Moving house

[Jacki66]

We are supposed to be moving on 6 July 2018 into a new build house in Scotland- a purchased one, not a council-supplied one.

We have sold in England so have to be out on this date.

We have been told today that the new build is not going to be ready for weeks. We now have nowhere to go, with me being a full time carer to my disabled husband. We have paid for removals, we have paid for new flooring to be done once the company can get in to measure. We have paid for everything and now we are left out in the cold with not a damn idea, nor any income, to simply fend for ourselves.

Please note, we are not taken care of by the taxpayer so we really are out on our backsides with nowhere to go and we have no idea when this is going to come right.

Has anyone else had this 1 week and 6 days before a major move, 500 miles away??

[sassy59]

That’s terrible Jacki, normally house moves are co-ordinated from one to another so I don’t know why this has all gone wrong for you.

Can you impress upon the builders how urgent this is? Maybe the council of the town you’re moving too can help in some way. Clearly being homeless isn’t an option. Try and speak to the Citizens Advice bureau. Seek compensation and I hope things work out for you. Xxxxxx

[M_rosew]

I've moved home many times, so yes - but at a much younger age.

I thought Scotish law was quite strict about keeping to agreed exchange dates? Your Solicitor is probably going to be your best ally and source of advice in this. Maybe s/he could contact the owner / builder of your new property, and get them to provide temporary accommodation for you.

[Hidden]

How stressful for you at such short notice. I was in a similar situation some years ago. My disabled husband had recently had major surgery too. I ended up negotiating a preferential room rate and breakfast at a local hotel. They were happy to have a guaranteed room occupancy. We then had the choice of eating in the hotel or trying out the local cafes and restaurants. During the day we were able to explore our new area and be on hand to get things ready for our new house. Our furniture had to go into storage. We had to use the hotel laundry service for shirts, trousers, etc. I put our dog in a local kennels and went every few days to take her for a walk and spend time with her. Obviously, there were some costs involved but the proceeds of our house sale softened the blow. Not an ideal situation but there wasn't really much option. I hope you find a solution and good luck in your new home. x

[Hidden]

If the date for house completion was agreed, I think your solicitor could arrange for the builder to arrange (and pay for) temporary accommodation for you.

[Hellebelle]

Hi, I agree with everything that has been said and would press for compensation from the builder if the completion date was agreed. Otherwise, I would contact citizens advice for help with your situation. I wish you all the best and hope that things turn out well for you.

[Hidden]

Hi Jacki66,

What a horror story for you, but, sad to say, it does happen all the time. It happened to some friends of mine who were buying in Cyprus. They'd sold their house in UK and as they left their UK house on the final morning, they picked up the mail from the mat to read that the house purchase in Cyprus had completely fallen through. That was how I found myself with house guests for quite a long while!

I'm no lawyer, but I'd say there might be the possibility of your litigating against the builders or Company in Scotland from whom you were buying the house. While it won't help you now, it would compensate you for any money you have to spend in trying to recover your situation through renting/staying in hotels/putting goods in storage and so on. And I'd certainly be having an urgent appointment with the lawyer who acted for you in the purchase of your new house, to see how and why all this has come to pass.

None of this helps you right now unfortunately. It's a horrible situation and I feel for you. I hope you find a resolution that you can live with.