New Build Property - Wrong Kitchen installed - Help!!

pinkteapot

What are you waiting on? Just a cheque, or for work to be done. You haven’t said…

deannagone

You have completed, agreed what the company is to do (presumably live there for now and while replacement work is being done or go to relatives?). 

Agree dates with developer when monies will be sent and kitchen will be fitted. 

As you have completed, not sure there is much else you can do to be honest.  It won't really kill you to wait til the kitchen is fitted - as you have a clear agreement that this will happen and hopefully will obtain a date for the refitting. 

I think its about as good as it gets although I do appreciate seeing the wrong kitchen in place was a cause of panic and shock. Its not like you won't have a kitchen while you wait for resupply and refitting - assuming that's what you've agreed to as you haven't actually confirmed what you agreed (unless I am going boss eyed lol)?

Doozergirl

It isn't Christmas. It isn't even near Christmas.   You're projecting into the future and worrying over something that hasn't happened yet and - even if it did - what is the worst that can happen? You have a brand new kitchen and you can refuse the work if it was near Xmas, which it isn't. 

How different is this kitchen?  Presumably the layout is as you expected, it's just the colours?  That isn't a major job, it won't take long once the correct materials are on site. You're right not to move out.  

I'd be pretty chuffed with £2.5k and waiting for them to sort it, frankly.  

You've been told around six weeks so what's the point in kicking off after two?  Working in the construction industry right now isn't hugely fun and there are still some supply chain issues.  I wouldn't want to commit to a date, particularly to an easily annoyed customer, until I had materials on site.  

A lot of problems aren't problems, they are a problem with how you frame them in your mind.  This isn't a big problem and not really worth the time and negative energy you've put into a thread on it.  Reflect on this and try to change your own mind.  It might help make you less angry about other things too. 

Titus_Wadd

In the meantime, don't neglect to do your snagging for the rest of the house; it's easy to get side-tracked by a big obvious mistake like the kitchen.

Bendy_House

So, first family Christmas will be with this kitchen. Next year's will be with a brand new one.

Your family will think you're loaded. And eccentric. Cool.

Seriously, I've read a few 'first world problems' on here, but...

 

This was a very simple mistake - a kitchen choice was recorded incorrectly somewhere - but has expensive consequences - for the builder. And they have given you a selection of options, all of which seem very reasonable and fair.

I can certainly sympathise with the difficulty you have in choosing the best option.

Flick85

I’m buying a new build atm, and if they accidentally put the wrong kitchen in and then offer me 2.5k and agree to fix it, then I’d be delighted! It’s really not a huge amount of hassle for you. I’d prob even spend that 2.5k on a last minute holiday when they’re ready to fit the replacement!

Tiglet2

Nick1617 said:

So we completed on the friday and i have been going backwards and forwards trying to get a date for this kitchen to be sorted and receive this cheque which was agreed for £2.5k, i spoke with my solicitor who was absolutely useless and even came back with responses to requests made after completion had be done which i find completely ridiculous. 

Aside from everything else you have said and the responses from other posters, I do just want to point out that a solicitor deals with the legal transfer of a property from the seller to the buyer.  They won't be interested in helping you out here.  Due diligence is done before completion.  You could have delayed completion, but chose not to due to mortgage rates.  Once completion has taken place, the solicitor has done their job, except for the post completion duties, such as registering you as the new owner at Land Registry.  The solicitor doesn't visit the property and quite honestly they wouldn't know what kitchen you had agreed with the developer, nor is it within the scope of their instruction to find out.

Spiderroo

Nick1617 said:

So just to put the facts through quickly essentially me and my wife have just bought a new build property for £600k, we completed on 29th July. Following up a visit to the property 3 days before completion my wife immediately noticed that the completely wrong kitchen had been installed. This was the first time we were invited to see the property. I immediately got on the emails and were offered some awful options as to rectify this matter and these were:

1) Refund all deposits and do not proceed with the purchase of the house
2) Delay completion until this is rectified
3) Fix the kitchen and be put up in a hotel for 5 days as this is what they said it would take, although the lead time to order the kitchen was 6 weeks so not immediate.
4) Receive a cash amount of £1850 which is the equivalent of what the hotel would cost and food and keep the kitchen

Of course the cost of a kitchen if it were to be completely replaced will cost upwards of at least £10k which is initially what i had asked for if the kitchen was kept. Also £5k for them to replace and fix the kitchen whilst we stay home. 

The company itself new the position we were in and it was definitely not feasible to push completion due to the interest rates doubling as to what we were offered which would have meant we could not afford the house, so i feel completely taken advantage of. 

So we completed on the friday and i have been going backwards and forwards trying to get a date for this kitchen to be sorted and receive this cheque which was agreed for £2.5k, i spoke with my solicitor who was absolutely useless and even came back with responses to requests made after completion had be done which i find completely ridiculous. 

I have researched the NEW HOMES OMBUDSMAN service but they are yet to represent anyone, is there anywhere further i can take this?

I don’t see how any of these options are awful and I think the any ombudsman would see it similarly. They’re going to rectify their mistake and pay a generous chunk of compensation for the inconvenience which seems fair. 

You say it’s not the kitchen you ordered but don’t talk about any significant differences like less cupboard space, reduced quality, poor layout, etc.Is the issue literally just visual differences?? Because if so it’s annoying until they fix it but putting up with your wrong colour/style brand kitchen doesn’t seem too bad in the greater scheme of life.

In the current financial climate expecting them to pay £10k for a kitchen you might want in the future when they’ve also paid for a brand new one that isn’t quite right and you’re keeping seems absolutely crackers to me. How did you arrive at that figure? Did they tell you that’s their costa buying trade and using their own labour for fitting or did you look at non-trade companies? 

lookstraightahead

I think you've got the best of both worlds here, personally I'd be delighted (even though I agree it might be a bit inconvenient while they refit).

I've  never bought a new house - do you literally buy from a plan? 

cymruchris

Definitely not 'awful' options from what you've outlined so far. Do you expect a new kitchen to magically appear overnight? A mistake has occurred and they have given several decent options to put it right. I'd happily move in with a wrong kitchen, get on with life while waiting for the new parts to arrive - then take a paid for by them holiday while it was fitted when the time arrived. I was expecting from your thread title that the builders would be fighting tooth and nail to leave you with the wrong kitchen and just saying 'suck it up' - but they're not - they appear very reasonable.