A lot of factors go into delivering a new home

THINKSTOCK Buying a new home is exciting because you get to personalize things. Still, be prepared that moving day could be postpone because of construction delays.

The excitement of building a new home can be more than you can bear, but the letdown of having to postpone a move-in can be just as extreme.

As builders experience delays — be it materials arriving late, labor shortage or weather (although that’s less of an issue in sunny Las Vegas) — sometimes homes simply aren’t ready by closing date.

And buyers aren’t left with many routes of recourse. Builders thoroughly vet contracts to ensure there is leeway for a missed deadline. But, there are some ways a buyer can beware rather than wary.

“Delays are going to happen in new construction. Prepare yourself,” said Karen Gradington, a Las Vegas buyer’s real estate agent. “There is nothing you can do really, they give you an estimate only and in your contract you will sign that because of the city or county giving permits, lumber being delivered and subcontractors.”

She also offers a little advice: Don’t rush the superintendent. He’s the person who ensures everything is properly built, so give him the time to do his job.

“This takes time and if weather is a factor, too,” Gradington said. “If it is too windy to install trusses or to paint or to stucco; or too hot as it will not set correctly. Most hit their deadlines pretty good but things happen with construction.”

And even if the builder has followed a strict deadline, there are other potential delays. The county or city has to inspect the property between each process, and builders don’t always have a say in scheduling.

“I am noticing that (builders) give themselves a better cushion than before,” Karen Gradington said. “Most are pretty fast and get them done in less than 90 days. Some builders take over six months if you are in the first phase and the construction crew is just learning to build a new set of homes and it can take longer than that.”

And be aware of who is promising a timeline.

“Overall I would advise buyers to be aware that the very competent and trained sales agents representing the builders upfront have very little influence over the process once a contract is in place,” said Adele Hrovat, real estate broker and owner of the Buyer’s Realty of Las Vegas.

“Sales agents at model homes totally represent the builder’s interest,” Hrovat. “Buyers can have their own buyer’s agent representing them but, and this is very important, only if their agent has accompanied them on their first visit to the model home or has pre-registered the buyer with the builder prior to seeing the models.”

What can you do?

Cancel the contract. But that comes with its pitfalls. Buyers who cancel will typically lose their deposits and then be left at square one in the homebuying or building process.

“Buyers should prepare to be in a month-to-month rental,” Gradington said. “Do not push yourself in a corner no matter if you are buying a new home or a pre-owned home with your current living conditions. It is always best not to have the moving van packed and ready too early as things can happen.”

The bottom line is that the best way to prepare is to plan for the move-in date, but assume it won’t happen.

“It is better to have some overlap so you have breathing room and when they are installing the cabinets into the new home then you can give notice to your current residence.”