New build completion date - roof to completion timeline

javp

Hi,
We reserved a 4 bedroomed detached house last November. Just to give you all an idea of size it's a 4 bed with 2 en suited and main bathroom. On ground floor kitchen diner, dining room, utility, WC,  lounge and study with a detached double garage. The roof is been tiled this week and the builder assures that it will be completed by the end of March. Does this sound realistic as to me it sounds like a very toguh deadline. We are getting help to buy so it is important it does get completed for then. The builder assures it will be completed but me and the wife are getting stressed as the date is closing in. Your experience and comments will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

theartfullodger

Never believe the salesman.  What penalty is there for them if they are late?

The people you are talking to are salesmen not builders

javp

I'm not sure about a penalty? What does that mean?

anteguardian

javp said:

Hi,
We reserved a 4 bedroomed detached house last November. Just o give you all an idea of size it's a 4 bed with 2 en suited and main bathroom. On ground floor kitchen diner, dining room, utility, WC,  lounge and study with a searched double garage. The roof is been tiled this week and the builders assures that it will be completed by the end of March. Does this sound realistic as to me it sounds like a very unrealistic timeline. We are getting help to buy so it is important it does get completed for then. The builder assures it will be completed but me and the wife are getting stressed as the date is closing in. Your experience and comments will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Hello OP,

Sounds like your new build is at the same stage ours is at. Same type of house by the sounds of it; 4 bed, 3 bathrooms + 1 WC etc
Ours is a small developer and 12 houses total on the plot and they seem to be really confident that they will be finished before the end of March - pretty much all the buyers want to be in before then for Help to Buy/Stamp duty holiday from what we’ve been told - and they have been quite open and honest with us because we don’t have any move in date deadline due to not needing either of the above.

It probably depends on how many houses they are building concurrently compared with the amount of builders etc. Like @t@theartfullodger  has said; take everything with a pinch of salt, what assurances have they given?

javp

Also I have spoken to the site manager and he is confident they can complete. But again I don't know whether to believe that as he is a contractor for them as well.

javp

anteguardian said:

javp said:

Hi,
We reserved a 4 bedroomed detached house last November. Just o give you all an idea of size it's a 4 bed with 2 en suited and main bathroom. On ground floor kitchen diner, dining room, utility, WC,  lounge and study with a searched double garage. The roof is been tiled this week and the builders assures that it will be completed by the end of March. Does this sound realistic as to me it sounds like a very unrealistic timeline. We are getting help to buy so it is important it does get completed for then. The builder assures it will be completed but me and the wife are getting stressed as the date is closing in. Your experience and comments will be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Hello OP,

Sounds like your new build is at the same stage ours is at. Same type of house by the sounds of it; 4 bed, 3 bathrooms + 1 WC etc
Ours is a small developer and 12 houses total on the plot and they seem to be really confident that they will be finished before the end of March - pretty much all the buyers want to be in before then for Help to Buy/Stamp duty holiday from what we’ve been told - and they have been quite open and honest with us because we don’t have any move in date deadline due to not needing either of the above.

It probably depends on how many houses they are building concurrently compared with the amount of builders etc. Like @t@theartfullodger  has said; take everything with a pinch of salt, what assurances have they given?

There are 2 other houses built with ours.so all 3 are to be completed at the same time. The estate is not massive. Only around 100 houses or less and there are less than 15 houses left to be completed in the estate.

OldMusicGuy

We have just bought a new build on a small development, and the development is still being completed. There are several houses just at the roof tiling stage and the plan is that they will all be finished by March, so it's a possibility. However, it's also possible that there could be delays due to weather and unforeseen problems. We have had a lot of those on our site. 

The only certainty you will have will be the dates committed to by the builder when you exchange. There will be an estimated completion date and a long stop date. The former is when they hope they will be finished, the latter is when they are certain they will be finished. If you don't have those dates, then anything else is just hoping for the best.

You need to bear in mind that you are carrying the risk for any delay in completion unless you can get the developer to agree in writing that they will recompense you for any lost HTB and stamp duty relief if they don't complete before the end of March. 

javp

OldMusicGuy said:

We have just bought a new build on a small development, and the development is still being completed. There are several houses just at the roof tiling stage and the plan is that they will all be finished by March, so it's a possibility. However, it's also possible that there could be delays due to weather and unforeseen problems. We have had a lot of those on our site. 

The only certainty you will have will be the dates committed to by the builder when you exchange. There will be an estimated completion date and a long stop date. The former is when they hope they will be finished, the latter is when they are certain they will be finished. If you don't have those dates, then anything else is just hoping for the best.

You need to bear in mind that you are carrying the risk for any delay in completion unless you can get the developer to agree in writing that they will recompense you for any lost HTB and stamp duty relief if they don't complete before the end of March. 

The developer has already agreed to pay stamp duty if the deadline was missed. We are trying to push them as much as we can but have our fingers crossed.

javp

The developer had emailed to say that they would give us an appointment to come and look at the progress in a couple of weeks. We are really nervous!

BigD74

Our new build house has just been finished, the roof went on Sept last year. It is a bit smaller - 3 bed with external single garage - and by a national builder on an estate of about 250 houses. 

javp

BigD74 said:

Our new build house has just been finished, the roof went on Sept last year. It is a bit smaller - 3 bed with external single garage - and by a national builder on an estate of about 250 houses. 

5 months sounds like a long time from roof to completion. Has something been holding up your completion date? I've read a couple of articles about external factors such as utilities holding up completion.