New build delay

onethingonly · 2021-09-04T19:19:56+00:00

Does anyone have any experience of new build house delays? Everything was plain sailing, due to move in in just over 2 weeks and we received a phone call today notifying us that it is now being delayed until the following week. I know it's only a week but it's an inconvenience and we didn't think delays would occur so close to the anticipated completion date. Has anyone else been in a similar position? We now need to change annual leave and removal firms etc.

HocusPocus31 · 04/09/2021 20:21

New builds are famous for delays at any stage.
What's the delay for you?

thetigerthatcamefortea · 04/09/2021 20:25

My guess is it was an "anticipated" date and they have run late by a few days.
I work for a house builder and we are pushing dates back by months at the moment. It's the most challenging it's ever been with materials.

abbs1 · 04/09/2021 20:27

Unfortunately there are delays all the time for one reason or another and legal completion dates and handover dates can change.
I used to work for a company that installed certain items in new builds for multiple house builders and dates were changed all the time for stuff depending on if other trades were delayed, delivery delays on different items, amount of trades on site to complete snagging list before handover day etc.

I would definitely call the builder and find out more detail on what the actual delay is and find out if its definitely going to be sorted for the new date they've given you or not so you know.

elaeocarpus · 04/09/2021 20:37

Had our expected date confirmed multiple times, by sales rep, site manager etc; about 2weeks before they called and told us would be at least several months because they jadnt got planning permission from water company yet to build and essential water plant. They had clearly known all of this hadn't been approved nor would be built in time when they kept assuring us of our handover date.

crazycatgal · 04/09/2021 20:53

I moved into my new build last year, it was pushed back several times. I wouldn't trust the move date until you have been told that the house has passed the final inspection. Even then we nearly didn't move on the day we did because we found out a few days before we moved that the house builders hadn't sent their part of the help to buy documents off. Luckily, this was pushed through for us.

Original poster

onethingonly · 04/09/2021 22:15

She didn't know when she called what the delay was but mentioned that it might be to do with neighbouring houses and then their impact on health and safety of ours. She said they would call us on Monday!

I knew there was a possibility of a delay but didn't think it would be so close to moving in date! Fingers crossed it's nothing major!

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Ladyrattles · 06/09/2021 01:22

We thought we'd be moving in next week but ours has been delayed too. The developer said they hadn't been able to get the NHBC inspection done as our road surfacing wasn't completed as fast as they thought. They hope to do the NHBC thing on Friday and we should get the keys 2 weeks later. It's terrible being in limbo isn't it, especially when you can't even book removals.

Original poster

onethingonly · 06/09/2021 06:25

Oh it really is frustrating @Ladyrattles ! Maybe you'll move on same day as us fingers crossed !🤞🏼

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AnxiousMover · 06/09/2021 09:56

This happened to us a few years ago. In our case they were fully committed to a particular date (after lots of previous delays) and ended up delaying by a further 2 weeks at very short notice. We had already agreed a date to leave our rental and the developer met our living expenses, paid for an Airbnb for 2 weeks and covered any additional storage / moving costs.

Ladyrattles · 11/09/2021 14:51

I've been thinking of you and hoping your date doesn't move again. Any news?

Original poster

onethingonly · 11/09/2021 16:00

Hi @Ladyrattles no change still saying the 30th so fingers crossed it stays that way. Apparently it was an issue with the plots across from us getting their mains supply in so they couldn't remove the scaffolding. They said they were pretty confident about new date but obviously couldn't guarantee. We were up visiting today and it's coming along nicely and we met our new neighbours who seem nice!

How are you getting on?

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Ladyrattles · 11/09/2021 16:43

That all sounds good. We have a provisional date of 24th if it gets inspected on Monday, but they keep putting the inspection back due to the road.

LeavesOffTheCactus · 11/09/2021 17:17

i totally get it. We had a provisional move date, so i rang about 3 removal firms for quotes. They emailed me the updated quote and confirmation of availability, and the next day I replied saying the date had changed by a week so could we move the booking. They didn’t have any availability for the new date and told me that because the move date was within 10 working days, I’d have to pay a penalty of 30% of the quote.

I called for a QUOTE! Then they said they didn’t have availability AND tried to charge me! Absolutely ludicrous. I think every step of the house moving process is more chaotic than you could make up.

Whitefire · 11/09/2021 19:26

When I moved, we had a chain of three, it was the new build at the top causing all the delays.

House building is a nightmare at present between issues with suppliers, contractors having to isolate (the effects are still there), the electrical network having too much work and not enough engineers and general stupid delays (like not fitting meter boxes in all the properties) it is pretty bad at the moment.

Whitefire · 11/09/2021 19:28

@LeavesOffTheCactus

i totally get it. We had a provisional move date, so i rang about 3 removal firms for quotes. They emailed me the updated quote and confirmation of availability, and the next day I replied saying the date had changed by a week so could we move the booking. They didn’t have any availability for the new date and told me that because the move date was within 10 working days, I’d have to pay a penalty of 30% of the quote.

I called for a QUOTE! Then they said they didn’t have availability AND tried to charge me! Absolutely ludicrous. I think every step of the house moving process is more chaotic than you could make up.

I guess you didn't pay it.

LeavesOffTheCactus · 11/09/2021 19:46

@Whitefire no I didn’t.

Whitefire · 11/09/2021 20:13

Good - Total CF's there.

PumpkinsGalore · 11/09/2021 22:08

I live on a new development. The newest houses have been sat there with no garden or patio for months! God only knows what the issue is. They're definitely owned as the development is now 100% purchased.

Spookily, another house on the street has been sat completely empty since being built in early 2019. It's all finished except for no turf in the garden which is incredibly overgrown with weeds (4ft tall some of them). None of the neighbours know what the story is, it's all very creepy but I digress!

PumpkinsGalore · 11/09/2021 22:12

To add to the first paragraph of my previous post - these houses waiting to be completed, have no drive either. Just the houses sat there on a pile of earth. The owners must be so frustrated

Original poster

onethingonly · 12/09/2021 07:54

@Ladyrattles oh I hope it goes ahead on the 24th for you!

@LeavesOffTheCactus that's outrageous ....surely they couldn't have expected(demanded) you pay seeing as you hadn't even signed or paid anything. Ridiculous! We are at my parents so if we don't get a removal firm on the exact day it's not that big an issue however some people are moving in a chain which is a nightmare!

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Original poster

onethingonly · 12/09/2021 07:57

@Whitefire and @PumpkinsGalore

I think we have been quite lucky in terms of supplies etc as our house is mostly done, the issue was with the newer plots across the road which was preventing us access, but yeah I've heard the supply issue is terrible at the moment due to Brexit/COVID.

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