No dimensions on house plans with contracts

june2015

I'm in the middle of buying a house off the plans and have been issued contracts through my solicitor from the builder. The issue for me is that there are no dimensions listed whatsoever for the house or rooms, literally just the floor plans with no measurements. Is this normal practice , and do they really expect you to sign contracts based on what is essentially a drawing, which could be any size when built?

I know they will say they can't guarantee a house or rooms will be the exact same as plans when built, but there are literally no approximate dimensions included.
Thanks

I've never bought a house off plans but those don't sound like proper plans to me.. more like artists impressions. Ask for proper plans and specifications. They should exist somewhere and its reasonable if the house is effectively being built specifically for you that you should see these.

Gumbo

june2015 wrote: »

I'm in the middle of buying a house off the plans and have been issued contracts through my solicitor from the builder. The issue for me is that there are no dimensions listed whatsoever for the house or rooms, literally just the floor plans with no measurements. Is this normal practice , and do they really expect you to sign contracts based on what is essentially a drawing, which could be any size when built?

I know they will say they can't guarantee a house or rooms will be the exact same as plans when built, but there are literally no approximate dimensions included.
Thanks

That's the normal when buying from the plans. Usually it's just a sales brochure with indicative plans, to some sort of scale but they are sales brochures at the end of the day.

I presume you have seen a show house? Is it the same style of house you bought or a different style within the development?

You have a few options :

Ask your solicitor to request a set of construction drawings of the particular house you are buying.

Check the council website for the planning drawings and check the plan for your particular house.

Where is the estate being built?

june2015

There was no show house built of the house type we reserved (3 bed). There were show houses of the other house types (4 bed). There is the same house type already built in a previous phase of the development but the builder has since changed, but the plans are the same we're told.

I've seen the plan for our house type on the council planning website and the dimensions are on it, but at the end of the day we're being asked to take the builder on their word that this is the sized house that will be built seeing as they haven't included the dimensions on the contract plans.

I thought the point of a contract was to have everything in black and white so there can be no grey areas. We've no comeback if the house is built for example 200sq ft smaller?

House is being built in Stepaside.

kceire wrote: »

That's the normal when buying from the plans. Usually it's just a sales brochure with indicative plans, to some sort of scale but they are sales brochures at the end of the day.

I presume you have seen a show house? Is it the same style of house you bought or a different style within the development?


You have a few options :

Ask your solicitor to request a set of construction drawings of the particular house you are buying.

Check the council website for the planning drawings and check the plan for your particular house.

Where is the estate being built?

Bannasidhe

kceire wrote: »

That's the normal when buying from the plans. Usually it's just a sales brochure with indicative plans, to some sort of scale but they are sales brochures at the end of the day.

I presume you have seen a show house? Is it the same style of house you bought or a different style within the development?

You have a few options :

Ask your solicitor to request a set of construction drawings of the particular house you are buying.

Check the council website for the planning drawings and check the plan for your particular house.

Where is the estate being built?

Same here.

When I was in the process of buying a half built end of terrace house builder gave me the plans. As I wanted to order flooring etc I looked at the plans for dimensions - none. I asked the builder for dimensions - he said measure the rooms. I said surely you know the size of the rooms you are building and he replied 'Sure they are all an inch or two different. It depends like...'

Gumbo

june2015 wrote: »

There was no show house built of the house type we reserved (3 bed). There were show houses of the other house types (4 bed). There is the same house type already built in a previous phase of the development but the builder has since changed, but the plans are the same we're told.

I've seen the plan for our house type on the council planning website and the dimensions are on it, but at the end of the day we're being asked to take the builder on their word that this is the sized house that will be built seeing as they haven't included the dimensions on the contract plans.

I thought the point of a contract was to have everything in black and white so there can be no grey areas. We've no comeback if the house is built for example 200sq ft smaller?

House is being built in Stepaside.

He cannot build it smaller, it would be a breach of the granted planning permission. Under the new building control regulations, he will also find it extremely difficult to Beth a completion cert from the council and sign off from his assigned Certifier if the builder messes up like that.

