Unrealistic time frames for new build house

[TheDreamyGoldWriter]

Just after some advice really. We’ve found a new build that we love on a small development. We’ve chosen our ideal plot and think it will be lovely. It’s pricey, top of our budget but just doable. The house gets ‘released’ tomorrow and we need to put a £500 reservation fee down to take the house off the market. It won’t be ready until Sept / Oct 2026, but the developer says that we have to actively sell our current house immediately and that if it hasn’t sold in six weeks we can lose the house. She said they are quite lenient and can give us longer, but our house isn’t quite ready to put on the market. We’ve got a painter and decorator booked for the end of the month and would like to put in new carpets to hopefully get good money for it. We could put it on the market in 4-6 weeks, but won’t be able to put it on immediately.

Has anyone been in this position before? Just looking for advice really. Thank you!

Thats quite usual for new builds. Often your house has to be under offer before you can reserve a plot and they expect that you sell before your house is finished.

Our last house we reserved in December, when ours was under offer and we moved out in March. The new house was ready at the end of August.

Where do the developers expect you to live once you’ve sold your house but the new one isn’t ready for another 6+ months?!

I have never bought a new build so this is all news to me, but it seems astonishing that the “price” of securing a new build includes 6 months of non-ownership at the developers whim

Where are you living after it sells though? Buyers aren’t going to wait until the end of next year.

Don’t waste your time and money putting new carpets in the house you are selling it won’t make much of a difference.

This!
The new owners might not want carpets, preferring wording or other flooring.

Sometimes, if the build is at the end of a phase, selling and buying happens at the same time. Particularly if it’s the last part of the development.

Otherwise, you sell your house and rent, or live with relatives, or do what you’re able to do, whilst your house is built. That’s something that people are doing at the moment, in areas where the market is particularly difficult. If you have sold your house and haven’t found an onward purchase, it might be better to rent and not risk losing a buyer. Puts you in a good position for the next purchase too.

good luck getting a buyer willing to wait nearly a year to Oct 2026 - assuming of course the build is not delayed (they often are)

as for the restrictions, yes that is very common (/the norm) for the developer to require their buyers to be "proceedable" ie house on market and ideally under offer.

I think you are jumping the gun on a property that is 12 months from completion unless you are willing to move into temporary accommodation - good luck getting a short term rental in that case.

The 6-week exchange and 12-month+ completion is completely normal with a NB.

We were completely out of the loop when we bought a NB a few years ago and were as surprised as you when we were told about the expected timeframes.
As it happened we exchanged on our sale in about 10-12 weeks (developer was a bit grumpy about this at the time) and we set a 5-month gap to completion. We then moved into another house we already owned for 6-months until our NB was ready.
Speaking to our new neighbours, practically all had moved into rented, with parents etc for the 12-month period. Just a couple were like us in that they owned another property or were cash buyers so stayed in their existing house (no need to sell).

The good thing about watching your house being built is that you get to see it from a hole in the ground, all the way through to fitting out. You also get plenty of time to consider your options and get them included before it is too late (additional lights, sockets, TV & ethernet points, upgraded sanitaryware, kitchen etc).

I’d ask if they offer part exchange, that way you can wait in your home until the new one is ready. This is what we’re currently doing. They gave us what we thought was a slightly under market value offer for our house (though now the market is down and they’re selling for the price they gave us), plus other incentives.
we had weighed up the idea of selling separately and potentially moving into rented and decided this was the far less stressful way to go.
they want people who are committed to buy and exchanging quickly is part of that.
Doing up your current house is dead money, the buyers may want to change it all anyway.

We’ve got a painter and decorator booked for the end of the month and would like to put in new carpets to hopefully get good money for it. We could put it on the market in 4-6 weeks, but won’t be able to put it on immediately.

Unless your house is really scruffy (I doubt it is🙂), I would not bother with this step and instead save your money and concentrate on getting it clean, tidy & clutter free instead.
I bet there is lots that could be boxed up and put into storage somewhere and you would not miss it for a few months.
TBH there is every chance that the new owners will want to put their own stamp on it and redecorate & re-carpet.