make up our showhome are not part of our standard specification. These particulars do not form part of a contract or a warranty.

WORLDPAY

Avant may accept payment (GBP only) by credit or debit card or via a virtual termination account (online payment portal) for specific transactions such as for a reservation fee or for options and extras. 

Avant’s refund policy in relation to Worldpay transactions referred to above is:

Reservations: 

If I / we cancel the reservation you agree to pay back the reservation fee less any reasonable administrative and other costs incurred by you as a result of us reserving the plot, which we would estimate to be at least £100.

When I/we exchange contracts for you to buy the property at the reservation price before the reservation expiry date, the reservation fee will be taken in part payment of the deposit required at the time.

Details of Avant’s refund policy can also be found on the document requesting payment.

Options and Extras:

Options and extras means the extras or variations which are not included in the standard specification for the property which you reserve and in respect of which an additional payment shall be required. You will pay a deposit of 25% (plus VAT) of the total value of any extras that you order when you place your order for extras. The balance of 75% (plus VAT) will be payable on legal completion and will be detailed in the legal completion statement. The deposit of 25% (plus VAT) shall not be refundable in any circumstances, whether or not you proceed to purchase the property.
 

 

FESTIVE FINISH THE SENTENCE COMPETITION

1. The promoter is Avant Homes Limited (”Avant”). Avant is registered in England and Wales under company number 03215228 and we have our registered office at Avant House, 6 and 9 Tallys End, Barlborough S43 4WP. Our VAT number is 181 3492 62.

2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom except employees of Avant and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.

3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via:

• https://www.facebook.com/AvantNewHomes/
• https://twitter.com/AvantHomes
• https://www.instagram.com/avant_homes/

6. Only one entry will be accepted per person per round, per channel.

7. Closing dates for entry in the Festive Finish the Sentence competition is Wednesday Dec 15, 2021, 11:59pm. After the closing date and time, no further entries to the competition will be permitted.

8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.

9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:

• Using your phone’s predictive text feature, finish the sentence ‘This Christmas I’m dreaming of ______’ and post your answer on the respective competition post’s comments on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, AND follow the Avant Homes Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page you have entered on, AND tag a friend

10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.

11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.

12. The winner, chosen at random, will receive the following prizes:

• 1x £50 John Lewis voucher
• 1 x bottle of Borgo Antico Prosecco, as supplied by Imported Brands International
• 1 x bottle of Laurent-Perrier, as supplied by Home Move Box
• 1 x Barrel drinks dispenser, as supplied by Kilner
• 2 x Mixing bowls, as supplied by Mason Cash
• 1 x Mini Raclette, as supplied by Kuhn Rikon
• 1x Springform cake tin, as supplied by Kitchen Aid
• 2 x Zip Top silicone food storage pouches, as supplied by Zip Top
• 1 x Food box set, as supplied by Klean Kanteen
• 1x cocktail shaker and 1x muddler, as supplied by Cellardine
• Window snow spray and stencil, as supplied by Snow Windows

The prizes are as stated, and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the Promoter reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. The value of any monetary balance of any voucher prize may not be exchanged for cash equivalent or alternative. Use of any voucher is subject to the terms and conditions of the issuer including expiry dates and the Promoter accepts no responsibility beyond provision of any voucher to the winner.

13. The winner will be chosen at random by software, from all entries received and verified by Promoter and or its agents. 

14. The winner will be notified by DM on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.

15. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.

16. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

17. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

18. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

19. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

20. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by messaging (DM) @AvantNewHomes on Facebook or @AvantHomes on Twitter, or @avant_homes on Instagram.

21. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.

22. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Avant and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy found at https://www.avanthomes.co.uk/terms-policies

23. Avant shall have the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to change or modify these terms and conditions, such change shall be effective immediately upon posting to this webpage.

FESTIVE #AVANTPETS COMPETITION

1. The promoter is Avant Homes Limited (”Avant”). Avant is registered in England and Wales under company number 03215228 and we have our registered office at Avant House, 6 and 9 Tallys End, Barlborough S43 4WP. Our VAT number is 181 3492 62.

