Building completion delays

[ARK]

Does anyone know of any ways that a builder can be persuaded to get a move on completing a house? We are buying a new Bovis home that was supposed to be finished by end of June, then delayed to 16th July and now sometime around the end of August. We are concerned that it might slip again which would disrupt our children's education as they are due to start at their new school beginning September. Bovis also managed to have both Sales Directors for the Region/ Area on holiday together!

[Tony]

From Fife Trading Standards"
Can I get the builder to agree to a guaranteed date that I can move
in?
Yes. If the moving in date is critical e.g. you have given a fixed date to buyers of your property, then ensure that your solicitor provides for this eventuality in the contract with your builder. Bear in mind that the builder may resist this - and a verbal agreement by the builder's sales representative is not binding.

What are my rights if the house is not ready on the agreed moving
in date?
It depends on your contract and you should consult your solicitor. The builder may pressure you into accepting the house as it is with promises that
everything will be done before you move in. Do not rush this decision. You
must take advice on the possible consequences."

Now i ham having this BIG Problem with redrow.

the house was "bought" in June last year and "ready" for december 2004. now we are in the stage of the house being put back to the end of April. As you can understand this has not made us very happy. (living apart,driving long distance to work,rent,storage etc...) The "woman" in the sales office is about as usefull as a chocolate fireguard and keeps on promissing us dates. then when we ring up and as if everything is o.k. we get told "it is going to be anopther 2 weeks". This is really starting to Pi** me off now.

Should i ring my solicitor?

or

ring Redrow and give them a bit of a ear bashing.

help please

D

[Tony]

Do both!!

Tony

Well done redrow and they just said the same thing. no real answer.
bloody solicitor is off on holiday.

Now i went down to the house last night and i think there is 2/3 days work left on it. just the final touches. but the excuse is that the ones oppisit are the ones causing the bother.....

D

Having read the above can the people who have waited ages for their houses to be built explain how they got on with there mortgage offers, did the mortgage company just keep extending the offer or did they do any more checks etc.

Regards

John

This is one of our big problems. The morgage company has done its last extension and at the end of the month we will wave to do all the filling forms/paying out again.

but now they have promised taht next week the house is ready... they said this before easter.....humph!

[Tony]

You can get compensation if they serve notice, give you a date in writing, for completion and miss the date. This is called liquidated damages and is also why they will only give you dates verbally.

Tony

Hi-

My apartment has now been delayed by four months. I did receive a letter from the builder which stated that the apartment would be completed on the 8th of April 05, but the date has now been vaguely set at mid-late May.

I contacted my solicitor about the problem, but he said that in my contract the 'completion date' is the date at which we receive the NHBC cover note to state the the apartment is complete. Therefore, strictly speaking, my apartment has not been delayed because it has not yet been completed.

I'm not too sure about his explanantion- he basically said that there was nothing that I could do about it and that I wouldn't be able to receive compensation as a result of the delays. What do you think about this? Does the fact that I received a letter from the builder with the completion date of the 8th of April fall under the 'liquidated damaged' clause?

Thanks, Lib1

[Tony]

I am not a solicitor I just know someone who managed to do it. It might be worth getting a second opinion.

Tony