Bellway Building Delays CML date

katiekoo25

Hi

I am hoping someone can give me some advise.

Myself and my husband have a bought a 4 bedroom new build home from Bellway, we 'signed up' in February this year and chose the particular development as they stated the homes would be ready in July/August, I am pregnant with my first child due 31st October so we (maybe very naively) thought this would give us sufficient time to get settled in and prepare for our arrival.

The CML date was first confirmed as 3rd September, this then got pushed back to 3rd October - we then had a confirmation from Bellway last Wednesday to confirm our CML date as 3rd October but then had a call 2 days later on Friday that it has been pushed back again to 3rd November, this is now 4 months delay to what they originally stated - the reason they have give on all occasions is contractors letting them down.

Now I know builds are always going to suffer delays as there are so many things to consider, weather permitting etc.. but is it normal for them to get the date so wrong?

I feel they are picking dates out of thin air, I have contacted my solicitor for advise but if anyone has had a similar experience please let me know.

K

Mrs_pbradley936

I bought a house once from someone that was down sizing to a new build. We exchanged as normal but the completion date was flexible and by mutual agreement could be anytime within a 90 day period. This was because they did not have a fixed date to occupy the new build.


Have a read of your paperwork because I would be almost certain that there is a flexibility clause in there somewhere. Do you have to be out of your current dwelling on any given date? If so I would look for a holiday self catering let because a hotel room might be OK for a couple of weeks for adults but not for a new baby.

katiekoo25

(Firstly please ignore my mis-spelling of advice)

We are currently living in my parents dining room which isn't going to be ideal with a new born, I know our circumstances are not Bellways problem but we would have never have bought on this development if we knew the delays were going to be long.

Bellway put so much pressure on us to exchange within 28 days which we did (just about) so it just seems very unfair for the same rules not to apply to them..

Mrs_pbradley936

I think if you push hard enough you might get into the house BUT every other house around you would be unfinished and unoccupied plus the roads, pavements, drains, street lighting etc will not be up to standard.


Think hard about living on a building site with a new baby. You will want to be warm, happy and stress free immediately after the birth and the health of you and the new baby are the most important items on the agenda. You have about a month to go but the baby could be early or late so I would plan to stay in your parents dining room.

comeandgo

Yup, our new house was nine months late due to problems with one of the utility companies. Unfortunately it's one of the main problems buying off plan. When we moved in, and we were the first house completed, the roads, street lighting etc was complete but did have large construction traffic not far from us.

Flashmanchop

Unfortunately the cml date may move, as you have found out –normally due to services, whom are a law to themselves.



A lot of items have to be complete for the buildinginspector to sign off, and they cannot normally be “leaned” upon to obtain cml.



Assuming you exchanged – based on an agreed date?

bylromarha

Really sorry to let you know you're unlikely to be in any sooner.

My friends 3 month pregnancy when they bought their new build - which would be "ready in 5 months" - was 14 months old when they finally got the keys. They had to exchange on their sale, and had to complete when their buyer pushed after 7 months of waiting.

The builder kept saying next month, next month, so they never signed up for a rental as it was always nearly ready, so they spent over a year moving from one friends spare room to the next with their toddler and newborn. Absolute hell.

I truly hope things go better for you, but plan for the worst and enjoy if it goes better than that.

katiekoo25

Thank you everyone for responding, I definitely would not want to move into a building site but our new neighbours moved in over a month ago which is why I am finding it so frustrating.

We are constantly getting letters from Bellway stating 'We hope you are enjoying your experience' and this couldn't be further from the truth.

Hopefully we'll be in before Christmas as like I said we have currently set up camp in my parents dining room.

Our mortgage offer expires in January so at least that gives us a few more months..

ethank

It will all be worth it in the end