Swapping Sand or Sangria

Morning.

We paid our deposit for a 2 bed, 1 bathroom apartment at Arenal Golf  phase 2 block 8 in mid April 2007. The apartment  was a distressed resale property.

We arranged our mortgage and NIE numbers everything was progressing quickly. We were under the impression that we would complete by the middle of  May and were rushing everything through here in the UK. The developers and the person who bought the apartment Off Plan but couldn't complete were looking for a 4 - 5 week completion.

I was taking out a large mortgage but could manage that to live our dream. We would sell our UK property in six months or so and pay off the mortgage in Spain.

The mortgage was ready, we paid a deposit for our furniture pack and as far as we know everything was in order.

We are still waiting to complete and our solicitor cannot even get a completion date from the developers despite meetings and appointments. It  seems as if they don't really want to sell the property to us.

I have had to cancel my August holidays and now my October holidays. My next available holidays are in July 2008. What is the point of paying out over £140,000 for something you cannot use?

Time to give up I think.  We will lose our 6,000 euros deposit and our deposit for the furniture pack. Total @  £6500.00p

In the UK I have bought houses and from the vendor accepting our offer to us receiving the keys it has taken as little as four weeks. Now that is an efficient process.

Any comments please before I give up my dream {for a couple of years anyway}.

I know it is very annoying the major delays with this development,we're in the same boat on phase 4 apartment was due Dec 06 it now looking like may/june 08.If you can afford to wait I think you should surely your apartment on phase 2 must be ready to complete.The buliders are only back on site the last 2 weeks so hopefully the level of activity will increase on all remaining phases.Have you tried to contact the sales office direct it might be worth a try.Nuria from Quermes not sure of their phone number( somebody else will know it) seems to be the main contact in the sales office.I would also ask your solicitor to apply more pressure on the sales office.Best of luck

Morning and thanks for the reply.

As mentioned we paid our deposit in mid April as we were told that completion would be in May.    

 Everything was in order, all searches completed and all licences granted etc,etc.

All that is required is water and electrics to be connected and furniture to be installed { after signing for completion}.

We were very impressed with the service from the estate agent and mortgage arrangement team.

We are very impressed with the service from our solicitor who has power of attorney to sign on our behalf.

It was like a dream come true location,location,location!.  School accross the road, new hospital around the corner, airport 15 minutes away and to be living the life on the Costa Del Sol not far from the sea and mountains.

We were all set to move to Spain in August during the summer holidays. Our son is just seven so we were hoping to send him to the school accross the road from the apartment.

Change of circumstances means we cannot move until next summer now but we still should have completed by now so we can have holidays for ourselves and family members. Maybe rent out the apartment until we move to live there.

We are really thinking of cancelling due to the developers lack of interest or competence.