Delays in new home release in Ratoath causing frustration

Prospective buyers in the new Wellfield development in Ratoath have spoken of their frustration over the lack of communication on when they will be getting the keys to their new homes and the stress the delay is causing them.

Some buyers put down deposits last November and were told their homes would be ready in July/August but there is still no firm date for when they can expect to move in.

The latest information suggests that the first homes will be ready in November. However, one prospective buyer said they are being told multiple dates by multiple different people.

Wellfield is a new development being built by Kingscroft at Jamestown, Ratoath. The same developer is behind the Bailey Hill development in Navan where prospective buyers experienced similar issues, as highlighted by this newspaper earlier this year.

John Walsh put down a deposit last November on a three-bedroom semi-detached house costing €455,000 in Wellfield and said that initially they were told June/July for a moving-in date. They are renting in Ratoath and John said they are"on borrowed time" and fear they could be left without a roof over their heads.

He said: "We got notice from our landlord, we are on borrowed time, and indeed well over it at this stage. Our landlord gave six months notice last May as they wanted to sell the house and we told them we had a deposit down on a house and asked for an extension."

John said their landlord had been very fair and gave them an extension- at that stage they thought their house would be ready in July and they had hoped maybe sooner.

"We are literally there month to month, and week to week at this stage," he said.

The other headache is that their mortgage approval is due to run out in October. This will mean more paperwork, producing more bank statements and making the application again. John said he had been on to the agents and there were no updates. Would-be residents have come together and set up a Facebook page. "We are all trying to get information. There was nothing at all. Then someone got in touch with Joe Duffy on RTE's Liveline, and all of a sudden last week we had a phone call saying there was a delay due to labour issues because of the weather.

"Then we were told the ESB was the problem, but someone was on to the ESB and they said they were waiting for work to be done before they could do their bit."

Construction sources suggest it could be January before the houses are ready.

Another buyer in the development, Adam Kenny-Singh, said communication from Kingscroft had been non-existent after his contract was signed and that while he understands there can be delays, he said the lack of communication is "frankly unacceptable".

"We are the middle of a housing crisis. I can't find somewhere to rent. I work locally so I have been living out of a suitcase during the week, staying on friends' sofas and then going back to stay with my mother in New Ross at the weekends."

He also fears losing his mortgage approval because of the delays. Another issue for him is that there isn't a showhouse ready and he hasn't been able to get into his house to measure up and get a sense of the rooms to plan ahead and order furniture which generally has a long lead in time. He said the whole process has been "mentally draining".

Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke said: "It is hugely frustrating for the buyers. I was up at the site on Thursday and there was very little activity on it. It doesn't look like it is a busy construction site. There has been some slippage in terms of the commitment given to the buyers. For those who may be availing of the help to buy scheme, they should deliver on their commitments. They are playing with people's future."

Deputy O'Rourke added that there appeared to be a "bit of a pattern" following a similar situation with delays over the Bailey Hill development in Navan, also a Kingscroft development.

Kingscroft has been contacted for comment but had not responded at time of going to press.