La compra de una vivienda de nueva construcción tiene muchas ventajas y atractivos. No sólo evita el tedioso drama de un vendedor con una transacción relacionada y una larga cadena, sino que, en términos generales, las propiedades de nueva construcción son más eficientes energéticamente y requieren menos mantenimiento una vez que se muda. Todas las instalaciones y accesorios will be brand new and essential white goods are also included, but may be subject to adicional charge. Moreover, developers can offer some attractive incentives such as Stamp Duty contributions, furniture packs and legal fee contributions.
Comprar una propiedad mucho antes de que esté terminada puede parecer extraño y arriesgado, pero es posible que el valor de la propiedad aumente significativamente después de que se haya construido, porque estará comprando la propiedad al precio actual de mercado en el momento del intercambio de contratos y no al valor de mercado una vez que se haya terminado. Por lo tanto, tanto si se trata de una inversión como de una vivienda propia, la compra sobre plano suele ser una opción viable y atractiva.
Hay muchas diferencias entre la compra de una vivienda de nueva construcción y una operación de compraventa “normal”. Tendrá que asegurarse de que el abogado al que encargue que actúe en su nombre esté bien versado en transacciones de obra nueva y sea capaz de reconocer y guiarle a través de los riesgos inherentes y los escollos que pueden surgir a menudo.
Tasas de reserva y plazos de canje
Usually before taking a property off the market the developers will require a reservation fee – generally around £2,000 but may vary between developers. This reservation fee will be deducted from the deposit payable to the developer’s solicitors upon exchange of contracts. As there is generally a high demand for off-plan properties the developers will also impose an exchange deadline – usually 21 or 28 days – this will be from the day your solicitor receives the contract pack from the developer’s solicitors. Therefore it is imperative that your solicitor is able to act quickly to ensure that you can meet this deadline and avoid missing the deadline and risk decomiso of the reservation fee.
Depósitos e importes de construcción
Exchange of contracts is when the transaction becomes legally binding. At this stage the developers will require 10% of the purchase price to be paid to their solicitors. Certain developers may require further deposits or staged payments to assist with the construction of the development, this will be specified in the contract. Moreover, more often than not the contract will specify that these sums will be held as “agent”. This means that as soon as the developer’s solicitors receive the monies they are able to release them to the developer. As you will be entering into a legally binding transaction so far in advance of completion, a lot of things can happen in that period of time. For instance, the developers may become insolvent and go into liquidation. Therefore, it is important that your solicitor understands the risks and takes steps to protect your position especially in relation to the deposit you have in essence advanced to the developers.
Usually the New Build Warranty Provider will act as a deposit guarantee should the developers fail to complete because they are in liquidation or by reason of fraud. However, the New Build Warranty Provider will only usually guarantee a maximum of 10% of the purchase price or £100,000 (whichever is lower). Therefore when agreeing to pay further deposits or construction sums, which are not protected, you should consider the size and reputation of the developer before agreeing to them.
Asignaciones
Some investors may wish to sell the benefit of the contract to someone else before the property has been completed. This can be an attractive option as you will be able to take away the profit made on the transaction and the original deposit (and any construction sums paid) up to that point. Moreover, you avoid paying Stamp Duty and HM Land Registry Fees. However, if this is your intention it is important that the contract allows you to do so.
As a seller in an assignment, it is important to note that just because the transaction has completed you do not fall out of the picture. Should your buyer fail to complete then the developers can look to you to complete the transaction and you will be responsible for any default interest and notice fees. Practically speaking this may be unlikely as the developer will just retain the deposit paid and remarket the property. As a buyer, it is difficult to obtain mortgage finanzas on an assignment and very few lenders offer on these transactions. Therefore, more often than not a buyer will usually be financing the purchase through cash, which of course also restricts the potential market the seller can sell to.
Hipotecas
Es bastante común que el comprador proceda al intercambio sin beneficiarse de una oferta de hipoteca. Esto se debe a que la fecha de finalización es muy lejana y las ofertas hipotecarias suelen caducar antes de esa fecha. La mayoría de los prestamistas tienen ofertas que siguen siendo válidas hasta 6 meses, por lo que sería prudente empezar a solicitarlas entonces. Lo mejor es que hable con su asesor financiero, que podrá aconsejarle mejor.
Existe un elemento de riesgo en la medida en que usted se ha comprometido a una transacción legalmente vinculante sin ninguna garantía de que dispondrá de la financiación en el momento de la finalización. Por supuesto, las circunstancias personales pueden cambiar y será importante hablar con un asesor financiero independiente que pueda darle una idea de la mejor manera de financiar la compra.
Una vez que el promotor notifique la finalización de la operación, deberá completar la compra y asegurarse de que dispone de una oferta de hipoteca válida en el momento de la finalización.
Finalización con preaviso
Esta es la notificación que el abogado del promotor entregará a sus abogados confirmando que la propiedad está lista. Por lo general, el contrato estipulará que dispondrá de unos 10 días hábiles para organizar sus asuntos financieros y para que su abogado lleve a cabo las búsquedas necesarias antes de la finalización.
Upon completion you will need to provide the balance of the purchase price less any reservation fee, deposit and further deposits you have paid up to date. Included in these sums are usually any engrossment fees (a fee for the developers solicitors producing the final form lease or transfer), a first contribution towards service charge and a proportion of ground rent attributable to your period of ownership.
Fechas de Longstop
This is a date in the contract built in to protect both the buyer and the developer. On the one hand, the developer cannot guarantee exactly when the property will be completed and at the offset can only give as estimated time scale (anticipated legal completion date) as to when they think the property will be ready. They will be relying on contractors who may not deliver and the weather in this country may also cause delays in construction. Therefore the developers will want to include this date into the contract to protect them against any unforeseen delays. On the other hand, a buyer will not want to be left in limbo, bound to a contract with no deadline in which the developer must complete the build by. If the developers are adhering to the Consumer Code for Home Builders, the longstop date in the contract will usually be 12 months from the anticipated legal completion date. There will be little or no room to negotiate the longstop date in the contract for the reasons listed above, but should the developers not serve the completion notice by this date then you will have the option to cancel the contract and any deposits and further deposits paid will be returned to you.
Should you have any questions about this, or any asunto in relation to new build property, please contact Berivan Erdogan at B.Erdogan@rfblegal.co.uk.
(Tenga en cuenta: This article was originally published on our previous website and is provided for general information purposes only. While it reflects the legal position at the time of writing, the law may have changed since publication. For up-to-date advice tailored to your circumstances, please contact our team.)
