Does anyone want to join me waiting for new build to be built and complete

dgtazzman

Sigh, just got home today after 11 weeks abroad. Had to go shopping, so took the scenic route and swung by the plot on the way (after sale office hours).

The outside of the house still looks the same as 11 weeks ago. Somewhat ticket me off, to put it mildly. It still isn't rendered, while that was supposed to be done 10 weeks ago. The house is one of 4 in the last phase and none of them have yet been rendered. One of them is even still waiting for it's adjoining garage to be built.

Going to go into the sales office tomorrow and hear them out, but I think completion end of May/beginning of June is a pipe dream and just a carrot they dangled in front of me to keep me from pulling out. All I can hope for is that internally the house is nearly done and it's just the rendering, but I have my doubts.

Divided on how to proceed now.

1) Bite my tongue and continue to wait, lord knows how long it will take, I would say September at the earliest looking at the outside.
2) Give the builder a hard date and if they fail to meet it, then walk.
3) Tell them I've had enough of their fairy tales, walk away and start looking elsewhere, taking rather substantial losses (broker fees, legal fees, possibly a few grand worth of furniture I have nowhere to store that has been sitting in the warehouse of the company I bought it from for months already).

I do really like the house, but I'm at the end of my tether with the builders and I have now seen a Persimmon plot on another development that looks nice and is 30k cheaper, though it is Persimmon and I don't know if that plot is leasehold, plus I still prefer the more expensive house, the layout would work better for me and the location is most likely better, also with eye on future sale...

Derboy

@dgtazzman Before you decide to do anything you need to get an understanding where they're up to and if their completion estimate is still the same. Rendering is a 2/3 day job so not a big deal if the internals are nearly finished.

I'm in the same boat. Completion day is 20th May. Rendering has just started (scratch cost installed on Friday). Kitchen and services to be installed next week. After that its just the painters and the landscaping to be done.

I'm in regular contact with the site manager and feels the house should be ready with to spare for the NHBC cover note to be issued. You may be in the same boat. Get a chat with your site manager.

Jon_B_2

Definitely scope for it to be finished and ready to move in by end of May. As above rendering is 2/3 day job. There are some new Bellways I run past and they are waiting on rendering, but internals all appear to be done.

In either case, I wouldn't buy a Persimmon as a result of this. That's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

visidigi

Jon_B wrote: »

No chance, developers can and will change plans after exchange and there is sufficient flex in the contract to do so. It happened with us.

I would agree with you...but.

I got my contract through yesterday morning (woohoo!)

In it it says...

11.1.1
If after the date of this contract we propose a significant and substantial change to the property (which could mean a change to the design, construction or materials to be used in the property and which would significantly and substantially alter the size, appearance or value) then we will formally consult you to obtain your agreement to those changes.

11.1.2
If you find those changes unacceptable then you may bring this contract to an end by notifying us in writing within 5 working days of our consultation and we will within 10 working days of receipt of your notification refund to you your reservation fee and the sum you paid us by way of deposit at the time this contract was exchanged. On proof of payment we will also refund to you the cost of any extra purchases and reasonable legal, mortgage application and removal costs you have spend as a result of our changes.

The bolding is mine - but fundamentally Tygermoth should check the contract, it might ease the pain of the purchase failure to get back some costs! (the builder won't of course do it voluntarily.

dgtazzman

My panic reaction is over. Seems they have been concentrating on internal work, which is nearing final stages. Rendering is planned in 3 weeks time, at which point the utility companies are also due to come in and hook everything up. The house with the unfinished garage has been pushed back as it hasn't sold yet. Mine is still due for completion early June.

Also got to see the finished product on another plot, I'll wait, it's worth it, the finshed product is even better than imagined.

pennyprincess

That's encouraging dgtazzman you must feel really excited!

Feeling excited but nervous and confused as solicitors emailed today to ask about exchange monies..(already transferred via chaps today) and to enquire if instead of completion on notice we would like a date of 20th May..see my previous post for reason of confusion..now panicking about the packing and the small matter of tidying and sorting a rental house we have lived in for 13 years..never been painted/renovated inside since we have been here and it is so old and dusty!

dgtazzman

Went to a Persimmon development today, the one I fancied a 4-bed detached house on as a backup option.

Beside the fact the house had sold 30 minutes before I walked in, the location wasn't great (right next to a horse race course and I mean right next to it, looked like there was at least half a mile to a mile between them on the map, but it's way less). On a glance, the build quality didn't look too bad, but even inside the show home there were signs of the finish not being great and most of all, the bedrooms felt tiny compared to the one I'm buying (show home was a different type mind you, the Rosebury, while I was interested in their Raglan type).

I think in the end, it just confirmed even more I want the house I'm purchasing now.

On another note, I heard from somebody they have already had to rebuild 4 houses on the Persimmon estate from the ground up as they built them so badly initially, they were unsafe to live in. The estate has also been plagued with sewage problems, lovely.

pennyprincess

As I am sitting at home in my dressing gown feeling v Ill find out the lovely milestone news that we are exchanging today! Everyone was right all of a sudden everything happens really quickly . Annoyed as DH also ill so no milestone champers for us. I had plans of insisting on Lanson which was our wedding drink.
Daughter who is 12 in July had a little tear last night. "I know this house is small and cold and old but it is all I have known " bless her.

Dgtazzman I grew up in race course town...we used to get a day off school on one particular day ..

dgtazzman

Nothing against horse racing, wouldn't like it if everybody parked in my street to avoid being charged for parking, however... Plus I imagine it could cause traffic mayhem on race days, which would have been a shame as for the rest it's a lovely rural area (maybe too rural, couldn't even find a little local shop, nearest decent sized supermarket would be a 20 minute drive).

Good luck with exchange. My personal loan has been marked as paid off on my credit files, though not as closed yet (just outstanding balance reduced to 0). My MA thinks that is enough to proceed with a Santander application, so now I have to bite my nails and wait 9 days or so in suspense for my next payslip to arrive and get the application in.

I have in the meantime also put an application in with HSBC as they are still quite friendly for people with non-sterling incomes. MA said it wouldn't do much, if any harm to have a few extra searches as for the rest my credit file is clean as a whistle. Submitted online, but it wasn't clear at the end of it if the application had been submitted in full or not, so I guess I'm going to be on the phone to them later to check.

-pete-_2

Great pics @Haylescom, looks lovely! Great for you to get some nature on your doorstep, I'm super jelly

Good to hear you are exchanging @pennyprincess, how much longer until you are in?

@dgtazzman: sounds like you are making the right call, waiting a bit longer for what you actually want is the best bet, especially if you are going to be there for a while.

Short update from us: We had our first meeting with the site manager today, they explained their new quality control procedures (they get someone from head office to check the place over before hand over rather than relying on the site manager and sales team to do it) in theory it sounds great but it means we don't really have a direct line to the site manager and instead will have to go through this 3rd party person, I'm not a fan of Chinese whispers if I can avoid it.

Also we confirmed our upstairs flooring, annoyingly the price for carpets they now quoted us is £250 more than the price they originally quoted us a couple of months ago at the options meeting. We signed the paperwork in the office so didn't have the full figures to hand at the time but hopefully they'll let us have the difference back?

In brighter news, the house is making good progress and the roof is due to go on next week after they've done the neighbours.

Picture! https://goo.gl/photos/NPwzrLtR8DXTSW9A9