Help...Home Build Dilemma

anton66

Hi Everyone.,
I am currently in middle of having a new house built by Barratt Homes.
Up until now, everything was going ok, the foundations are down and the walls taking shape.

However, last week, when I went to view how things were coming along, I was shocked to find that my plot has significantly been reduced by roughly 2-3feet wide along the full length of one boundary, a footway has been laid down the side of the property along with the widening of their garden, this being built next door, which in effect has devoured the size of my plot which I believed to be my driveway and garden.

I have copy of plan from January 2016 showing the 2nd Phase of properties being build but wouldnt come on the market until March 2016, I put my name down for this specific plot for very specific reasons for size and location.

Come March I was chuffed to purchase this plot and having paid £500 deposit and chose a solicitor i was looking forward to moving into my property once built.

At no point up until I went to view the build last week was I made aware of any alterations to the plans and I certainly didnt see any alterations to the plans during the several visits to the sales office during March and April.

The two drawing numbers from the plans i viewed on the day of accepting the plot and paying the deposit still show no alterations.

The solicitor and the sales office are both in reciept of the most upto date plan which is dated 5 days after I accepted the plot, this plan now shows the alteration..

Currently I am still waiting for exchange of contracts from Barratts solicitors......

I'm so demoralised and lost, I just dont know what to do .

Can anyone offer any help/advise to see a way through this and do I have any legal stance.

Regards
Anton

dc197

anton66 wrote: »

Currently I am still waiting for exchange of contracts

anton66 wrote: »

do I have any legal stance.

Probably very little. If you had exchanged, it might be different.

PasturesNew

This kind of happened to somebody I know. They signed up for a wider plot, but the developers removed the extra 2' wide strip. The developers were happy to reinstate the original boundary once it was moaned about and the plan pointed at.

Go and point and have a moan at the right people, unless it's unmovable as they built on that bit.

anton66

I appreciate your response dc197 and those too were my thoughts entirely, that why i'm hoping by doing this forum that you & I are wrong and that there are other more direct positive avenues I can pursue.:cool:

anton66

Hi PasturesNew,
Thanks for your response, I appreciate it.
Theres a tiny bit of positiveness there, I sincerely hope that it works in my favour too,
but like dc197 says, if contracts had been exchanged then it might have made a difference.
I'm wondering if I actually have a leg to stand on......?:huh:

dgtazzman

Go in and talk/complain about it:

*They still want the sale and reinstate the garden.
*They still want the sale, can't reinstate the garden, so offer other incentives.
* They don't care either way, give you your deposit back and show you to the door.
* You decide to walk away, demand your deposit back and find the door yourself.

Select as appropriate.

If you have both sets of drawings, you might have enough ammo to get the developer to pay all the costs you have incurred if the purchase falls through, seeing as the amended drawing is dated 5 days after the date on your reservation form.

Good luck. Tried buying from Barratt a few years back. The process was so terrible I pulled out. Glad I did, took them a year after that to sell/finish the house and they'd put a flat roof on it, rather than the pitched roof it had in the drawings (= higher insurance fees, higher chance of leaks and more maintenance over time).

caprikid1

Always a busy time, they will be eager to get you out the door happy !.

ManofLeisure_2

What does your solicitor say about the matter?

anton66

Thanks for your advise dgtazzman, i'll take these on board.

anton66

mmmmm wishful thinking caprikid1

Tygermoth

We had something similar. They had not calculated an incline so there was no back door, access to the garden or driveway - all of which were shown on the plans. They were in breach of planning permissions due to a number of changes they had made.


They advised they are allowed to make changes.


We were quite distinctly told to like it or lump it - as we were smugly told they could still sell it if we pulled out.


We withdrew from the purchase, they refunded us all costs......and its still not sold.