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Author Topic: House plans wrong but still signed off  (Read 7133 times)

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MidsNewBuild19

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House plans wrong but still signed off
« on: April 07, 2019, 11:12:33 pm »
We completed on our house in June 2018, so we have been in a while now.

We reserved the property in Jan 2018. During the period after this we signed various documents and had welcome meetings etc. One of the important steps was signed the house floor plans which we would then use to mark up any alterations.

Now at the time of reserving we were informed our plot would be a reverse (opposite) of the Showhome. When we recieved our floor plans we noted that the ground floor was reversed but the 1st and 2nd were not. As the staircase runs in the middle it seemed like it was just how it was and the sales executives never seemed concerned.

Fast forward to first fix, which was the first time we were allowed access to the property, we were very surprised when we got to the top of the stairs to find our soon to be bedroom on the RH side instead of the left. The site manager quickly confirmed 'Well it’s an opposite' and seemed to ignore my claim that the drawing said otherwise.

Other than raising this a few other times to no real outcome, I started to wonder recently, do the NHBC/CML sign off the house against the drawings? If so, they could not have been the drawings I signed and retained.

The signing of documents and drawings at the start of the house buying process is made out to have a significant importance, whether it is or not, I am starting to wonder if this issue has a deeper, more legal implication.

Any thoughts?


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Re: House plans wrong but still signed off
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2019, 06:57:06 am »
Basically the house you bought was the opposite hand to the showhouse, everything a mirror image.
The plans you were shown for the first and second floor were not.

However the home you moved into these floors were now also handed.
It would appear that your home is correct and that it is not always the case that handed plans are produced.  It is good that your upper floors were also handed (not just the ground floor) as this may have had structural support implications.

And no, I've never seen an NHBC warranty or CML inspector to check each home against the actual approved plans.
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MidsNewBuild19

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Re: House plans wrong but still signed off
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2019, 10:43:52 pm »
We weren’t just shown these plans, I was asked to sign them.

I then had to mark up modifications to electrics etc based on these plans.
The plans did not show structural features and it was not to scale so it is entirely plausible that the upper floors were not mirrored.
If it is part of the house buying process to sign these document they should be correct.
As a draughtsman I actually understand the importance of an engineering drawing.

To touch on the last point, they may not have checked the house against the plans but I am trying to establish if they should have.

I am just trying to gather some information/facts to allow me to have a more comprehensive discussion with TW as to their house buying process.

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Re: House plans wrong but still signed off
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2019, 06:08:24 am »
Signing these plans so the housebuilder can prove you were shown pertinent information is standard practice.
If the plans are subsequently changed or revised due to being incorrect you should have been informed.

Oh dear, Taylor Wimpey yet again! 
Write to Pete Redfern CEO peter.redfern@taylorwimpey.com
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MidsNewBuild19

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Re: House plans wrong but still signed off
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2019, 10:34:23 pm »
To my knowledge they were never corrected.
I mean who reads these drawings anyway.... especially given that there are I think 2/3 max of our house type on an estate of over 1000 properties.

Maybe I set my expectations too high.

I’ll draft something up.