New build questions

Viz_2

As a potential FTB's we are looking a purchasing a new build home.

Do we have to pay the price that is being asked even if there are other sales incentives ?

Are there any pitfalls with new build homes ?

And is there anything inparticular we should ask or look out for when viewing ?


Many thanks.

alared

Take a look at this thread to give you some ideas

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=79507&highlight=builds

TJMD

I have recently purchased a new build and did not pay the asking price. Got 5% off, stamp duty paid and other smaller incentives.

This was not given all in one go, but we had to visit the sales person a few times before we got all of the above.

For us, telling the salesperson we had our eye on another new build, with a lower asking price, and more incentives included (when we didn't really) was a big factor in them giving us the discount.

pammie

The answer to your question is YES!!!!! There are pitfalls.

We put a deposit on a Bellway home in February on the Cobblestones estate in Halifax. In May we got a letter saying that the completion had been delayed until 1st July. Its now 7th September and we still not in. Our rental is up, our mortgage offer expired and Bellways couldn't care less! Their customer service has been absolutely appalling, there are currently 19 other families in our predicament on this site not taking into account the ones who moved in a couple of weeks ago who had been waiting since easter. All this and we haven't reached the snagging stage yet (Pass me the Valium!) You may then end up with lousy workmanship, the noise from the building work going on around you. If goes well its OK. If it doesn't and believe me since talking to people about this i've heard dozens of horror stories, then it is a NIGHTMARE!!
Two warnings, read the reservation form very carefully and the contract. These are weighted 100% in the builder's favour. Once you have signed you are at their mercy as we are. Get a professional builder to do the snagging list. Right now if I could afford to lose our money i'd tell Bellways to shove it.

terrierlady

How often do you visit? what stage is the home at? how has your mortgage offer run out?Most are valid for the period of the new build and often the Building Society will keep the file open,
Did you exchange contracts with an agreed date?
Ask for a meeting on site with all of you (19) families present tell them you are off to the press if they don't agree to this request, ask what incentives are they prepared to give you now ?
Push as a group for a meeting to the area sales manager then if no go to the Sales/Build Director, arrange for the local paper to call the head office etc.
Your rent should be paid till build complete if you were given a confirmed completion date.i expect it states build completion to be confirmed?
Check your Reservation form and warning to others; make sure that you put a clause into the form stating that if build is not confirmed by the given date, the incentives will be.....................they wont like it!!!!! but at reservation stage they are after the sale.

pammie

Thanks for replying Terrierlady.

We visit every week and ring the construction manager very week. Every week we get a different set of dates and more excuses. Last week we got a letter saying they couldn't complete until November, I was furious. Now they are saying its a mistake and its end of September. In May they said it was going to be put back till July. In July they told us that it would be four weeks max so we gave 6 weeks notice on our rented property. The landlord has relet the house and we are only still here because the new tenants can't move in yet, otherwise we would have had to leave on 12th August. Although if I had acted on their May letter without checking we would have given notice for 12th July.Our mortgage offer was valid for 6 months and we have had to apply for an extention. The bank haven't charged us but they have run another credit check. Our income has dropped slightly over the last couple of months (my husband has been studying for his professional qualifications and has had to reduce his working hours) we were lucky we got passed. We have exchanged contracts but there was no completion date, apparantly its standard practice on a new build. I have just received a copy of the contract and read it thoroughly. Basically Bellways can delay completion indefinitely and there is nothing we can do about it. They are now telling us that it is the utility company that is causing the delay. I am actually starting to gibber a bit here because i've also discovered that they can change the house and change the boundaries after exchange of contracts and actually have done. They can also change the layout of the site at any time including after completion, in fact they have already and its not to the good of the residents. I have gone to the press as I only know one of the families and hope that they will be able to find the others and maybe speak to the people who are already on site. If we all get together and complain as one we may get some redress, this is phase one of the build they will be wanting to sell phases 2,3,&4 and maybe the thought of bad publicity will make them reconsider their position.I have also been looking into our contract. I am hoping we can do something under the Unfair Terms of Consumer Contract Regulations, as this seems completely weighted in their favour. I have reached the stage now that I don't want to move onto this site. We went up last week and the site is in an appalling mess, we were buttonholed by someone who had just moved in urging us not to buy there. Too late. There's loads more but i'm rambling i'm so upset. Thanks for reading this. If there's anyone out there who can help us please get in touch.

withabix

There's a new series of Watchdog on at the moment. This is right up their street.

This is the sort of thing they'll get Bellway's MD in the studio for.

Even if it makes no difference, it will make the bloke look a !!!!!! on telly anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/contact/

terrierlady

this gives all of us in new builds a bad name, people do expect mess and some delay as we cant control the weather and other items BUT i agree with you , this is noway to treat customers and on my site i would be horrified, i have printed off your notes but deleted the named builder to show our sales team etc,namely to show how the goodwill that takes years to build up has been lost in one foul swoop.I wonder how many sales this has lost this developer? many, many people read these threads.
The watchdog idea is a good idea as so often we at the front line get all the complaints/abuse whilst the directors etc sit pretty ignoring our complaints, I wonder if there is a Bellways sales negotiator reading this and would care to comment. I have never worked for them myself so don't know their procedures but there must be an underlying reason why this has happened.
place an advert in the local press and invite any other disgruntled people to join you at a meeting and then invite the Bellway team to reply to the comments.
Keep asking and chasing for incentives as this hits them where it hurts in their pockets.
let us know how you get on.

Viz_2

Just wanted to post an update.

We bought and moved into our new build Persimmon home in October. We are really happy with it. Persimmon couldn't have done more to make us feel welcome and fix any problems that have arisen.

Our site manager has won 'Site Manager of the year' and it really shows. He is really easy going and we can speak to him about any concerns. The site is still being built on but is always clean and tidy.

Well done Persimmon. And thanks to everyone for their advice before our purchase :beer:

terrierlady

many thanks for restoring some faith into new build homes, as we have stated before the people on the developments make the developer and the site, its nice to hear that your site manager/agent has received an award for all his work, sometimes things do go wrong, after all new build is dependant on so many people, the art is being able to correct these problems quickly with minimum fuss and to the customers satisfaction. I hope enjoy your new home and thanks for the update lets hope other developers take it on board.

sb007_2

Hiya Ive had mixed experiences with new build. The first one I bought was in North London which went through without a hitch and the people there were absolutely wonderful to deal with. I have recently bought one in Basingstoke (By Fairview Homes) and the sales people were absolutely useless. I have enough experience of the property market and these people were pressurising people. One of them didnt even have any experience and you could tell that as he was giving the incentives away without even haggling(not that im complaining about that). Anyway I was haveing a bit of trouble getting my mortgage offer due to me not being in the country and my other mortgages. The sales people were on th phone everyday threatening to me that I would lose my reservation fee. I finally got it but I said I wouldnt be using those people again. Since I bought mine they have recruited a new sales manager and a new team and my experience just talkin to them has been so much more friendly. Ithink its down to the individuals some of these developers recruit because sometimes you will get really good ones and sometimes people who are useless.