Taylor Wimpey fail to tell me I'm not moving in with 3 days to go

Rickster101

I've basically just got back from a trip last weekend hoping to get the keys to my new Taylor Wimpey house this Friday as I was told 4 weeks ago we would complete on the 16th.
So on Monday (12th June) I thought I'd check in with my solicitor only to find out he has not heard anything from Taylor Wimpey when he should know two weeks in advance when completion is.
So I chased up the regional Taylor Wimpey manager to be told completion is expected on the 30th June. The first original date was March/April when we reserved the plot.
I've got tiles and carpets deliveries and tradesmen all booked in for next week and I am unable to change the time I've got off from work to fit in with "their" expected completion date.
Has anyone else been let down so close to the expected completion date and where do I stand?
I am furious and I am worried I have not got leg to stand on. It could take ages rescheduled tradesmen and I'll won't have the time to spend moving and organising my house when I do get the keys.
:mad:

davidmcn

No legs to stand on, no. Any estimated entry date is just that - an estimate. You shouldn't really be committing yourself with other orders/time off work until you know when completion is actually going to be (I presume from your post that your contract says they give you two weeks' notice of the contractual completion date?).

Surrey_EA

Did you exchange contracts with an 'on-notice' completion date? As in Taylor Wimpey would notify you a certain period of time in advance of the property being ready, normally 10 working days.

SuboJvR

They can only legally sign the house over once they have had it approved by the NHBC I believe.

We looked around various new build companies and all explained they could only commit to a completion date two weeks in advance - anything else is a guideline.

Sorry to hear about the difficulties though. I keep telling myself that although it's not ideal (we will need to overlap rent by 6 weeks...) being part of a chain must be worse in the stress stakes.

eddddy

So it sounds like your contract is for "Completion on Notice" - that's typically 10 days notice.

Your solicitor will inform you when he/she receives notice, and you and your solicitor will then have 10 days to sort everything out.

It was very unhelpful of the regional manager to give you an incorrect date, but in legal terms I suspect that anything he/she said was 'subject to contract' - so you can't rely on it.

You can complain to the regional manager about being misled, if you want. They may make some kind of goodwill gesture - but TBH, I doubt they will.

AdrianC

When you were given that date of 16th, were you told it was concrete, or that it may change and would be confirmed nearer the time?

Sounds like you had two weeks notice that it wouldn't be 16th, because of lack of confirmation, but you weren't available to do anything about that. That isn't TW's problem. Nor is booking things before a date is finally confirmed. Your eagerness and disappointment is understandable, but - equally - if the property isn't ready, the property isn't ready.

Rickster101

Thank you Everyone for your responses.
It has been a head ache. The completion date was not in concrete but because of my situation, limited time to do everything and the wait time for tradesmen I had to try and get it done in this short window.
Taylor Wimpey have been very helpful in the last week, so I am no longer pulling my last few hairs out.
Thank you again everyone.

xylophone

Taylor Wimpey have been very helpful in the last week, so I am no longer pulling my last few hairs out.

Paid for the hair restorer?:)

Rickster101

That's a lost cause now. haha:rotfl:

mitalmistry

just read your thread
how long did it take to build your house by taylor wimpey. Ive been waiting since may for my sellers to give up there house to move into the new build but there's no completion date. we were told it was august in may time.

SuboJvR

Every site is different. Some will miss estimates by a mile, some will get there early. There’s no way to apply anothers’ experience to your vendor unfortunately.

They don’t guarantee anything until the house is finished because they can’t. It’s a mistake for someone to assume an estimated completion is set in stone. Until you get official (usually 10-14 days) notice, you can’t plan anything for definite.