2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom except employees of Avant and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.

3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

5. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via:

• https://www.facebook.com/AvantNewHomes/
• https://twitter.com/AvantHomes
• https://www.instagram.com/avant_homes/

6. Multiple entries from the same person are permitted.

7. Closing dates for entry in the Festive Pets competition is Sunday Dec 19, 2021, 11:59pm. After the closing date and time, no further entries to the competition will be permitted.

8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.

9. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:

• Post a festive picture of your pet on Instagram and tag @avant_homes in the image, or leave a comment on the Avant Homes Festive Pets Facebook post (@AvantNewHomes), or tweet a festive picture of your pet and tag @AvantHomes on Twitter.

10. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.

11. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.

12. The prizes are as follows:

• 1x adult size Snuggy and 1x dog Snuggy, as supplied by Snuggy OR
• 1x lettered dog bowl as supplied by Mason Cash, 1x dog treats bundle as supplied by Rural Ralph, and 1x dog storage bundle supplied by Kath and Kin OR
• 1 x Ginger cat bowl and 1x smokey cat bowl as supplied by Mason Cash, 1x cat storage bundle supplied by Kath and Kin and 1x Catit flower fountain OR
• 1 x £50 Pets at Home gift card

The prizes are as stated and Avant Homes will select which winner will get which one of the four above prizes. No cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and the Promoters reserves the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.

13. Winners will be chosen by Avant Homes, from all entries received and verified by Promoter and or its agents. 

14. The winners will be notified by DM on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.

15. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.

16. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

17. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

18. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

19. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

20. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by messaging (DM) @avant_homes on Instagram, @AvantNewHomes on Facebook or @AvantHomes on Twitter.

21. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.

22. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Avant and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy found at https://www.avanthomes.co.uk/terms-policies

23. Avant shall have the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to change or modify these terms and conditions, such change shall be effective immediately upon posting to this webpage.

Help to Buy Backed by HM Government

Help to Buy: Equity Loan (2021-23), England. First-time homebuyers who meet affordability and lending terms can borrow an equity loan of up to 20% (40% in London) of the sale price of a new build home. How much you can spend on your home will depend on which region it is in. North East £186,100; North West 224,400; Yorkshire and the Humber £228,100; East Midlands £261,900; West Midlands £255,600; East of England £407,400; London £600,000; South East £437,600; South West £349,000. You must fund at least 80% (60% in London) of the sale price with a mortgage and at least a 5% deposit.

Pay no interest on the loan for the first 5 years. Interest fees start at 1.75% and rise each year in April by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) plus 2%. You pay a monthly management fee of £1 for the life of the loan. Homes England, the lender, secures the equity loan as a second charge on your Help to Buy home. You must repay the equity loan when you sell the home or pay off your mortgage. You can repay all or part (10% to 30%) of the loan any time before then. An independent financial adviser and a solicitor may be able to help you decide if Help to Buy is right for you.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage, equity loan or other loans secured against it.

Find your local Help to Buy Agent by clicking here.

More information about the Help to Buy Scheme visit the official Help to Buy website.

My Move Scheme Terms and Conditions

1.    You must allow us access to Your Property within seven days and we will appoint two independent valuers to value Your Property (in Scotland, this will be an estate agent and a surveyor).  The valuation will be instructed on the basis of achieving a sale within 8 to 10 weeks, at the price it is likely to achieve in the current market (as opposed to an advertised asking price). If there is a discrepancy of more than 10% between the 2 valuations, we will appoint a third valuation. 

2.    Within two days of the valuations being carried out, we will confirm verbally, what we consider to be an acceptable price for Your Property and propose a marketing range under the My Move scheme.  We will also confirm these proposals in writing on the same day.

3.    Upon receipt of the proposed prices, you must tell us whether they are accepted within two working days.  If accepted, the matter can proceed to formal reservation with the completion of a Reservation Agreement.    If you do not accept the proposed prices, your application will be cancelled.