I'm afraid you really have to take the leap of faith here as that's the way it's done when buying from plans, I've done it 3 times over the years and I'm in the 'game' also, so I know how it works.

You could still ask for construction drawings as part of the contract I suppose.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Same here.

When I was in the process of buying a half built end of terrace house builder gave me the plans. As I wanted to order flooring etc I looked at the plans for dimensions - none. I asked the builder for dimensions - he said measure the rooms. I said surely you know the size of the rooms you are building and he replied 'Sure they are all an inch or two different. It depends like...'

You should never order floors, or items or appliances based n the floor plans. Physical on site measurements are the only way to order anything. You could use the plans two get a ballpark costing, but I wouldn't be ordering u till be seen and measured my exact floor plan.

june2015

Thanks, at least that's one thing that it would be a breach of the planning permission. It's just a bit disconcerting that they remove the dimensions from contract. Surely if they have to built it to the granted permission there should be no issues with including dimensions in contracts.

kceire wrote: »

He cannot build it smaller, it would be a breach of the granted planning permission. Under the new building control regulations, he will also find it extremely difficult to Beth a completion cert from the council and sign off from his assigned Certifier if the builder messes up like that.

I'm afraid you really have to take the leap of faith here as that's the way it's done when buying from plans, I've done it 3 times over the years and I'm in the 'game' also, so I know how it works.

You could still ask for construction drawings as part of the contract I suppose.



You should never order floors, or items or appliances based n the floor plans. Physical on site measurements are the only way to order anything. You could use the plans two get a ballpark costing, but I wouldn't be ordering u till be seen and measured my exact floor plan.

Gumbo

june2015 wrote: »

Thanks, at least that's one thing that it would be a breach of the planning permission. It's just a bit disconcerting that they remove the dimensions from contract. Surely if they have to built it to the granted permission there should be no issues with including dimensions in contracts.

They don't remove them.
The architect that obtained the permission has nothing to do with the sales brochure plans. The estate agency create them themselves.

I do agree though, a proper set of working drawings should be included with the contract in my opinion.

Bannasidhe

kceire wrote: »

You should never order floors, or items or appliances based n the floor plans. Physical on site measurements are the only way to order anything. You could use the plans two get a ballpark costing, but I wouldn't be ordering u till be seen and measured my exact floor plan.

I was looking for ballpark as I was doing my first budget draft.
I did think builder would have some notion or the plans would give an indication - I did not expect builder to have no idea whatsoever...

Gumbo

Bannasidhe wrote: »

I was looking for ballpark as I was doing my first budget draft.
I did think builder would have some notion or the plans would give an indication - I did not expect builder to have no idea whatsoever...

He had an idea. He most likely didn't want to say incase you ordered something and it didn't fit.

Bannasidhe

kceire wrote: »

He had an idea. He most likely didn't want to say incase you ordered something and it didn't fit.

He really didn't have anything more than the vaguest idea. I know this for a fact as my nephew later went to work for him. I had an idea too by looking at it. Difference is, I wasn't building it and responsible for it's construction.

Gumbo

Bannasidhe wrote: »

He really didn't have anything more than the vaguest idea. I know this for a fact as my nephew later went to work for him. I had an idea too by looking at it. Difference is, I wasn't building it and responsible for it's construction.

Still though. I wouldn't take the risk of ordering anything from verbal dimensions. If I was the builder I wouldn't give the buyer a rough dimension either to be honestly let the buyer physically measure the the rooms themselves.

Bannasidhe

kceire wrote: »

Still though. I wouldn't take the risk of ordering anything from verbal dimensions. If I was the builder I wouldn't give the buyer a rough dimension either to be honestly let the buyer physically measure the the rooms themselves.

Jayzuz would you let it go.

I asked the builder of the house I had pretty much already bought and which was in the second phase if he knew the size of the rooms. He didn't. This surprised me. I asked him for a rough estimate so I could do a rough budget. He said he hadn't a notion. Not. A. Notion.

So I measured them.