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Original poster

Advice regarding an aggressive new build developer

28 replies

Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 09:41

I’m not a mum, but you lot are a font of knowledge so here goes. I’m a young widow who has just relocated to Northumberland from Gloucestershire. I thought I’d found a really good house on a new build site up here, but the developers have become increasingly aggressive, asking for money before exchange, and bullying me and my solicitors to rush exchange along. It’s leaving an increasingly bad taste and I’m seriously questioning whether or not I want to be living on a site managed by them for the next few years - mine would be the first house sold and moved into, or whether I look elsewhere for an older house without the distress that this is causing. It’s only been 4 years since my husband died at the age of 37, and I really can’t be doing with this nonsense right now. I used to work in high end law but there are ways of doing business, and the developer is certainly not doing it that way. Do I just roll with the punches, or move on? I’m a cash buyer so I’m surprised they’re treating me this way, but that would put me in a good position with buying an older property. Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Damnautocorrect · 07/10/2022 09:48

I bought on a new build site years ago, first phase.

never again, I’d come home and they’d block the road off for a weekend. Random resurfacing and digging up, meaning you’d go to tesco and can’t get back to your house.
people staring in your house when viewing the site. Eery at times as it’s empty yet not.

dust all the time, noise and machines alot. Workers who are there doing their job and your in the way and an inconvenience. Trying to leave the house and just getting stuck for 20 minutes whilst they are loading unloading.
Snagging never finished, going back on promises, E.g decided not to make my road a cul de sac, landscaping of the surrounding.

thats without the red flags your developers giving you. I’d walk away. If it’s shit and your phase 1 it causes real issues if you want to sell as you cannot incentivise like a developer.

Original poster
Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 09:50

Thanks Damnautocorrect, you’re a star. I’m not sure if I’m using this discussion board correctly but hopefully you’ll see this message!

OP posts:
Damnautocorrect · 07/10/2022 09:50

I’m sorry for your loss Flowers
I can see the attraction of a newbuild, it’s all done and new so shouldn’t need anything.
however, in my (all be it limited) experience your much better off with an older house and doing the work properly how you want and knowing it’s done properly.

Damnautocorrect · 07/10/2022 09:54

Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 09:50

Thanks Damnautocorrect, you’re a star. I’m not sure if I’m using this discussion board correctly but hopefully you’ll see this message!

your using it perfectly.
there are much more knowledgeable people on here who will be along shortly, and my views are just my limited experience, so they will have better advice and probably contradictory views to mine.

but I say listen to your gut, it’s going to be home, for you to feel safe and secure. If it’s making you uneasy and question the trust, walk. It’s a new build. I doubt it’s an extra special one worth putting up with the grief.

Original poster
Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 09:54

Aye I’m seriously worried about the build quality now, and the fact that they want almost £3k to carpet the stairs and bedrooms. That made me choke on my tea I can tell ya!

OP posts:
PeekabooAtTheZoo · 07/10/2022 09:55

It sounds like they are trying to rush it through because they know they have overpriced them and the property bubble is about to burst and they’re scared they won’t get their profit margin.

The new builds near me (south east) have started offering huge incentives all of a sudden to shift their houses, like £10k back to the buyer!

I think they are pressuring you to try and get it done before you realise what’s happening to the property market and pull out. I’m between houses right now and it’s shit but it sounds like this place isn’t right for you and won’t bring you peace.

Damnautocorrect · 07/10/2022 09:56

Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 09:54

Aye I’m seriously worried about the build quality now, and the fact that they want almost £3k to carpet the stairs and bedrooms. That made me choke on my tea I can tell ya!

That was the other thing, costs soon mount up of things like carpet, tv aerial / satellite dish (less relevant now I know), telephone installation. It seems to go on and on. In an older house, it might not be your taste, but it buys you time

NoSquirrels · 07/10/2022 09:56

I’d be worried that they’ll go out of business before finishing the site. If they’re pressuring you so badly for money now, before having sold any of the others…

Damnautocorrect · 07/10/2022 09:58

NoSquirrels · 07/10/2022 09:56

I’d be worried that they’ll go out of business before finishing the site. If they’re pressuring you so badly for money now, before having sold any of the others…

That was my reading into it as well.
it might all be fine. But if the economy truly tanks you could be the only resident on a half finished empty site having a nightmare getting post, deliveries and your bins collected. Not to mention it being a magnet for anyone up to no good.

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 07/10/2022 10:00

@NoSquirrels if that happens, what happens to the site?
@Celticlass1 OMG 3k for some stair carpeting????? I think you could buy Axminster for less!

Original poster
Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 10:08

You lot are diamonds, you really are! I’m terrified now, but you’re still diamonds! No seriously, these are all excellent points and exactly what I needed to hear. Hubby and I lived in an older new build, and I met him after he’d bought it, so am on a very steep learning curve with regards to house buying. I appreciate the honesty and directness though as that’s how I roll too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 10:10

@PeekabooAtTheZoo they wanted almost £3k to tile the kitchen floor too. £999 for vinyl. For those sort of prices I want someone on hand to massage my feet every time I walk on the damn thing.n

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 07/10/2022 10:11

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 07/10/2022 10:00

@NoSquirrels if that happens, what happens to the site?
@Celticlass1 OMG 3k for some stair carpeting????? I think you could buy Axminster for less!