4.    Obtaining a valuation of any property does not obligate us to accept the property under the My Move scheme.  Whether a property is suitable for the My Move scheme is entirely at our discretion and we are at liberty to refuse any property onto the My Move scheme without explanation.

5.    If Your Property is already on the market, you agree that you will cancel all existing arrangements with any estate agent, regardless of whether that results in you incurring costs (which we shall not be obliged to reimburse). 

6.    You agree to allow us to nominate the estate agent(s) that will market Your Property and to agree the marketing terms with them at our sole discretion.

7.    You provide your irrevocable authority to the appointed estate agent(s) to liaise with us during the period the property is marketed for sale and to discuss with us any offers received.  You agree to notify us with any offers you receive directly within one day of receipt.

8.    You agree to co-operate with the appointed estate agents to allow:
a.    The erection of a “For Sale” sign at the property;
b.    All advertising that we consider appropriate in connection with the marketing of the property;
c.    Reasonable access to Your Property by potential buyers viewing the property (by appointment only)

9.    If an acceptable offer has not been received within six weeks of marketing the property under the My Move scheme, we reserve the right to renegotiate with you regarding reducing the marketing price and acceptable sale price.  If you do not accept the proposed revised prices, we may cancel the Reservation and refund the reservation deposit, subject to deduction of an administration fee in accordance with the terms set out in the Reservation Agreement.

10.    If an offer is accepted on Your Property through an estate agent we appoint and the buyers proceed to exchange contracts, we will pay the estate agent’s fees in connection with the sale of Your Property.

11.    If you withdraw from the Reservation of the new build plot but choose to proceed to complete the sale of Your Property to a buyer introduced by the estate agent that we appointed, you agree to be wholly responsible for all of the estate agent’s fees in connection with the marketing and sale of Your Property.

12.    You agree to continue to maintain Your Property and its garden in a satisfactory and clean and tidy condition throughout the process.

13.    Full vacant possession of Your Property will be required on legal completion.
 

Part Exchange Scheme Terms and Conditions

1.    The following properties will not be acceptable for our part exchange scheme (the below list is not exhaustive):
a.    properties with a value more than 70% of the purchase price of the associated new build plot;
b.    leasehold properties with less than 85 years remaining on the lease;
c.    properties with unusual methods of construction or characteristics;  

2.    You must allow us access to Your Property within seven days and we will appoint two independent valuers to value Your Property (in Scotland, this will be an estate agent and a surveyor).  The valuation will be instructed on the basis of achieving a sale within 8 to 10 weeks, at the price it is likely to achieve in the current market (as opposed to an advertised asking price). If there is a discrepancy of more than 10% between the 2 valuations, we will appoint a third valuation. 

3.    Within two days of the valuations being carried out, we will confirm verbally, the price we are willing to pay for Your Property under the Part Exchange scheme.  We will also confirm this offer in writing on the same day.

4.    You must tell us within two working days whether our offer is acceptable.  If accepted, the matter can proceed to formal reservation with the completion of a Reservation Agreement.    If you do not accept our part exchange offer, your application will be cancelled.

5.    Upon accepting our part exchange offer, you agree to appoint a solicitor within two working days and to use all reasonable endeavours to achieve exchange of contracts within the 42-day reservation period.

6.    Obtaining a valuation of any property does not obligate us to make a part exchange offer.  Whether a property is suitable for the Part Exchange scheme is entirely at our discretion and we are at liberty to refuse any property onto the Part Exchange scheme without explanation.

7.    Any offer made by us and accepted by you under the part exchange scheme is subject to our receiving and being satisfied with any further enquiries or reports that we consider appropriate or necessary.  

8.    If Your Property is more than 10 years old, we will also require a satisfactory RICS Home Buyers Report, which will be paid for by us. If the Home Buyers Report identifies that works are required to Your Property or that further specialist reports or surveys are recommended, we may require these to be carried out as a condition of the part exchange, or to re- negotiate the PX Buy-in Price.

