Downshifting to new build (& 4/5 bed house for sale)

[Ruralbliss]

Hello all

Any top tips as to manage the choosing a new build (Persimmon) as a house to buy much appreciated.

They seem pretty ruthless with their 'buy our expensive additional extras but limited choice but don't add it to price of actual house' and you can only reserve a house if you agree to exchange contracts 35 days after paying deposit.

How best to manage this? Wait for proceedable buyer then have solicitors declare 'we're about 35 days from exchange' before putting deposit down to reserve or tell them I'll put a deposit down but won't be signing anything which forces me to exchange to their timetable?

All intel gratefully received!

I've just posted details about the house we'll be selling in For Sale board if anyone interested in it.

Thanks

Is there

Link to other post if this is allowed

4/5 bedroom house, 1 acre gardens Shropshire www.mumsnet.com/Talk/for_sale/4260317-4-5-bedroom-house-1-acre-gardens-shropshire

My experience of buying a new build is you won't really have a choice. You will have to be proceedable to reserve, and they will expect you to exchange within their deadline or you risk the purchase falling through (and losing any extras you've paid for) generally speaking as long as you are seen to be progressing with no major hold ups they will go beyond the deadline, but in my experience they make it horrendously stressful so you are waiting with baited breath praying to exchange with constant threats of pulling out. This was the case with 3 different (national) developers.

I'd do a lot of research on the development you are buying from. I usually spend a lot of time defending new builds and the benefits to them, but Persimmon are the one company I would avoid unless that particular development had a lot of positive feedback.

I agree with @user that you probably won't have any choice about this. Each builder makes up their own rules it seems but they are pretty ruthless over all because they can be. I've bought from Redrow where we basically had to move into rented to make it work as there was no flexibility at all, and also Balfour Beatty who were more accommodating (but then they had houses completed to sell). I would also check reviews of the builder as much as possible as the finish on a house, how much care the builder takes over the actual building etc makes a big difference. Good luck!

Thanks very much this is the sort of thing I was interested to find out.

So my idea of the day I get an offer on my house walking into sales office of new build estate and trying to reserve one won't be happening I'll wait until my sale and whatever chain is involved with it is pretty far along before trying to reserve.

Luckily in my favour they have a load which are completed plus of the upcoming plots there are several I'd consider. There's also a model of house I'm particularly keen on but not planning to be built in this phase so the decoupling of current house sale from a purchase via rented is also an option.

I'm also mindful that none of the new build estate offerings are perfect so will be open to seeing what else is available to buy when I'm in a proceedable position.

Yep I hear you re persimmon. My mum is in a rented house of theirs and neighbours on both sides who were first owners last year have had to have major remediation work - whole side walls needing to be removed and rebuilt when a mystery leak appeared 😱

@Ruralbliss you can reserve as soon as you have an offer, you just need the memorandum of sale or whatever it's called!

I bought a Persimmon home that was already two years old. We had 9 major leaks. NHBC had to come in and do remedial work on just over 40 of the houses when they were about 7 years old as they were missing fire protection in the walls, being electrical sockets and the roof space. I used to walk into the room and always look up to check the ceiling. I've bought new builds before from other house builders and you always get snags, but I have never experienced anything as major and widespread as this.

Facebook has a page dedicated to Persimmon and their shoddy homes. Lots of articles in the news about their dire customer service. Even their own Facebook page fills up with negative comments - usually leak related.

It was soul destroying- I loved our home, the layout, location. But I would never buy a persimmon home again - and neither would most of the neighbours.

@Sockbogies woah that is some tale of woe!
Really sorry this happened to you

How on earth are they able to get away with this terrible standard?

I will look up the Facebook page

Thanks very much for the tip-off. What a nightmare.

Oh blimey. There really are loads of Facebook groups with names like 'Unhappy Persimmon Customers' and 'DO NOT BUY Persimmon'

Persimmon are notorious for cheap builds that have huge faults. They are constantly in the media. Personally I’d stay away. From your current propert that’s not a downsize it’s a downgrade.

The only reason I didn't kick off and contact media etc is I was mindful of the fact we wanted to move in the future, and that our neighbours would also want to do the same at some point. To be known as the estate with all the problems with roofing, fire and safety protection would have made it harder to sell. NHBC actually did the remedial work, so we're not talking about annoying snags - it was major safety and structural defects across many many homes. We've used the same plumber over the years, and he always says how much easier ("more solid") it is to work on our 1980s build house rather than the persimmon one.

Hi OP, it may vary from developer to developer but we’re in the process of buying a new build off plan from crest Nicholson and they’ve been fairly laid back about the whole ‘exchange within 35 days’ thing.

The sales rep said to us that as long as they can see things are progressing (searches have gone out, mortgage application in etc) and they’re confident you’re serious and not deliberately holding things up then it’s fine.

We sold to first time buyers so our chain is fairly straightforward, but we’re still 6 weeks on from reserving our plot and still a way from completing!

Thanks @MindatWork that's helpful.
I can see why they set a timetable to minimise risk on their part.

My assessment is that the best time to reserve a plot/house isn't the day I get a memorandum of sale for this place but a few weeks after when progress has been made.

I hope to be in the position of being able to select a buyer with the most straightforward position re chain/finances if I price right during this crazy period of a shortage of family sized homes for sale. Who knows though.

Will ultimately be less stressful for me if I choose and reserve when I'm confident things are going to plan and buyers solicitor has made progress etc.

I'm desperate to get going with the marketing of this place but still have a bathroom & boiler to be replaced next week and midway through gravelling the tired huge driveway. Soon though.

Agree with the above- avoid persimmon, they’re shite quality

Same as @MindatWork
Currently buying a new build with David Wilson and they’ve been very relaxed. Was supposed to exchange 16th April but they said as long as they can see us progressing it’s fine.

I’m going back a few years but we saw a completed David Wilson home when we had just accepted an offer on our house. To be frank, the Sales Office were gits. “You're not far on enough”, “I’ll put your request forward but I don’t think you’ll get it” blah blah
My estate agent (who had sold my house) told me that builders are like the rest of us. They need to sell to proceed and although they would like their asking price (like we all would), you can make an offer.
I called their head office the next day (bypassing sales office) and told them I would complete in 6 weeks if they lowered their price by £10k. At first they said no so I said ok, thanks for your time. Then they said, just hold on, I’ll speak to my manager, less than 2 minutes on hold she came back and said “yes ok, if you complete in 6 weeks we’ll knock £10k off”. Just like that!
In fact, our buyers got in a mess and we didn’t complete in 6 weeks and it was a bit stressful as DW were on my back but eventually we exchanged and completed on the same day. Yes it was stressful but I do feel smug that I got that £10k off 🤣

Please please please re-think Persimmon as PP says. I know of someone who bought one of their properties and then purchased a single Persimmon share in order to attend an AGM of theirs solely to air his grievances regarding the - ahem - ‘quality’ of his new build.

I also had the same issue with Redrow: 300 issues; including a non-existent kitchen and bathroom upon completion yet ironically I was advised I had to complete otherwise THEY could sue me for failure to do so.

Go figure.

For heaven’s sake, if you do choose a new build, don’t use their legal team.

Wishing you well with everything.