House Delayed Again

Davesnave

GDB2222 wrote: »

I think it is time for lawyers to think about the Unfair Contract Terms Act. There must be many purchasers who are dying to get out of these contracts, and builders who are putting off building further units until they have achieved an economic mass of buyers on the site. That delay could go on for years,

Good point. Perhaps the Consumer's Association might like to fund a test case? They'd get enough copy to offset the costs.

rugbygirl27

GDB2222 wrote: »

I think it is time for lawyers to think about the Unfair Contract Terms Act. There must be many purchasers who are dying to get out of these contracts, and builders who are putting off building further units until they have achieved an economic mass of buyers on the site. That delay could go on for years,

Absolutely. I did a bit of research into this and it would appear that the 'standard' 10 days notice of completion in new build contracts is an unfair terms as it unfairly weights the contract in favour of the building company. If ours gets delayed any further we're going to get some lawyer friends to look over our contract to see if this is an avenue we can pursue.

sunshine20

rugbygirl27 wrote: »

My partner and I are in exactly the same situation as you. We paid our £25k deposit in March for a house by Bellway due to be completed in October. That date has now slipped twice and is currently 12th December. We're wasting £850 a month on rent at the moment and have already lost one mortgage offer and are going to end up paying more because of rates going up.

I honestly don't know what either of us can do. If we could pull out we would but our (frankly useless) solicitor has told us we just have to wait and see!!

So that's it? We're just supposed to accept this?

Has anyone managed to swindle any deals out of these housing companies for being delayed like free carpet, land scaping etc?

rugbygirl27

sunshine20 wrote: »

So that's it? We're just supposed to accept this?

Has anyone managed to swindle any deals out of these housing companies for being delayed like free carpet, land scaping etc?

Unless you've got a good solicitor who can take a closer look at your contract I think we do have to just accept it. I'm sure I've heard of people who have managed to get extras thrown in because of the delays, I think you just have to kick up a huge fuss.

Just out of interest where is your house? You said Wales so I'm interested as we're in Cardiff and there's a Charles Church site next to ours - would be interesting to see how the two compare on delays etc.

sunshine20

rugbygirl27 wrote: »

Just out of interest where is your house? You said Wales so I'm interested as we're in Cardiff and there's a Charles Church site next to ours - would be interesting to see how the two compare on delays etc.

We have purchased a house on the Heronsbrook development in Swansea. Apparently this delay is being caused by the construction company being delayed with building the pumping station and the electrical station. I just hope we're in by christmas!:mad:

lynzpower

more bad news from Charles Church http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=1&id=20041

Ah also found Charles Church is a subsidiary of persimmon, which might go some way to explaining the delays

I found a forum http://charles-church.org.uk/list.php?4 of charles church & persimmojn customers so that might throw up some useful info??

SquatNow

Davesnave wrote: »

You don't happen to temp as a red top journalist do you, Squatnow? This is a worst, worst-case scenario, as well you know. You might as well say that we could all be dead from bird flu before prices recover.

The OP has to take a hit, just like sellers are taking a hit, but inflation rates and individual circumstances will play a big part in the way recovery from that will happen, and in ways that nobody can predict.

No, 18 years is the standard peak-to-peak house price cycle duration.

It's a well recognised and well documented economic cycle that has been going on for decades, if not centuries.

Normally each peak is higher than the previous, but this peak is so much higher that if prices revert to trend (which they generally do) then it will be *2* house price cycles before prices return to current levels.

Davesnave

SquatNow wrote: »

No, 18 years is the standard peak-to-peak house price cycle duration.

It's a well recognised and well documented economic cycle that has been going on for decades, if not centuries.

Normally each peak is higher than the previous, but this peak is so much higher that if prices revert to trend (which they generally do) then it will be *2* house price cycles before prices return to current levels.

I can thank that, because it is a reasoned explanation and not personalised like the original, tabloid one. We don't know the OPs individual circumstances; all we know is that he/she is hacked-off with the situation. I don't think it helps to say that they're doomed to spend their life in that house. Could well be that in a few years time it becomes a stepping stone to something else.

Every bad situation has a million ways out of it, some much better than others, of course. None of us should resign ourselves to a life of gloom because of one setback, nor should it be suggested that we do.

SquatNow

I don't fluffify my responses.

People like to say that "well things will turn out ok".

Well if they arn't going to turn out oK, what the point getting the OPs hopes up?

People come here for advice, not a group hug.

lethal0r

sunshine20 wrote: »

we've been told if we pulled out we'd be liable for 10% of the house (which is the deposit we've saved up for it!).

im sure you could at least get something approaching 10% off.

if you pulled out now, then for them to sell it to someone else, chances are it would need a 20, 30% + reduction.

they would make more money if they offered you say 5% off as opposed to taking your 10% cancellation fee and then having to drop by 20% to sell it.