9.    You will also need to provide us with an up to date Gas Safety Certificate for the PX Property from an engineer registered with an industry recognised accredited body and an up to date Electrical Installation Condition Report from an NICEIC registered electrician, both of which must be less than 2 months old. If either of these certificates or reports identifies work required to the PX Property, we may require these works to be carried out as a condition of the part exchange, or to make an allowance from the PX Buy-in Price to cover the cost of the works.

10.    All floorcoverings, integrated kitchen appliances, light fittings curtain poles/tracks and blinds are to be included in the part exchange price unless specifically agreed otherwise in writing.  If an agreement to allow the removal of any such items is made, it will be on the basis that suitable replacements are made and that any damage caused to the decoration by the removal of such items is made good to an acceptable standard.   

11.    If gas or electricity is supplied to the PX Property through a pre-payment meter, you will contact your utility supplier and arrange to convert back to a traditional meter prior to you vacating the PX Property.

12.    If Your Property is already on the market, you agree that you will cancel all existing arrangements with any estate agent, regardless of whether that results in you incurring costs (which we shall not be obliged to reimburse). 

13.    You agree to allow us to nominate the estate agent(s) that will market Your Property and to agree the marketing terms with them at our sole discretion.

14.    We reserve the right to market the PX Property prior to your move into your new Avant Home.   We may commence marketing immediately. 

15.    The nominated estate agents will be marketing Your Property on our behalf and subject to your purchase of the associated new build plot, we will pay the estate agents fees in connection with the marketing and sale of Your Property.

16.    You agree to co-operate with the appointed estate agents and:
a.    to allow the erection of a “For Sale” sign at the property;
b.    allow all advertising that we consider appropriate in connection with the marketing of the property;
c.    to allow reasonable access to Your Property by potential buyers viewing the property (by appointment only); 
d.    to leave a key with our estate agent so that they can carry out viewings if you are not available to give access. 

17.    If you complete the Part Exchange transaction, we will pay the nominated estate agent’s fees in connection with the sale of Your Property.

18.    If you withdraw from the Reservation of the new build plot but choose to proceed to complete the sale of Your Property to a buyer introduced by the estate agent that we appointed, you agree to be wholly responsible for all of the estate agent’s fees in connection with the marketing and sale of Your Property.

19.    You agree to continue to maintain Your Property and its garden in a satisfactory and clean and tidy condition until you complete your Part Exchange transaction with us. A £500 retention will be held by our solicitors on completion until (a) the PX Property has been inspected and it has been confirmed to us that the PX Property has been left in a clean and tidy state, that all items that were due to be included remain in the PX Property and that all items that were due to be removed have been removed; and (b) all sets of keys for the PX Property have been received by us. The retention monies will be returned to your legal representative within 14 days after confirmation that these conditions have been complied with. Some or all of the £500 retention may be retained by us if the PX Property has not been left in a satisfactory condition. 

20.    On the day of legal completion, the keys to your new build plot will not be released to you until the balance of purchase monies is received and you have deposited all keys with the sales office or the estate agent.  If any keys are missing, we reserve the right to instruct a locksmith to change appropriate locks and hold you accountable for the associated costs.

21.    Full vacant possession of Your Property will be required on legal completion.

22.    Upon vacating our property, you agree to take records of all meter readings and to contact the utility companies within seven days of vacating the property to report the readings, provide a forwarding address and request a final bill.  You agree that you will be responsible for all utility costs until keys to Your Property are handed over.

 

Home Reach

Home Reach is a new build ownership solution brought to you by Heylo Housing Group. The Home Reach shared ownership scheme cannot be used in conjunction with any other Avant Homes purchase scheme, offer or promotion. Subject to affordability criteria as prescribed by the Homes and Communities Agency. Subject to individual mortgage lender qualification and affordability criteria. 

Shared Equity Scheme

The Shared Equity Plots are sold with the assistance of Saffron Housing Trust as follows:

1. Potential Buyers must be eligible and approved by the Local Authority before they can reserve the plot, in accordance with the conditions of the Section 106 Agreement.

2. Buyers will initially purchase 75% of the equity in the property and Saffron Housing Trust will retain the remaining 25% of the equity. For example, if the full purchase price is £100,000 the buyers will pay £75,000 on completion.

