Queuing to purchase a new build?

hanaimai

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and researching on new builds and I’ve seen people mention ‘tickets’ in relation to queues for purchasing. I’ve been to a couple of showhouses casually over the last few months (looking in the north Dublin/meath area) and there has always been some (although usually little) availability. I’m wondering are queues/ticketing systems common at the moment? If I want to buy a house in a new development, should I be contacting the estate agent well in advance, as opposed to just turning up on the day? Does anyone have any tips for how best to ensure I secure a new build I’m interested in?

ams

If you register your interest in advance the EA will usually email you details of any launch or pre-launch dates. These emails usually contain detailed instructions re deposits required etc.

On the day they will take your details as well.

It definitely pays to appear interested - my bf and I were lucky enough to get a call re a cancellation on a sold out estate. My bf reckons its cos he regularly called the EA looking for details of the next launch and any info re cancellations.

Caliden

I'd call instead of email. I never got a worthwhile response via email.

GingerLily

The best houses with the best gardens go first, if you're going for the cheapest house type especially in a development I would consider queuing.

awec

Queues seem common in the more desirable areas. Overnight queues or queuing for days on end seems pretty rare now, it seems most EAs will give out tickets.

You should register online for all the developments you're interested in. The EA will email you when the houses are released to let you know when to turn up. Bear in mind that practically everyone registers for almost everything, so even though the EA email will make it sound like you're getting some sneaky early access for registering, in reality hundreds of people are getting the exact same email.

No point ringing an EA about new builds. They won't tell you anything about dates or prices.

There are cancellation lists for developments, no matter how many times you ring the EA you aren't getting bumped ahead of anyone on that list.

izzyflusky

I have to disagree. I went to see a development and my husband liked it. I said I would only agree to buy there if a specific house (which was not for sale yet) became available.

2 weeks later I got a call from the estate agent. Apparently my husband had been talking to him and a set of houses were about to be realeased, including the one I had previously mentioned. We booked it before they were actually released that weekend. I wouldn't say it is the done thing but it can happen.

It was the same phase mind you, they just released them in small batches until they were all gone.

hanaimai

Thanks all for the tips so far. I saw some comment in an article over the weekend about people queuing a week in advance for a development in Clonsilla and kinds freaked out a bit!

Creamy Goodness

Went for a recent launch in a north Wicklow development.

Got the email at 15:50 Friday, got my partner to head down to the estate agent. Within 20 minutes it took for her to get there, 16 people were in the queue and there was only 15 house available.

By the end of it they handed out tickets to 30 people and told them to come back at the actual launch date in the email. Very unfair if you decided to show up at the launch date specified in the email (Saturday 9am).

The email specified you needed the following.

1. AIP letter
2. HTB access codes if you were availing of it.
3. Cheque of booking deposit or due to the short notice, a bank transfer needed to be made under supervision of the agent.

Stories in the queue came from my partner; one person knew they were being launched due to talking to builders on site, another took 4 fridays off in a month so that she could be near the location (worked in Dublin). It’s all crazy stuff but at least it’s moved away from people camping in their cars for a week on site.

awec

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

Went for a recent launch in a north Wicklow development.

Got the email at 15:50 Friday, got my partner to head down to the estate agent. Within 20 minutes it took for her to get there, 16 people were in the queue and there was only 15 house available.

By the end of it they handed out tickets to 30 people and told them to come back at the actual launch date in the email. Very unfair if you decided to show up at the launch date specified in the email (Saturday 9am).

The email specified you needed the following.

1. AIP letter
2. HTB access codes if you were availing of it.
3. Cheque of booking deposit or due to the short notice, a bank transfer needed to be made under supervision of the agent.

Stories in the queue came from my partner; one person knew they were being launched due to talking to builders on site, another took 4 fridays off in a month so that she could be near the location (worked in Dublin). It’s all crazy stuff but at least it’s moved away from people camping in their cars for a week on site.

To be honest sending the emails a day or two before the launch is pointless. It was exactly the same for us, email sent on Tuesday for a Thursday launch.



The EAs must know that everyone will just go to the development as soon as they get the email, nobody is going to wait for the actual date.

Creamy Goodness

awec wrote: »

To be honest sending the emails a day or two before the launch is pointless. It was exactly the same for us, email sent on Tuesday for a Thursday launch.



The EAs must know that everyone will just go to the development as soon as they get the email, nobody is going to wait for the actual date.

Totally. But I’m kinda at a lost as to what people should do? I got lucky elsewhere but maybe a non-refundable small-ish deposit may help, say something like €1000 required up front. Maybe it would keep the queuer’s at bay.

Frisbee

I wouldn't wait on an e-mail, by that stage it is probably too late.

The e-mail for our development came out on the Thursday saying they were launching on the Saturday. I had already queued and gotten a ticket on the Wednesday. When we got there on Saturday there was probably 200 buyers there for 35 houses, and from speaking to the estate agent there was queues on Thursday and Friday as well.

Even being second in the queue we got probably our 6th choice house as the first two we wanted had been reserved by the developer / builder and the others had an extra €25k on top of the expected asking.

lawred2

Caliden wrote: »

I'd call instead of email. I never got a worthwhile response via email.

agreed

from an EA's point of view if it matters enough to you - you'll pick up the phone otherwise you might just be another tire kicker

hanaimai

Frisbee wrote: »

I wouldn't wait on an e-mail, by that stage it is probably too late.

The e-mail for our development came out on the Thursday saying they were launching on the Saturday. I had already queued and gotten a ticket on the Wednesday. When we got there on Saturday there was probably 200 buyers there for 35 houses, and from speaking to the estate agent there was queues on Thursday and Friday as well.

Even being second in the queue we got probably our 6th choice house as the first two we wanted had been reserved by the developer / builder and the others had an extra €25k on top of the expected asking.

How did you know to queue on the Wednesday? Where was your development if you don't mind me asking?

Frisbee

hanaimai wrote: »

How did you know to queue on the Wednesday? Where was your development if you don't mind me asking?

The estate is between my mams house and the LIDL she shops in. She rang me about 9.30 saying she drove by and there was someone standing outside. And then when she was on the way back they were still there. So jumped straight in the car and headed down. House is in Ballycullen.