If the developer goes bust, then their assets are sold off - if someone wants to buy them. That means a new company takes over and they are not necessarily going to honour everything the old company offered.

Worst case scenario the site sits unfinished, you own a house on a deserted building site with unadopted roads and all the hassles that will bring…

Georgeskitchen · 07/10/2022 10:19

After reading all this, I would seriously walk away and find a different property. I actually prefer an older style house, these newbuilds seem so tiny and crammed so close together it s a wonder the residents can breathe!!

MadeForThis · 07/10/2022 10:24

I would walk away. I bet they offer all kinds of discounts if you do. But I would still walk.

How many houses have they sold so far? Are any others at a similar stage to yours?

Original poster
Celticlass1 · 07/10/2022 10:35

@MadeForThis 10 others have been reserved, according to their website, but none sold yet. I looked at the site last week and they’ve only started building mine, 3 others and what will initially be 2 show homes.

OP posts:
Charleymouse · 07/10/2022 10:37

www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-and-services-you-can-claim-for-under-the-vat-diy-scheme

I know this link is showing DIY but if you add to the property whilst it still has a plot name I think you can get a new fire, fireplace, tiles (not carpet), conservatory at zero vat.

If you do proceed may be worth looking at as labour should also be zero rates.

MermaidEyes · 07/10/2022 10:51

Brand-new properties can be great in the fact that it's never been lived in by anyone else, you can sometimes choose your bathroom, kitchen etc. However, I agree with the first poster about what a nightmare it is living on what is essentially a building site. If you prefer a newer house I would either choose one on a site that's almost completed so you're one of the last to move in, or buy one that's maybe only a few years old that's already up for sale. (Lots of people buy new, fix all the snagging etc then move out 2 or 3 years later.)

unsync · 07/10/2022 14:41

Are they one of the established housebuilders? It rather sounds like they are short of funds and are trying to get as much money upfront to fund onward costs. If they are a small outfit, your money could be at risk. I would walk away.

Vapeyvapevape · 07/10/2022 14:47

Nearly £1k for a bit of Lino !!! Nope , I'd pull out.

tiggergoesbounce · 07/10/2022 14:48

Im another one with limited knowledge, but my friend bought a new build and had a nightmare with struggling to get to his house because of ongoing work, then months of on going disputes as the quality of the material was horrendous, then disputes as they had put fittings in the wrong place or in one case no fittings at all and they needed to rip out current work and re-do the work to add them in.

Go with your gut.

Ineedwinenow · 07/10/2022 15:02

We bought off plan and was one of the first on our estate! It was a nightmare! they would just shut off the estate to do work and not let you back on for a few days, we got burgled, we had about 6 foot of builders rubble dumped in our back garden ( they wanted us to pay for them to turf it but we said no and they were quite funny with us about it ( we know why now) we had blocked drains again rubble was found in the drain causing the blockage, we had a huge snag list which took months to sort out and in the end we ended up selling!

The things I hadn’t considered which was entirely our fault and not their fault at all but as it was a big new build housing estate it was generally built for families and as we don’t have kids and used to silence it was a shock to the system hearing kids playing on the estate green and screaming and all the noise that goes with a busy estate ( yes we genuinely didn’t realise this and it was entirely our fault so I’m not blaming families at all they were all lovely but loud compared to our very quiet life 😆) if your child free and not used to the hustle and bustle of a busy estate just be prepared for a big change!

SquishyGloopyBum · 07/10/2022 15:06

I don't think you have to pay them for the extras. You can say no and source your own.

Do you love the house?

Have you seen any others that are older you can see yourself in?

catchthedog · 07/10/2022 15:11

I work for a north Eastern developer. Is it one of thr big names or a smaller independent firm?

If you can hold your nerve, do. they should really be throwing the flooring and other items in for free to convince you to complete asap. have you haggled with them over this?

GetOffTheRoof · 07/10/2022 15:22

I can only speak from practical experience of working on sites for a few years and say I wouldn't touch a phase 1 new build house if they paid me.

The next few years of construction work will drive you insane and I've seen some REALLY dangerous behaviour on sites which could easily have killed a kid or a pedestrian walking near their homes. TBF I was in health and safety at the time, so I looked for those problems, but it's enough to put me off.

Dust, noise, vibration will be daily life for however long the construction work lasts. On the site nearest my home, that's going to be 12 years because they have just moved in the first few occupants to phase 1, and phase 1 has another 2yrs to run. It's a 5 phase build. The only route into this location is past the occupied houses - I'm hoping the site team will wake up and work out an alternative entry location, but from the site maps there literally isn't anywhere else it accesses the main road!

Anyway, it sounds like they are taking the piss a bit with the prices for flooring etc, but that's very common.

Is it a national builder or a one man band job?