House move falled through again :( Now nearly 12 months late

[Claireandrich]

Well, what a great day We were supposed to moving tomorrow - Friday - into our new city apartment. It has been a long, long wait. We first registered in September 2001, put our deposit down in January 2002 and were given an initial completition date in August 2002. After lots of delays for various reasons, including a rather suspicious fire in the car park we thought the wait was oover, 11 months later than planned. We handed our notice in for the place we are renting. Everything was sorted - van booked, helpers on hand, boxes packed.

BUT, at 1pm this afternoon we get a call to say it is all off! Although our phase got it's NHBC certificate okay, the fire brigade haven't given the builders a fire certificate. We have no idea at this stage why. We also have no idea when we are going to get to move in either. No one seems to be able to tell us anything - not the estate agents, the management company or the builders. So we have no idea what to do now.

This was our last weekend free. The rest are booked up with things we had arranged months ago - Robbie Williams concert (can't not go - cost over £100 and it is my sister's 21st birthday pressie), our best friend's wedding (DH is best man) and then we fly off on holiday to Italy for two weeks (actually wipes our 3 weekends 'cos of flight times). We also only have two week's of our notice here to run. In fact I have had a man come to look round only an hour ago and he is keen to move in here asap. What happens if it isn't okay by then? No one can tell us if it will be. Our 15 month old daughter won't have a home! We will have no where to put our furniture!

Sorry for rambling. I just needed to get this off my chest. I feel so stressed right now that I feel physically sick. I don't really expect any advice here - I know no one can tell us what will happen - I just needed to whinge before I go mad. Dh is at work so can't winge to him yet!

How horribly frustrating - can you dump on the builders and make it their problem to sort out (inc compensation) ? Much sympathy.

Unfortuantely no compensatiuon available - already checked the contract for that. All we have the option of doing is handing the apartment back and getting a full refund on our deposit. However, house prices have gone up so much since last year we would be about £50K out of pocket and still without a home.

Once we finally get in I am going to write a long letter of complaint to all involved. Daren't do it before in case it jinxes anything else.

Claire,

start by pressuring the estate agents. Point out that you will be homeless, and need some sort of answer. Go in person if poss, rather than on the phone, and be ASSERTIVE (just this side of aggressive).

You might also try the council's planning dept. who may direct you to the Fire depts person, perhaps they can tell you whats going on. With that info you are armed to ask questions of the builder.

Having said all that don't you have a solicitor involved in this purchase? Get him/her off his/her a*se to find something out, pressure the builders for compensation etc.

Definitely get straight on to your solicitor if you have not already done so. They will have to put the money transfers on hold and this could well cost you in terms of interest lost whilst it is in abeyance (one claim at least to bear in mind for later). How come the Fire cert is being done at such a late stage anyway ? The solicitor needs to find out the real facts from the builders' legal representatives. It must be in their interest just from a cash flow point of view to resolve the issues and get quick completions so hopefully it will turn out to be a minor hitch.

Good luck - unfortunately this is why house moving is so high on the causes of stress list.

city apartment with child?! wow

On a slight tangent, CS I know said that houses are being built with smaller or no gardens and more flats are being built because people have less time to do the garden. And where else are you supposed to send your child out to on hot days while there is work to be done at home???

Sorry Clareandrich; hope your solicitor is of some use.

urgh brand new houses. i have a brand new flat and was subject to 4months of delays, not quite as long as u but still very frustrating. i spent six weeks living at my parents place whilst waiting for my place to be completed. one of the reasons they said they couldnt let us move in was because the site was still a building site and the front path wasnt completed. the site is STILL a building site (and will be for around 5 years untill the whole project is finsished) and they dug up the newly laid path 3 weeks after we moved in. never mind the fact u cant really get access thro the font door as there isnt a lock on the front door, u can only be 'buzzed' into the flats thro that route. which means a walk round to the back of the flats for the resisidents.

it will happen soon for u i hope, tho it can seem like your never gonna move in.

dee

Sympathies Claire. We have just moved and the whole process has been awful. We have been let down so many times and noone seeems to care. I can imagine how angry and helpless you are feeling. Bloody builders. Cant offer any practical advice though, sorry.

Sorry you're having such a hard time, Claire. We are also moving (in 3 days time) and its really stressy, isn't it. Hope you have some luck with solicitors etc. In any event, don't let it spoil your holiday

sorry things are so rough for you Claire. We were due to exchange contracts yesterday. At the last moment, some people up the chain said they wouldn't do 4 August completion, they want 11 August.

That week is very difficult for us and now dh is being stubborn and saying 'well they can wait to 22 August to suit us now' We really want asap so you can imagine the atmosphere in my house at the mo!! good luck

Oh Claire No! How terrible for you - lots of sympathy coming form over here. Let me know if I can do anything. XXXXXXX (If it all goes really pearshaped we do have a spare room with cot...)