3. On completion the buyers will be granted a Shared Ownership Lease, where Saffron Housing Trust are the Landlord (owners of the freehold).

4. The Shared Ownership Lease secures the 75% equity acquired by the buyers, and is for a term of 99 years from the date of the Lease and with a fixed rent of £1 per annum throughout the term.

5. The buyers will be responsible to pay to the Landlord throughout the term of the Lease (a) a contribution towards insurance of the property and (b) any outgoings for the property e.g. bills, taxes, rates, service charge (if applicable) etc.

6. Five years from the date of the Lease the buyers can choose to staircase by acquiring further equity in the property. Buyers can acquire a minimum of 10% and a maximum of the remaining 25% equity. The value of the equity is based on the market value of the property at the time of staircasing. For example, if the buyers wanted to acquire a further 10% equity (making an 85% equity share overall) and the market value of the property at that time has increased to £110,000 then they would need to pay £11,000 to Saffron Housing Trust for that further 10% equity.

7. If and when the buyers acquire the full 100% equity in the property, Saffron Housing Trust will transfer the freehold of the property to the buyers and the Shared Ownership Lease falls away.

8. There is no obligation on the buyers to increase their share – they can remain with a 75% equity share throughout the 99 year term of the Lease if they want to.

9. If the buyers decided to sell the property at any point in the future, they would need to contact Saffron Housing Trust to ensure that any future buyers fulfil their criteria and the buyers would only ever be able to sell the percentage equity in the property that they have acquired to that point. For example, if the buyers own 75% equity they can only sell their 75% equity share based on the market value at that time.

10. If the property value increases or decreases over time, so does the value of the equity share.

Military Discount

CASH TOWARDS A NEW AVANT HOME WITH AN ARMED FORCES DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTION

MILITARY SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN ARE ENTITLED TO APPLY FOR A £500 CONTRIBUTION, FOR EVERY £25,000, TOWARDS THE PURCHASE COST OF A NEW AVANT HOME.

For example, a home costing £226,000 would qualify for a contribution of £4,500.

To find out how to apply, speak to your Sales Advisor.

UK Armed Forces personnel in the Army, Navy or RAF. Also, those who served in Afghanistan or Iraq. Retirees will remain eligible 12 months from the date of retirement. 

This offer is available to UK Armed Forces Personnel where they have completed their basic (phase 1) training and they are one of the following:

1.1 Regular service personnel (including Military Provost Guard Service, in the Navy, Army and Air Force).

1.2 Clinical staff (with the exception of doctors and dentists).

1.3 MOD Police Officers.

1.4 Uniformed staff in the Defence Fire Service.

1.5 Ex-Regular service personnel who have served in the Armed Forces for a minimum of six years, can produce a Discharge Certificate (or similar documentation) as proof, where they apply within 12 months of the date of the discharge from service.

1.6 The surviving partners of Regular service personnel who have died in service, where they apply within 12 months of the date of being bereaved.

This offer is available to Armed Forces Personnel who purchase a new Avant Homes home in Great Britain. Armed Forces Personnel are entitled to £500 contribution for every £25,000 on the price of a new Avant Homes property. Customer’s intention of claiming this contribution must be disclosed at the time of reserving a property and before any other offer is applied. Evidence of eligibility under this scheme must be provided. Contribution cannot be used in conjunction with other selected offers. Contribution is available on residential mortgages only and is not available on buy to let properties. Purchasers must be over 18 years of age.

PLEASE READ THE TERMS OF THIS POLICY CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SITE 

WHAT’S IN THESE TERMS?

This acceptable use policy sets out the content standards that apply when you upload content to our site, make contact with other users on our site, link to our site, or interact with our site in any other way.

WHO WE ARE AND HOW TO CONTACT US

www.Avanthomes.co.uk is a site operated by Avant Homes Limited (”Avant”). Avant is registered in England and Wales under company number 03215228 and we have our registered office at Avant House, 6 and 9 Tallys End, Barlborough S43 4WP. Our main trading addresses are listed here. Our VAT number is 181 3492 62.

