What Happens If My New Build Isn't Ready Before My PCS Move?

It depends on your builder's contract, so the time to plan for it is before you sign. Build dates can slip, and a report date can't. If a build date slips past your move, your deposit and your housing plan are both on the line. The goal is to know your options ahead of time, not to discover them when the date moves.

Vivian Corwin is a bilingual Realtor and Military Relocation Professional with IXL Real Estate Florida in Pensacola, FL, helping military and relocating families buy and sell homes across Pensacola, Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze, and Navarre. New construction is one of my specialties, and I work directly with D.R. Horton, Adams Homes and Holiday Builders.

A new home depends on a lot of moving parts: the build schedule, inspections, materials and the weather. Builders give their best estimate, but an estimate isn't a promise. That's normal in new construction, and it's why the contract matters so much when you have orders.

Builders use their own contracts, and they're written for the builder. If you have a move date, the delay terms matter most. Before you sign, I help you read:

• The deposit. How much, when it's due, and when it stops being refundable.
• Delay terms. What happens if the home isn't finished by the estimated date.
• Selections. When your choices lock in, since late changes can add time.
• Inspections. Your right to bring your own inspector before closing.

For legal questions about the contract itself, a real estate attorney is the right person to ask. My post on having your own Realtor for new construction goes deeper on the contract.

1. Start with your dates. Your report date, when you must be out of your current home, and when your household goods arrive.
2. Choose a home that fits the timeline. A home that's already built or close to finished carries less schedule risk than one that hasn't started.
3. Ask about the build schedule. And ask what happens if it slips.
4. Talk with your lender early. Ask how a delay would affect your loan approval and any rate lock.
5. Keep a backup plan ready. Know where you'd stay if the closing moves.

My page on relocating to the Pensacola area covers the rest of a move from another base.

Then both dates have to fit. If your next home is a new build, I plan your sale around the builder's schedule, so you're not closing on your old home months before the new one is ready, or carrying two mortgages after. My post on selling your house when you get PCS orders walks through the selling side.

• Get the new estimated date in writing from the builder.
• Check the delay terms in your contract, and what they mean for your deposit.
• Call your lender about your approval and any rate lock.
• Put the backup plan in motion if the new date lands after your move.
• Keep everyone talking. I keep the builder, your lender and the closing agent in the loop so nothing surprises you.

I help protect your earnest money if a build date slips past your move, and we keep a backup plan ready.

• Signing before reading the delay terms. They decide what happens if the date moves.
• Choosing a home that hasn't started when the report date is close.
• Selling too early. Closing on your old home months before the new one is ready can leave you between homes.
• Not telling the lender about the timeline. A delay can affect your loan.
• No backup plan. Know where you'd stay before you need to.

Here's an example of how I lay out the steps. It shows the process, and it isn't a real client's story.

• Orders arrive. We set your dates and talk by phone or video.
• Homes that fit. I compare finished, nearly finished and to-be-built homes against your timeline.
• The contract. Deposit, delay terms and selections reviewed before you sign.
• The build. Updates on the schedule, and an independent inspection before closing.
• Plan B ready. A backup plan in place in case the date slips.
• Closing. Timed to your move, with your sale lined up if you have one.

Can a builder change the closing date on a new home?

Build dates are estimates, and they can move. What happens when they do is set by the builder's contract, so read the delay terms before you sign.

Will I lose my deposit if the build is late?

It depends on the contract. I help protect your earnest money if a build date slips past your move.

Should I buy a home that's already built if I have orders?

It can lower the schedule risk. We compare finished and to-be-built homes against your report date.

What if I'm also selling a home?

I plan your sale around the builder's schedule, so you're not stuck between homes or carrying two mortgages.

Vivian Corwin is a bilingual Realtor and Military Relocation Professional with IXL Real Estate Florida in Pensacola, FL, helping military and relocating families buy and sell homes across Pensacola, Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze, and Navarre. I'm not affiliated with the U.S. military, the VA or any base. Let's talk about your goals and your timeline before you sign a builder's contract.

See how I help new construction buyers, or schedule a time to talk with Vivian.