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Author Topic: Developers keen to set the completion date.  (Read 12228 times)

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Darola

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Developers keen to set the completion date.
« on: July 01, 2015, 12:01:43 am »
Hi,

For context we have part-exchanged our house with the developer and have already exchanged contracts. the relevance of this will become apparent!

The developer called today to ask if we would like to set the completion date some weeks ahead, fast tracking the timeline set in the contract of sale. Where they are obliged to set the quarter, month, week and finally notice to complete, based on build milestones. Apparently this was to support our personal circumstances, where we might find it easier to plan knowing the completion date many weeks in advance.

Current build stage is the roof is nearly complete, but windows are not in. So next milestone would have been the month, given when the build is watertight

I said I'd think about it. An hour later I had a call from the estate agents for our current property (who have found a buyer) on an unrelated point, so I took the opportunity to ask what expectations the developer had set on completion. I was advised,
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"oh we spoke to the developer today and they have moved from July to August, but won't give a more precise date - the chain is getting jittery and won't exchange until they have a completion date".


It turns out the developers interest in setting our completion date, apparently to help us, was so they could get the buyer of our property to exchange!!

Any thoughts on this anybody?
Our current thoughts are to decline the fixed date and stick to the contract schedule, largely because we don't want the developer to end up in a situation where they are rushing to finish and we end up with a major snagging list. If they work to the schedule the dates set have more chance of a better finish as they can't set the completion date until certain works are finished.

E.g they currently give the week of completion when the decoration is finished, where as, if they set the date now they could find they don't finish the decorating until days before and it all gets a bit rushed.

Looking at it from the other side, they should know how long it will take from experience and we can plan removals. Snagging survey, flooring etc with a fixed date.



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Re: Developers keen to set the completion date.
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2015, 08:51:30 am »
It would have been useful to know the housebuilder because this ,may have a bearing if your forced completion date is near the builder's end of financial year date.

From what you have said the housebuilder is complying with the industry's own Consumer Code for Home Builders - the strict requirements for keeping buyers informed of construction progress.  Which to be fair makes a pleasant change as most of the large housebuilders do whatever they want irrespective of their Code requirements!
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Requirement 3.2 states:
The Home Buyer must be given reliable and realistic information about when construction of the Home may be finished, the date of Legal Completion, and the date for handover of the Home.
Guidance:
However, you may wish to use the following approach:
 Before completing the foundations and ground floor – give the calendar quarter when the Home is likely to be ready.
 When the roof is completed and the building weatherproof – give the month when the Home is likely to be ready.
 When the Home is decorated and main services are connected – say what week the Home is likely to be ready.

Make no mistake, no housebuilder will work in their buyers interests!  They operate to make money for their shareholders and nothing else matters!

Do not agree to a completion date for your existing home until you know that your new home is 100% finished and has been snagged by a professional snagging inspector.   Instruct your solicitor accordingly - hopefully not one chosen or required by the housebuilder (a breach of Code requirement 2.5!), that you will be having the property snagged by a professional before you legally complete.  You may get slightly better quality finish as a result.

Housebuilders should (and do) know full well how long it takes to complete every stage of building a home properly and with care (subject to extreme weather).  So if they want four homes completed a week, they would need 4 times the trades; For example: 4 painters each taking a week to decorate a new home on average.  What then happens at the "end of year" silly season, is that extra pressure is put on the sites for even more completions (to make the figures better or make up for regions that have failed!) and they factor getting more painters, weekend and late night working. It has even been known for several trades working in the same home at the same time:
A plumber under the bath connecting the taps, a wall tiler in the bath tiling the walls, a painter painting and a carpenter fitting door furniture to the door.
This did happen on one site I visited (Bryant Homes)
As a result quality always suffers as the site management are unable or have enough time to check and snag properly.

Finally remember, the site staff and in particular the site sales staff are not your friends. They are not "nice" and most certainly cannot be trusted! 
New Home Blog - New Home Expert is committed to providing help and advice for people having issues with their new homes and difficulties with house builders as well as helping potential buyers reduce the risk of possible problems if they do buy.


Firemansam

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Re: Developers keen to set the completion date.
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2016, 07:50:46 pm »
This is excellent advice learnt from experience when our anticipated completion date was 1 December 2015, moved to 18 December then to late February 2016 and still no date given for completion. They have to give us 2 weeks notice and we will be lucky to be in by March 2016.

Don't trust anything the sales or site staff say, as they say buyer beware!

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Re: Developers keen to set the completion date.
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2016, 06:51:49 am »
Who is the housebuilder?
Looks like an end of year figures rush job that never came off.
Now its the New Year, pressure is off and they are more relaxed about when you complete.
They don't realise the chaos it causes those buying trying to arrange everything.
And when you do move in you'll find the home has many defects and snags and may not even be properly insulated! 

All I can say is get it professionally snagged and inspected BEFORE you move in and give the housebuilder the rest of your money.
New Home Blog - New Home Expert is committed to providing help and advice for people having issues with their new homes and difficulties with house builders as well as helping potential buyers reduce the risk of possible problems if they do buy.