Just lost our dream house-heartbroken

[Auramigraine]

Been watching this house being built from foundations, perfect area, price, house etc. Was negotiating with the developers over the price on Saturday, Couldn’t get there until today to sign reservation paperwork, email today, someone reserved it on Sunday!! We’ve been enquiring about it since June, they know that house is the one we have been after all along. AIBU to think what a shitty thing to do?

Now been sat in tears and no other houses to buy that even remotely come close.

Any success stories of finding something better to cheer me up?

So sorry to hear you have lost your dream home, hopefully you will find something suitable in the near future, at least no one's died, things could have been a lot worse.

Ask them if they can build the same house on another lot? People do it all the time. There are some issues because not every lot can accommodate every house, but odds are there is one that will work.

We went to view a house a couple of weeks ago. I came away from it almost in tears thinking we could live there, I was completely overwhelmed and head over heels. DH was less keen (being far more practical) and felt there would be a lot of ongoing maintenance and the energy bills would be massive (very old barn conversion). In the 24 hours that we took to think about it, someone else viewed and put in an asking price offer. I was absolutely devastated and poor DH got both barrels, but in hindsight I can see what he meant and given that he's not done any actual maintenance (other than essentials) to our current home in the last 20 years, this house would have been a disaster waiting to happen

We've told the estate agent to please consider us if the sale falls through just in case, and even though I can't find anything that looks remotely as nice, I'm hoping something better will come along.

It's not for the faint hearted, this house buying malarky.

I’m sorry they treated you so badly!

But when I read news build’ I was unsurprised and actually pleased for you. Do you REALLY want the hassle of all the snagging they’ll wash their hands of or the fact there’s never enough parking ?!

I am currently trying to buy a house and I am so nervous of this happening. I've done the surveys, the searches etc but I'm still trying not to get too attached- but it's so hard, isn't it? Because you want to love it, because it's potentially your home and the biggest investment you'll ever make- but you don't want to get excited before time.
Good luck OP. Something better will come x

First person who puts down money gets it I'm afraid, They can't guarantee people won't say they love it and then drop out. At that point they've lost number 2 and 3 in the list. Maybe the other buyers been in love with it since June too!

Developers are out there to make a profit. They don't wait around for people out of kindness, they need to sign contracts.

The developer will have taken the reservation from the person who got there first. Unfortunately, enquiring about something and following through are often different things. I would have moved heaven and earth to reserve a property I wanted on the first day reservations were taken. As it's Wednesday now they may have tonight you weren't as serious as you said.

The old system of having to have new builds signed off by an independent person have gone, with the result that the builders are cutting all sorts of corners

Nope the building regs still apply but either the council can inspect and certify or an indpendanet contractor can do the same, usually ex council staff who have gone private and set up their own firms!.

Many years ago, we put our house on the market so that we could buy our dream home. The vendors would not accept an offer from us unless our property was sold. After about 6 weeks the estate agents called us to say someone else had bought our dream house. Infuriatingly they had been waiting to sell as well and the person who bought their house had also viewed ours.

We kept our house on the market but couldn't see anything else we liked, then out of the blue it came back on the market, the family who had intended buying it had suffered a redundancy and pulled out, so their buyer then bought ours and we bought the house we had wanted.

If it's meant to be yours, you'll get it!

This happened to me last year. I’d signed some paperwork and put my kids names down for a different school. Looked at the house for three months and bought things for it etc.
One day I received an email telling me there had been a mistake and it had been offered to someone else. It was a new build too. Perfect for us in size and price.
I was devastated. Cried like mad. Thought I’d never get over it. Two days later I just didn’t care about it in the same way! Honestly now- I’m still house hunting but I do not care one iota about that other house. Totally fine about it and very sure something else will come up for us. As it will for you- you’ll find something a bit better. The next one you pick will have something that this one didn’t. There will be an advantage you don’t even know about yet. So do not despair. You will be absolutely fine!

Ignore the ‘all new builds are a nightmare’ brigade, helpful as they are, and chin up, OP. We had some problems with a reservation and were gutted but now in a nicer, bigger, gorgeous new build which is bright, airy, well insulated, big, had no snagging issues and has a two car drive and a garage as well as loads of road parking good luck!

