New build delays

ap741

Hi all, after what feels like an eternity, countless disappointing emails and many more tears, I am turning to you good people for a bit of advice. 
Back in 2022 and after a (very) messy relationship breakdown, me and my estranged Fiancé put our 4 bedroom house on the market. We sold quickly and made a healthy profit, having bought the house in 2019 and the crazy increase in prices for countryside houses since COVID (this is where the good news ends). 
I have a now 10 year old daughter from a previous relationship and so the moment the house was put up for sale I got stuck into finding myself and my daughter our fresh start home. As a single parent Art teacher, my income doesn't blow anyone's hats off but with the money I was set to get out of the house sale I had a healthy deposit and put in an application for a shared ownership property in my home town. 
On the tin this house was perfect! It was in the catchment area for my daughters high school (she was finishing yr5 and so this was a consideration) and within walking distance of my own work. The area is fantastic and is only a small estate of about 30 dwellings, so I put in my application, paid my reservation fees and the mortgage advisor fees and reserved my plot. I was over the moon!....This was back in July 2022. 
Fast forward to May 2023 and it is no longer such a rosy picture. In late July there was a computer issue that meant for 6 weeks the housing association responsible for the houses could make no phone calls, no appointments and generally progress ground to a halt. I was told that the physical building of the properties continued and in my naive ignorance I accepted the inconvenience for what it was and continued on.
By the time the technical issues were sorted and everything was back up and running, I was told that the original completion date of the end of August had to be pushed back to September. Still waiting on my mortgage offer, I was kind of relieved that this was the case. I was issued a notice of sale with a September deadline on it and everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. 
By the time September had come and gone, I was told that it was now November 11th as there were issues with the waste pipes that needed to be dug across private land and the owners where dragging their heels. This was highly irritating but again I accepted the situation and 'made the most of it'  During this time my previous home sold and I moved in with close family friends, under the impression it would only be for a short while. So I relocated 30 miles away from my home town and stomached the 1 hour commute to work and school 5 days a week and paying £120 a month to keep my life in a storage container. I palmed my much loved moggy off on a friend with the confidence that it wouldn't be for very long and I promised the moment the house was sorted, I would take him back! 
So November was the date, I was even given detailed information on what will happen on each key date leading up to this and I was feeling very (stupidly) confident. Then the bad news train pulled in and I was told again this date was not going to happen and instead I was looking at January/February with the worst case outcome of March 2023. This.Was.Crushing. 
Tears all round, huge frustration and a child who was sick of sleeping in a spare room. At this point I was desperately over staying with my friends and my car was suffering from the 300 mile a week commute I was having to do. I made the difficult decision to move into an Air BnB as it was my best temporary measure. November 17th 2022 I moved to the 1 bedroom, £900 p/m flat where I sleep on the sofa so my daughter can have the only bed. I am now still there.
I can't put into words the stress, exhaustion and depression I have faced since making the decision to buy this house. I was told time and time again that our little house would be ready and each time it has stretched out longer and longer. 
The current update is September 2023. Nearly 13 months since the original completion date that I was sold back in May 2022. My solicitors informs me that the long stop deadline is the end of September and with my mortgage offer expiring mid October (they extended my original 6 month offer for another 6) I am getting somewhat nervous. 
Aside from using this forum as a type of therapy to vent my sheer agonizing frustration, has anyone been in this situation?
What would happen if they didn't complete by the long stop? 
What state is this house going to be in once it is finished?
Am I cursed?? Any help/advice/similar stories would be so greatly received, even if to confirm my fate at this point!

 

[Deleted User]

Can you do a TL;DR summary?

eddddy

ap741 said:

What would happen if they didn't complete by the long stop? 

If there's a long stop date in the contract, and the property isn't ready by that date, generally you have 2 options:

• 1) You can walk away from the purchase - without any penalty, and you'd probably get your reservation fee back. (But you'd probably lose your legal fees, mortgage application fees, etc.)

• 2) You can continue to wait for the property to be completed

But you should check your contract, to make sure that's right in your specific case.

pinkteapot

[Deleted User] said:

Can you do a TL;DR summary?

Edited version of OP (sorry OP, but with that huge wall of text people may not spot the specific questions at the end - I know you're venting your stress):

Messy break-up in 2022 led to house sale. Applied for a shared ownership property in July 2022 which was meant to be ready at the end of August. House has been repeatedly delayed and is now due September 2023. Long-stop deadline is end-September with mortgage offer expiring mid-October.

Questions:

• Aside from using this forum as a type of therapy to vent my sheer agonizing frustration, has anyone been in this situation?
• What would happen if they didn't complete by the long stop? 
• What state is this house going to be in once it is finished?
• Am I cursed?? Any help/advice/similar stories would be so greatly received, even if to confirm my fate at this point!

Catalogue of delays:

Computer problem in late July 2022 meant Housing Association couldn't contact anyone or make appointments, but was told build was progressing. 

Told original completion date of end August had to be pushed back to September. Issued a notice of sale with a September deadline on it and everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. 

Previous home sold, moved in with friends, under the impression it would only be for a short while, resulting in a long commute to work and school, £120 a month storage costs, and a friend having to take my cat.

Then told November 11th as there were issues with the waste pipes that needed to be dug across private land and the owners where dragging their heels.

November: Moved into an AirBnB as the best temporary option. 1 bedroom, £900 p/m flat where I sleep on the sofa so my daughter can have the only bed. I am now still there.

Then told it would be January/February with the worst case outcome of March 2023. Now saying September.

I can't put into words the stress, exhaustion and depression I have faced since making the decision to buy this house. I was told time and time again that our little house would be ready and each time it has stretched out longer and longer. 

pinkteapot

Have you visited the site to see how far along the build actually is? 

Have you been asking them if the issue with the waste pipes needing to go across someone else's land has been resolved? That sort of thing can really delay a build - builder was probably negotiating a price to pay the landowner. 

Flugelhorn

pinkteapot said:

Have you been asking them if the issue with the waste pipes needing to go across someone else's land has been resolved? That sort of thing can really delay a build - builder was probably negotiating a price to pay the landowner. 

I think this is important - why wasn't it sorted before building started? bit late to be doing it now and could take ages 

OP - you paid a reservation but have you actually exchanged contracts with a "completion on notice" clause - if you haven't exchanged then why not look for somewhere else?