Ard Branagh, Portlaoise

Hey we’re in the same boat as you. I wish I had any positive news for you. We paid a deposit last year and our HTB was claimed as a deposit in under 30 minutes when we gave them the access codes. We were originally told November 2021 then January 2022. I visited our house in late February and the amount of work done between our visit in October and the one in February was maybe 2 weeks work max. Also found anytime we called in there was no one working on the site which is madness since there are so many houses only up to one floor etc. I put a post in a first time buyers Facebook group similar to you looking for others in the same boat. Anyone who dm’d me said the communication has been appalling and no expected completion dates were met. Our solicitor has reached out to the developer’s one but has gotten no response but they were very quick to threaten to put it back on the market when minor details were queried in the contract. Also I reached out to a county councillor to contact the developer directly as they previously had a business relationship but his calls have been ignored.

I don’t know where this is going for ye folks! It’s terrible carry on

my daughter Katie bought no 20. Moved in a few weeks ago. Few of the houses have electrical issues

sockets falling off the wall

smoke alarm went on fire in one house

the garden is a mud bath, it seems all the new row are the same, the recent ones just finished. A slap dash approach, a bit of topsoil on top of hard compacted ground not rotavated. It can only be described as emotional and mental abuse and stress and loss of income to all purchasers. Builder doesn’t care, won’t answer phone

Auctioneer keeps promising the Sun Moon and Stars with mis leading updates and mis information

the whole thing stinks

i can see ye all on Prime Time Investigates yet!!

It’s disgraceful at this point, promised completion of November 21, then March 22, then May 22. Still no progression since August 21. Asked Auctioneer last week when he thinks it will be ready and they couldn’t give a definite date. Its nearly 2023 now.

Auctioneers are poor to communicate the truth about what’s going on and pass the blame off on the builder.

They just want people to pull out so they can resell contracts at an increased price. This is why they are delaying it to frustrate people so they will pull out.

Its also frustrating on people who have bought houses and drawn down mortgages to look at a building site across from them incomplete and left wondering if it ever will be completed. Did anyone hear of any updates from Auctioneer, Builder, etc?

We are in the same situation. Saw the property first time In November 21' and went to see it now in November 22' and literally nothing has been done in a year. First promise was march 22 and than September/October 22? And last time I spoke to the agent he didn't know what's going on.

@LiamProperty1

Latest timeframe I have from their solicitor is January, 2023. I haven't been to the development in a while but I doubt anything will be completed before next summer. We had been going from one temp accommodation to the next because we were trusting their timelines but we gave up on that after about the third missed deadline, so we signed into a 12 month lease in April that we will more than likely be extending.

It'a worrying to read about dodgy electrics and poor garden drainage. I have heard from other people that they are happy with the quality of the build but that was from an earlier phase. Although having said that, I have friends who have bought in developments elsewhere and I don't think there has been one without its issues.

I hope none of you are in a situation where you have to pull out of your contracts because of the delays.

@nadiemcgoo That's terrible, I'm really sorry to hear that - although its not surprising given how much of a shambles the whole thing has been. Are the neighbours having problems with leaks also or are other things popping up?

One leak in kitchen and 2 from tank in attic now. Plumber said flimsy plastic washers used that couldnt hold the pressure of the tank. Broke and leaked through electrics in bathroom and into out bedroom. Second time it has happened. Door handles falling off. Window sills haven't been painted. Doors need shaving and wont open. Units in bathroom have warped. Cracks in wood on every step of the stairs. Stains on living room ceiling from water leaks from bath that isnt sealed properly. Uneven floors. Cracks in internal window sills. 2 neighbours i know of have had the same leak from attic. There is no building going on at the moment at all onsite and there hasnt been all year so for any of you that have been told otherwise its crap. Spoke to co.co today and the finance comoany who funded the developer who said they have had numberous complaints. Kitchen fitter from first phase is still owed thousands too. Its a joke. And the estate agent is as bad as the developer.

The estate agent is a con artist who promised the world when we were moving in. Lied multiple times and assured us snag list would be completed, it still isnt. He upped the price of houses in the estate on houses our friends had already paid deposits on, leaving them unable to purchase. Hes still lying to current buyers and is having a open house this weekend for more houses in the estate that haven't begun yet, even though all of our houses are left in ****. So yes, i can blame him.

Hi, do you know what time is the open house this weekend? I presume it's on Saturday.

Yes a lot of issues were seen during snagging but they delayed us all by months and mortgage approval was due to run out so we moved in and were told these issues would be fixed. Also further issues arose after moving in. No idea what time, but yes its Saturday. You could try ringing estate agent office to find out the time.

I understand, I hope most of the issues are minor and wish you all the best.

We were promised a completion of November 2021 also and then April 2022. We were allowed to send someone to snag 1st July and here we are a week from Christmas still waiting on items on the snag list to be done because since July there’s been water getting through the attic and causing water damage to one bedroom.

Communication from estate agent has been nothing but smoke and mirrors. Our solicitor refused to allow us to close the sale as there was no development bond in place just a promise to pay the council eventually and the bank’s legal department wanted evidence that the county council agreed to this “arrangement”. Apparently an enforcement notice was issued and the builder paid the first instalment of 200k with the rest due in June 2023. When we got into the house in November to review the snag items EA said that the builder had found some loophole to push people out of the contracts for the houses opposite our phase. So there’s definitely truth in them trying to get an increased price. CH said he wouldn’t be advertising those ones for sale until they are nearer completion because it’s not worth all the hassle of missing deadlines.

We’ve drawn down our mortgage to avoid a rate increase but have asked the solicitor to hold it until we’re satisfied with the snag items being done. Although judging by all the comments on this forum we should expect a lot of issues with plugs and leaks.

Any updates on completion dates anyone?