Hi OP, this happened to me a few years ago. Tried reserving the perfect plot but wasn't open yet. Wouldn't tell us when "early bird" would open but we were calling every couple of days. Call one day to find someone else had reserved it!!! We suspect it ended up being relative of someone who worked in the sale office. (Long story how we got that info). We tried complaining and got big standard response and trying to flog us another plot.

Don't despair we were gutted for a while but withing 6 months had found an alternative. It's bigger, detached with garage, lovely view all for similar price as the new build. Even better that the council adopted all the roads and grass so we pay no fees. The new estate has had nothing but problems, while they are freehold they have to pay hundreds of pounds a year for maintenance including a nice nature reserve which we all have access to.
It seems awful at the moment but it will feel better. It happens for a reason (cliché) but it's the best way to think of it. I was gutted at the time but now feel relieved. It helped to think about the negatives of the house and why living there would have been a bit of a pain.

@amanduh

Ignore the ‘all new builds are a nightmare’ brigade,

How rude. We are not a ‘brigade’ we are individuals who happen to have the same opinion - who are you to tell someone to ignore other posters?

You have had a rare hassle free time in your new build, that’s fortunate, but it doesn’t invalidate other peoples experiences.

House buying tends to be one of the most stressful things you can do even when it goes well. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is to not trust any party (vendors, buyers, estate agents, solicitors) and to chase everything. Never assume people have actually done what they tell you. I learnt this the hard way and for any future transactions, I will be the annoying person on the phone all the time.

People here tend to hate new builds. I’m in my 2nd one and have had nothing but 2 positive experiences. The energy bills are low, everything is new and they built a 2nd version of our house with minor changes. The sales manager told us it was a ‘real step up’, we cheekily asked if we could see one and they gave us the keys. So glad we got ours as it was crap in layout.

Ask them what other plots they have planned with that home style. Chin up you’ll get what’s right for you.

Another here who has had a positive experience with new builds. A lot of the people who 'hate' new builds have never actually lived in one.

Chin up though OP, what's for you won't go by you.

I know exactly how you feel as we lost our dream, unique home. I don’t believe things happen for a reason, but I do believe that you will find a house you love just as much if not even more.

I love my energy efficient new build. It’s easy to cool and heat. It’s wired for today’s electronics. And I got to put in a giant bathtub which I adore.

If you want to make yourself feel better, google the builders name and then issue/problem.

I bet there's loads of complaints about them

@Blobby10 thank you for the namecheck Sunday was a rollercoaster of emotions! Match off, match on, our first try, the second half scraps ... I was exhausted 😂 fair play to the Blossoms, they did so well and it's brilliant for them in their home World Cup but yeah, sorry I won't see more of Greig's lovely legs for a wee while!!

How're you feeling now a few days have passed OP?

The original house we offered on was a detached 4 bed with double garage and a huge kitchen. We were pipped by the post by £2000. We then found our current house which has bigger bedrooms and dining room as well as a good sized garden. I do still get a pang when I go past the other house as it had so much curb appeal but our house has much more bigger bedrooms to store all the kids stuff. Definitely agree that what is meant for you won't pass you by. Our house is 10years old and we are the second owners to live here as diat bought off plan. People are always surprised by how generous the layout is, we have looked at current new builds by the same developer and they are much smaller.

*as first even

Way back in 1988, having accepted an offer on our first house, we reserved a new build off plan; it wasn't huge but so pretty!
A month or so later we called in to the sales office on our way home from holiday. The sales rep said, "Oh - we've been trying to get in touch with you. You have lost your buyer, so you've lost your reservation." I was devastated! (scant sympathy from DH who said, "It's only a house!")
Our house went back on the market and sold quickly, but by then all of the 3 beds on our chosen development had gone. But we found a lovely house in the same area, six months old with fairly new carpets included.
We are still living in that one. I wake to the song of birds in the woods 200m away. If we had got my 'dream house' it would be the noise from the dual carriageway that was later built behind its garden!

I’m so tired of the ‘all new builds are shit’ brigade. They aren’t. Some developers are shit, but some are actually pretty good. It depends whether you do your research before hand. I’ve seen some dreadful houses, needing loads of work that are cramped, or featureless, or damp, or crumbling.

I do what others have suggested, register your interest and keep looking.