Completion Date on New Build

leeleec78

Buying house with Barratt, when we reserved 3 months ago they said completion would be last week of June. Our solicitors (recommended by Barratt) told us completions happen on Thursdays so we both booked last Thursday in June off and told Barratt this. They’ve now said it will be last Friday in June. Partner is a nurse on a small team and can’t now get the Friday off. Barratt are saying it must be the Friday regardless.
Can we refuse and insist on completing on the Thursday?

saajan_12

Are you completing on notice or agreeing a specific date at exchange? 

user1977

Your contract (almost certainly) says that completion is x days after they tell you that the house is ready. If that's going to be at the end of June then I presume they have still to give you any formal notice and all these dates are just estimates? Presumably the solicitors explained the contract to you before you exchanged?

On a practical level, why does your wife need to be available? You don't need to move in on the completion date.

eddddy

leeleec78 said:

Can we refuse and insist on completing on the Thursday?

It depends what your contract says - but I suspect it doesn't allow you to insist on a Thursday completion.


I guess you realise that you don't have to actually move in on that Friday, if it's inconvenient (and you've got somewhere else to stay).

If you want, you could collect the keys on that Friday, or you could collect the keys at a later date.

leeleec78 said:

Our solicitors (recommended by Barratt) told us completions happen on Thursdays so we both booked last Thursday in June off and told Barratt this. They’ve now said it will be last Friday in June.

That would have been a target date, rather than a definite date.

In fact, Barratts probably only give you 10 days notice, so the Friday 27th June is probably still a target date - rather than a definite date.

But 30th June will be their end of quarter, so I suspect they will 'pull out all the stops' to complete by the 30th.

leeleec78

user1977 said:

Your contract (almost certainly) says that completion is x days after they tell you that the house is ready. If that's going to be at the end of June then I presume they have still to give you any formal notice and all these dates are just estimates? Presumably the solicitors explained the contract to you before you exchanged?

On a practical level, why does your wife need to be available? You don't need to move in on the completion date.

We’re part exing our current home so essentially swapping houses on the same day, the date on the contract was left blank awaiting the completion date, which the solicitor advised was going to be on a Thursday.

Would rather there were two of us on the day, one to coordinate removals and one to pick up keys and be at the new house to coordinate furniture and boxes at new house. It’s not unreasonable for it to be the both of us

eddddy

leeleec78 said:

We’re part exing our current home so essentially swapping houses on the same day, the date on the contract was left blank awaiting the completion date, which the solicitor advised was going to be on a Thursday.

So have you exchanged contracts?

If you haven't exchanged contracts, nothing is set in stone. So you can demand that completion is on Thursday, and Barratt can demand that it's on Friday - and you can see who gives in first.

Or if nobody gives in, the sale won't happen.

But if you've already exchanged contracts, you're stuck with whatever you agreed to in the written contract (which is probably that Barratts choose the completion day).

saajan_12

leeleec78 said:

user1977 said:

Your contract (almost certainly) says that completion is x days after they tell you that the house is ready. If that's going to be at the end of June then I presume they have still to give you any formal notice and all these dates are just estimates? Presumably the solicitors explained the contract to you before you exchanged?

On a practical level, why does your wife need to be available? You don't need to move in on the completion date.

We’re part exing our current home so essentially swapping houses on the same day, the date on the contract was left blank awaiting the completion date, which the solicitor advised was going to be on a Thursday.

Would rather there were two of us on the day, one to coordinate removals and one to pick up keys and be at the new house to coordinate furniture and boxes at new house. It’s not unreasonable for it to be the both of us

Right, but is that left blank because you haven't exchanged yet or because its completion on notice? 
The advice changes depending on which one. 

Its not unreasonable for you to both want to be there, but also not unreasonable for them to have whatever date constraints. It might be impossible for both reasonable preferences to be met, so then someone has to flex or risk losign the house. 

Mutton_Geoff

With respect how can "your" solicitor be the one recommended by the vendor?

leeleec78

Mutton_Geoff said:

With respect how can "your" solicitor be the one recommended by the vendor?

Developers have solicitor firms they work closely with and they ‘recommend’ them. The firms hold the searches etc for whole estates to make the process of buying quicker. It also means the sales rep has regular access to ask questions of the solicitor and ‘support’ the sale.
in hindsight I should have gone with my gut and used my own conveyancer but we were looking at a short turnaround in new build terms