The Risks Of Buying Properties Off Plan!

Shilpa Mathuradas

Buying Property Off Plan

The Daily Mail reported that 300 families a week have to move into shoddy newly built homes. Not all will have been purchased off-plan, but many will have been.

Buying off plan means committing to purchasing a property before it’s finished and whilst it is being built. Buyers commit to purchasing the property based on plans, designs, and specifications provided by the developer. The actual building may not start or be completed for several months or years.

Typically, buyers pay a deposit upfront, with the remaining balance due upon completion of the property. Some developers may offer payment plans during the construction phase.

Buyers should ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the contract and the terms of the sale and make sure that the deposit is protected and can be recovered if the developer fails to complete the project or fails to fulfil their obligations.

The advantages of buying off plan

There are many advantages of buying new build properties, such as it being cheaper and a developer taking into account your wishes in terms of colour schemes, layout and fixtures. There is also the prospect of the property increasing in value while it is being built. However, there are also several risks:

Risks of buying in a new development

Buying off plan is not for the faint-hearted, especially when you have to wait a number of years for completion, but you have exchanged contracts and pay over a substantial sum in terms of deposit.

What happens if property developer goes bust?

The biggest risk is the developer going bust. The contract to purchase the property will include a term which requires the developer, usually the seller, to build the property and then complete the purchase by handing it over to the buyer.

If the developer becomes insolvent there is a possibility that the company’s liquidator will try to sell the contract to another developer to enable the build to be finished and for the contractual obligations to be met. The process will inevitably cause a delay which might entitle a purchaser to revoke the contract and get back the deposit. Still, where the deposit has been released to fund the development, there is little chance that the deposit will be returned.

In circumstances where the development is to be sold, purchasers may acquire a lien over the net proceeds of sale if their contract was protected with the registration of a unilateral notice at the Land Registry. However, often developers will have registered charges which will have priority over the purchaser’s interests.

A number of buyers are likely in the same situation, and it might be worthwhile for them all to attempt to club forces as they may have a louder voice, but if there is no money, then this may be a futile exercise.

New Home Warranty

The developer may well have contracted to provide a new home warranty, and it is worth investigating the terms of that policy and whether it offers protection and covers the deposit. However, these warranties can often limit the deposit protection provided, and purchasers paying large deposits may find they are not fully protected.

Breach of Contract

It may be that the developer does not finish the project before the longstop date expires, leaving them in breach of contract. However, pursuing a developer for breach of contract is not a simple matter and is timely and expensive. There is certainly no guarantee of success with the added risk that the developer may become insolvent during the proceedings.

Consumer Code for Home Builders

It may be simpler for a purchaser to check if it has any rights under the Consumer Code for Home Builders. It requires the developer seller to provide reliable and realistic information about when the construction of the property may be finished, the date of completion and the date of handover of the property.  If the developer is a participating developer under the code, a low-cost dispute resolution scheme is available. However, the maximum value of the combined awareness available under the Code is £15,000 inclusive of VAT. Therefore, the scheme is unsuitable for most homebuyers because their deposit is likely more than this. The adjudicator may issue a performance award (that is, where the participating developer has to do something). I am not sure the adjudicator can order the developer to deliver the build where there are more serious issues.

The Role of the Government

With the government’s focus being on building homes and the increased availability of off-plan purchases, surely it is time for the issues of developers going insolvent or simply not completing projects to be addressed so as not to leave purchasers who have already invested in their proposed purchase without redress. It is in the government’s interest to encourage such developments and for the public to feel safe investing in them.

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