Claire, that's awful for you. It is Soooo frustrating waiting, and even more so when you've really done everything you can to make sure your side of things is sorted, documents signed and so on. You need to really hassle your solicitor. When did s/he give you the go-ahead to book removals etc? Is going into a new place different to a chained move, with exchange dates, cos once contracts are exchanged I thought they legally couldn't then change the completion date. Can you claim on any insurance at all? Is there a conveyancing ombudsman you could speak to? It sounds to me like your solicitor has been negligent for not chasing up the fire certificate in good time.

Good luck with it. You have my sympathies. xxx

Hi Claireandrich, so sorry to hear of your dilemma, I assume you have taken out a mortgage, if so were you offered 'Buyers protection'? this covers you for incidents just like this, they will pay for any cost inccured during the move ie furniture storage, hotel bills and even kennels fees if needed. Your Estate Agent is not responsible for the builder's delay contact your solicitors asap, unfortunately Friday is a terrible day to try and contact them, they will rearly do anything only complitions on a Friday, so keep trying, you may have some luck after 3pm.

unfortunately its the last Friday of the month as well.

Well another update. Thanks for the sympathies so far too.

Well, Dh has taken today off anyway and we have been on the case last night and today. If all goes pearvshaped next week we have at least sorted accomodation we think. The apartments in the very first bit are already completed on and the management company can rent us one on a weekly basis, at 'only £150 a week'. Still, at least we would be on site and it would be easy to move our furniture over when we are finished - one blaco to other.

RE: solicitor. Dh is a solictior! It is his firm, the conveyancing dept, dealig with our (and most over client's) handover. They have been fab and have spent nearly all day this week trying to sort it for us. We are the only client desperate to move this weekend but next week there are more so we may be in a better bargaining position.

RE: mortgage. The mortgage is ready to go and the mortgage visit/check has been done. the transfer won't take place until the actual handover happens so no problems there at least.

RE: compensation. Not a chance !!!

We have spoken to the managament company today rather than just the estate agents. We got the number form directory enquiries and insisted on speaking to the guy in charge. He was more helpful and filled us in with the situation. It is something to do with a fan in the ventiliation system in the underground car park. This needsdealig with and signing of in order for the NHBC and the buildings insurance certificates to be issued. This was supposed to be done this morning but for whatever reason it didn't. Yes, I did go mad with the chap!!! It will now be done on Monday or Tuesday next week.

So, our new situation seems to be a completion early next week and we will have to move that evening. Luckily we are moving ourselves as it is only a few miles and both parents live close by and are up for helping out. Our furniture deliveries are on hold until next Friday too. Dh's work are great and say he can have whatever day of he needs as it arises. He is lucky that he has another partner and a trainee to pick up his work for him! And I am on summer holidays anyway.
And we have emergency accomodation planned.

BTW, the city apartment does have a big terrace for our floor - about 5 apartments and DD and me will have that all day to ourselves, there is a large roof top garden on our blobk, and a big park opposite us. So, plenty of room for playing with DD.

So, I am feeling a lot better, albeit after a few tears and shouts Things are getting sorted and we should be in before next Friday - our rental here runs out during the week after that.

Thanks for all your support, advce and kind words. I really needed them yesterday and earlier today. I'll keep you posted.

Sosijsmum - it was the builders, management company and estate agents that gave us the go ahead and completition date, and they have been saying the same to the solictiors on both sides too, right up until Thursday lunchtime. I know the estate agents are responsible but they are ho we have had to deal with - they apartments have this big sales office we go to to do all the dealings there - it isn't the delay as such but the lack of information. TBH, this has been for the whole 11 months delay for all three parties!

Fire certificate is late because there was a fire in the car park a few month's back - last delay caused by this - and they have had to have lots of extra checks.

Claire, just caught up (a bit late to offer sympathy!) Take care and fingures crossed for next week.

UPDATE - spent all weekend stressing out and then all day Monday phoning the management company and thm never returning our calls. Went to see sales office on site and they were next to useless and knew less than we did! Today, at 2pm and 4pm I managed to get through and the problem is now sorted in the car park. By 4pm the builders had completed the handovers with the management company so it is finally getting closer. We should be completeing tomorrow morining and moving in tomorrow afernoon and evening! Surely nothing else can go wrong this close to the end?

So, hopefully the nightmare saga that has been this past year is drawing to an end. Next time I post here should be when we are in our new apartment - yeah !!!

BTW, thanks for all the kind thoughs and advice. It was really appreciated.

Claire I hope the move goes ahead tomorrow. Don't get too stressed out and enjoy your new apartment.

Just to let everyone know that we are now in!!! All went okay on Wednesday and we completed, and moved that eveining. Finished at 1am in the morning!

We are now getting sorted and most of the place is looking good. Seems strange being right in town and everything so close - a bit like being on holiday!

Mollie settled really well and loves her very first bedroom. Her room has been made very girly with lots of pinks and lilacs, We got some lovely fairy stickons and some glow in the dark stars and dolphins which look fab. She has slept in their on her own a few times now and has been fine. No problems.

Thanks for all the support and advice, it was really appreciated!

Congratulations, glad it was all worth it in the end. Be happy in your new house.