New build change of bricks

Hellohoney

Hi all,
My husband and I are in the process of buying a new build home that will be completed next year June/July. We have already reserved the property, mortgage has been approved and we are more or less ready for completion date. 

However, we reserved the property nearly three months ago and since then there has been very little progress on the build side of things. All surrounding properties have started and it’s only our house that hasn’t. We didn’t really think much of it until this week when the developer told me that the original bricks that we were told they would be using are no longer available as they have changed suppliers and we will now have different coloured bricks and roof tiles.
it sounds very trivial, but we really don’t like the colour of the new bricks. The original were a red brick and the news ones are more of a gradient with dark grey. The house looks very dark with the dark roof tiles too. I have told the developer that we don’t really want the new bricks and they’ve told me there is nothing they can do and the only option is that we pull out of the sale if we aren’t happy. 

I don’t want to pull out as this is our dream home and perhaps I should just get over the bricks but I can’t help feel that we are being forced to agree with them. 
I just wanted to ask anyone for advice as we have a meeting with them tomorrow to further discuss this. Not really sure what else we can even suggest as they are refusing to use a different brick now. 

We signed paperwork for a specific colour but now 3 months of not even touching the house they have suddenly decided to change only our houses brickwork. I have no experience with buying a house or nee build developments so am I missing something? 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

We signed paperwork for a specific colour 

You mean this was specifically mentioned in the paperwork?

Or do you mean you signed for X style house on the development which upto now had always been made using the original brick and roof tiles?

Slithery

Read the paperwork that you signed. It will almost certainly have a disclaimer in allowing them to do this.

How much time do you plan to spend outside the property looking at it rather than being inside?

Hellohoney said:

but I can’t help feel that we are being forced to agree with them.

You're not being forced to do anything, you can pull out.

propertyhunter

It sounds like it's no longer your dream home with the new brick colour, and that if you came across it already built and standing you wouldn't give it a second look. The exterior/kerb appeal is important for me too. I think it is for many people, hence why you see some really odd looking houses staying on the market even when demand generally is hot. 

As others have said, look into the contract first and determine what their obligations are. Then, if they have no obligations, reaching into your own pocket could give you what you want. 

I didn't like some interior choices that came with my new build flat and then paid the difference for upgrades but these were easy things to change (e.g. carpets, cabinetry in the kitchen). Not sure whether this would even be a consideration they would make for bricks and tiles, but worth asking? No point buying a house that you detest when you pull up in the driveway. However, I really don't like the idea of you reaching into your own pocket without exhausting all other avenues first. Stand your ground tomorrow. Good luck. 

user1977

Hellohoney said:

We signed paperwork for a specific colour 

The "paperwork" doesn't allow them to make a single change to the specification? That sounds extremely unlikely.

Nifty_Purse

So the delay in building work on the property is probably because they have been trying to keep their side of the bargain, whether it does actually specify a particular type of brick or not in the contract, by trying to source the bricks they were using. They have concluded that it's not possible in the time they have.

What you were expecting is no longer available.
This is disappointing, but the ball is in your court.

Your choices appear to be:
Break the contract: Realise your dream home, which you plan to live in for more than ten years probably exists or can exist elsewhere or
Keep the contract: you're only going to be living there for less than ten years so while it's a surprise that it will look different it might not be enough of a reason to walk away.

Only you and your husband can make that decision. No one on here can. 

PS: it is possible that the shortage of brick is due to the worldwide increase in gas prices as brick kilns often use gas.

jkrbec

this is the thing with buying off plan, it’s never going to look exactly like those virtual images…

daveyjp

Does the developer have planning approval for the alternative brick colour?

Thrugelmir

When did you exchange contracts on the property?   

Section62

daveyjp said:

Does the developer have planning approval for the alternative brick colour?

That was going to be my question!

Typically developers have to submit samples of the materials they are using for the planners to sign off.  If the consent is for brick type 'A' and tile type 'X', then the developer would need to ask the planners before changing to different ones, especially if the development is already underway and houses have already been built using A and X.

The use of different materials across a development can be a design feature... but it needs to be designed, not something which happens at random because the developer has decided to use a different supplier.


I think there should be room for negotiation around getting an alternative brick which is a close match to what was originally intended - changing supplier shouldn't necessarily require a completely different colour/style.

It might also be worth checking the date - if the planners were consulted - vs the first time the developer told the OP about this.

ACG

They are not going to revert back to the old bricks. 

So you have a choice to either proceed or dont. Would you have originally made an offer on the property if the bricks would have been the colour they are? If so, carry on. If not, pull out. 

There is not really any other advice, you just have to decide whether or not you want to proceed.