We are a limited company.

The telephone and email contact details for our regional offices are listed here.

BY USING OUR SITE YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS

By using our site, you confirm that you accept the terms of this policy and that you agree to comply with them.

If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our site.

We recommend that you print a copy of these terms for future reference.

THERE ARE OTHER TERMS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOU

Our Terms of Website Use also apply to your use of our site.

WE MAY MAKE CHANGES TO THE TERMS OF THIS POLICY

We may amend these terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our site, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.

PROHIBITED USES

You may use our site only for lawful purposes. You may not use our site:

• In any way that breaches any applicable local, national or international law or regulation.
• In any way that is unlawful or fraudulent, or has any unlawful or fraudulent purpose or effect.
• For the purpose of harming or attempting to harm minors in any way.
• To transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material or any other form of similar solicitation (spam).
• To knowingly transmit any data, send or upload any material that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware or any other harmful programs or similar computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware.

You also agree:

• Not to reproduce, duplicate, copy or re-sell any part of our site in contravention of the provisions of our terms of website use.
• Not to access without authority, interfere with, damage or disrupt:
• any part of our site;
• any equipment or network on which our site is stored;
• any software used in the provision of our site; or
• any equipment or network or software owned or used by any third party.

BREACH OF THIS POLICY

When we consider that a breach of this acceptable use policy has occurred, we may take such action as we deem appropriate.

Failure to comply with this acceptable use policy constitutes a material breach of the terms of use upon which you are permitted to use our site, and may result in our taking all or any of the following actions:

• Immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use our site.
• Immediate, temporary or permanent removal of any Contribution uploaded by you to our site.
• Issue of a warning to you.
• Legal proceedings against you for reimbursement of all costs on an indemnity basis (including, but not limited to, reasonable administrative and legal costs) resulting from the breach.
• Further legal action against you.
• Disclosure of such information to law enforcement authorities as we reasonably feel is necessary or as required by law.
We exclude our liability for all action we may take in response to breaches of this acceptable use policy. The actions we may take are not limited to those described above, and we may take any other action we reasonably deem appropriate.

WHICH COUNTRY’S LAWS APPLY TO ANY DISPUTES? 

If you are a consumer, please note that the terms of this policy, its subject matter and its formation are governed by English law. You and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction except that if you are a resident of Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.

If you are a business, the terms of this policy, its subject matter and its formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law. We both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT 

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 has introduced an obligation on organisations to produce an annual statement of the measures taken to ensure that there is no modern slavery (including human trafficking) taking place within an organisation or its supply chain.

Avant Homes’ structure and business
The Avant Homes Group is one of the UK’s leading privately-owned housebuilders operating in Scotland, the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Midlands. We have offices in each of these regions and have 696 employees.
At Avant Homes we are committed to driving unethical practices out of the supply chain, including by taking appropriate and proportionate steps to mitigate the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking occurring both within our own business and our supply chain.

Our supply chain
We have a supply chain which comprises suppliers and sub-contractors, comprised of major national companies, regional companies, small and medium enterprises and local businesses.
Our suppliers and sub-contractors may in turn source services and goods from other suppliers and sub-contractors, a small proportion of which may be sourced from outside the UK.

Our policies
Corporate responsibility is an integral part of the Group’s culture and we work to ensure that we comply with all legal and regulatory requirements and follow best practice. We are also focused on ensuring that our suppliers and business partners adopt similar values.
We have a robust framework of policies, procedures and contractual requirements in place which already contribute towards the prevention of slavery or human trafficking within the Group and our supply chain. These include our recruitment, reporting of improper activities, ethics, health and safety and procurement policies, which are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they specifically incorporate references to address the issues relating to modern slavery and human trafficking.

Due Diligence
As part of the Group’s initiative to identify and mitigate risk, it continues to review its existing business and supply chain to identify the key risk areas and the level of risk within the Group’s operations. We have also carried out a periodical review of our internal policies and have undertaken a due diligence review to ensure that our suppliers and sub-contractors are fully accountable for compliance with the legislation. We build long-standing relationships with our suppliers and sub-contractors and make clear our expectations to our business partners of the importance of adhering to the highest standards of corporate responsibility.

