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« Last Post by aliceh on July 03, 2024, 04:28:19 pm »
I am hoping someone might be able to help me or offer me any advise as I have tried everything.
The foundations are cracked on my house purchased in 2019. I had indicating cracks of this as soon as I moved in. I reported this to the developer. However they told me it was normal settlement, and literally painted over it. Last December the whole wall moved and cracked in the front room of the house, This then provoked Linden to investigate by digging trial pits around my house. The foundations were found to be cracked in half down the middle.
I reported this crack on my 14-day snagging list, the 2-year warranty and the 10-year warranty. The 10 year warranty provider, Premier, wanted nothing to do with it and told me it wasn’t covered and that I had to go back to Linden/Vistry. NHBC have told me they can't help.
Vistry's proposal is to underpin the house and move me out for 9 months, This only benefits Vistry, they didn’t even know or pretended they didn’t about the huge reduction in value or the house insurance, or acknowledge the impact this has had on myself for the last 5 years.
I have purchased this house with the help of the government help to buy loan, I have the loan for £50,000 which was due to start to be paid back in November, at a rate of around £50 per month which I have budgeted for and can afford. However if I have to sell the house I need to pay back the £50,000 which I simply cannot just pull that equity? I also got another Job in January to help save to repay my mortgage, as when I purchased the house 5 years ago everything was much more affordable. I am not taking the loss due to Vistry's failures.
Decreases the property's value by 20%, current market value £300,000 - with underpinning £240,000. I will struggle to re mortgage.
House insurance is 6 times what it is now. Re sell potential is hugely decreased.
How can they decide underpinning is the correct thing to do when they haven’t seen how damaged the inside is? You can see in the attached pictures how the flooring has also moved. It would be impossible to straighten the timber within the roofing structure and the roof itself? But they have decided it can all be recovered without looking at the extent of the extra 6 months of damage within and outside of the property, which now runs the length of the whole property. And throughout the garages below. No survey or inspection has been conducted within the property.
Nothing has been checked or the internal damage even viewed. The damaged started in the living room, however it is now throughout the property, again Vistry have let it get to this stage through ignoring me.
I have spoken to mortgage lenders, house insurers, had the house valued by estate agents to understand the impact of under pinning, the 10-year warranty given to customers who buy new builds is also useless as I contacted them right at the start and they want nothing to do with it and said I have to go back to the developer. I have had to try and get legal cover through my house insurance but as the issue was there before the property was sold to me this is also proving difficult.
Vistry advised they will cut the trees down next to the property, however these have not even been maintained in 5 years as promised. I have fought to get this done, however Vistry never arranged for this. I spoke to the council directly regarding the trees and the tree surgeons sent by Vistry, and only one tree was trimmed which has no impact on my property. Pictures attached of the trees.
This company not listening to me for 5 years, when all I wanted was very basic, a house on stable foundations that isn't cracking and falling down.
My house was one of the first 10 of over 400 houses
I just don't know what to do, lawyers have advised there is a legal case for misrepresentation and neglect. However this already costs thousands to just take to the court stage. Linden have showed no care or regard for the effect this battle has had on myself for the last 5 years, and the impact moving will have on myself financially, emotionally and physically.
I am a single person and worked hard to be able to buy this house alone, for now this to happen which isn’t my fault at all. If Vistry just listened to me and honoured the contract they could of sorted the issue before the property was left to fall for 5 years. I had no intention of reselling in November, and wanted to re mortgage and stay in my beautiful home in the community we have all built together.
How this house builder can get away with ignoring customers, selling defective houses and having zero regard or care for the impact on peoples lives is not fair or right. How can this developer work with the council to propose houses for our community that fall down within 5 years? I have being diagnosed with depression and Hidradenitis suppurativa because of this developer and they just do not care. I live alone and bought this house alone, and never intended to have to move. Its also part of the help to buy scheme, so I have to pay back that loan also.
I didn’t want this battle, I just wanted my home to be safe and stable and liveable for as long as I had planned.
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