Risk Assessment
Although the Group does not operate or direct source materials from high-risk markets, such as emerging economies, the Group is not complacent. We expect all of those in our supply chain and our contractors to comply with our values, including those businesses which do not have an annual turnover of over £36 million, and which are not covered by the Modern Slavery Act, to ensure that the highest levels of compliance are embedded across the whole supply chain. This is demonstrated by the Group’s demand for inclusion of anti slavery provisions in all new service and goods contracts entered into. We procure the majority of our directly sourced materials from UK based organisations that are required to comply with UK laws on forced labour. We operate a centralised procurement team to lead the Group in this regard. We periodically review Group policies and as part of this ensure that Modern Slavery has been carefully considered. This includes looking at subcontractor terms and conditions and:

•    Ensuring the policy does not place unnecessarily difficult or high pressure demands which would result in a subcontractor being tempted to breach their modern slavery obligations.
•    Checking and amending where necessary all types of subcontractor terms and conditions to ensure that it is a requirement of their appointment that they comply with all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, statutes, regulations and codes from time to time in force including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
•    Ensuring that a breach of any anti-slavery and human trafficking laws by the subcontractor would entitle the Group to terminate business with them, therefore demonstrating the importance the Group places on preventing modern slavery. 
•    Ensuring any new contracts or agreements entered into that fall outside the Group’s usual terms and conditions contain a clause ensuring compliance with all applicable anti-slavery and human trafficking laws, statutes, regulations and codes from time to time in force including the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
 
We undertake stringent and extensive due diligence checks when recruiting staff and carry out checks to ensure that all employees have the right to work in the UK before employment commences. We also ensure that agency labour is recruited through reputable agencies, which operate on a regional or national level and which are required to have procedures in place to minimise the risk of recruiting forced or compulsory labour. We have centralised agency recruitment to better monitor usage and compliance and to assist the Group across its regions.
We also undertake extensive pre-qualification checks prior to appointing suppliers and sub-contractors to work with the Group.
The Group also has a whistleblowing policy and culture in place where concerns about illegal acts can be reported on a confidential basis. We are pleased that during the last financial year, we have had no incidences of whistleblowing regarding modern slavery.
As part of the Group’s ongoing programme of review, we may also review or reconsider additional policies, procedures and requirements if appropriate. 

Policy effectiveness and monitoring
We use the following key performance indicators to measure how effective we have been, to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any part of our business or our supply chain:
•    Audit of the pre-qualification process for all suppliers and sub-contractors
•    Audit of each regional business to ensure that the Group’s revised terms and conditions of purchase and sub-contract have been issued to all suppliers and sub-contractors
•    Group monitoring of the recruitment process and control of the payroll system
•    Monitoring of the appointment of temporary and agency labour by each regional business to ensure that reputable agencies are used

Training
During the last financial year, the Group has continued to encourage employees to further their understanding in many areas through our online career and personal development platform. This is available to all staff and contains online training in anti-slavery which can be accessed at all times. 
Progress during the previous financial year
In summary, during our last financial year we have:
•    Had no suspected incidents of Modern Slavery reported through our internal confidential whistleblowing scheme.
•    Carried out a comprehensive review of our internal policies and procedures, including subcontractor terms and conditions, to ensure the issue of Modern Slavery has been considered and addressed.

Board approval
This is Avant Homes’ statement on slavery and human trafficking under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the financial year ending 30 March 2021, which has been produced in line with the guidance issued by the Home Office under the Act. This statement has been prepared on behalf of all subsidiary organisations within the Group and has been formally adopted by all such subsidiaries as their own statement for the purposes of section 54, including, in particular Avant Homes Group Limited, and the core trading subsidiaries: Avant Homes (England) Limited, Avant Homes (Scotland) Limited and Avant Homes Limited. This statement was approved by the Avant Homes Group Board on 21st October 2021 and will be reviewed and updated, as appropriate, on an annual basis.

Mark Mitchell