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41
Solicitors and Legal Issues / Re: Bad Build - We Really Need Help
« Last Post by NotMeAgain on December 12, 2023, 10:47:34 am »
I messed up the videos, they are here


  • Missing firestop in the attic: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70-bk70arBA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70-bk70arBA</a>[/youtube]
    • Missing firestops and huge holes around service pipes: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CknJpfNENM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CknJpfNENM</a>
    • Incorrect materials and insufficient closing around pipes: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9P3uOLdOT0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9P3uOLdOT0</a>
    • Entire areas of boxing missing, entire areas uninsulated: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YX_bSHDMUU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YX_bSHDMUU</a>
    • Missing firestops, and entire sections of insulation across the entire front and back of the house...
      There is 12.5mm of plasterboard and a 6inch strip of rockwool between my sons bed and the guttering outside.
      <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LRQ2SdASzQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LRQ2SdASzQ</a>
    • Cooker extractor fan was never connected and had been venting combustion products into our home.
    • Immersion heater was wired incorrectly and had shorted, actively melting the socket every time it power cycled.

42
Solicitors and Legal Issues / Bad Build - We Really Need Help
« Last Post by NotMeAgain on December 12, 2023, 10:39:59 am »
I think we need to rescind our contract, but have not been able to find the right solicitor to help us.
Failing that, I think we need some legal protections against the builder as they are steam rolling us and we have no support.

Please help us.

The Story:

We moved in to this "builder will guarantee construction to NHBC standards" home 5 years ago and have had a raft of mostly small issues, since - it was built by one of the big ones, but withholding the name in case it complicates legal stuff.

We had a kid, and this prompted us to get many small snags pushed through and fixed.
Rooms kept getting stupidly cold once the heating turned off, and our heating bill started to gain a few zeros.

During the course of them rectifying small faults (door not fitting, draughts under the bath etc), we just kept finding little thing after little thing, and raised issues with noise complaints (we can hear our neighbours urinating!)

Their customer services reps and head of inspections berated me with the usual builder jargon: "Built to NHBC standards, Robust details section E, etc", to avoid running any tests for us.

So like any good home owner, aware of the 2 year liability period, I pored over those standards and regulations and queried every deviation I could find.

Pipe work under the bath just ran into a hole in the wall, no insulation or stopping, and wind whistled through.
The most egregious and obvious was the waste pipes were not insulated, contravening the NHBC standards, they came and shoved some insulation in and called it a day.

Fast forward to 6 months ago - I am still battling with the builder after 4 years to get the small issues looked at!

I had a roofer in our attic checking for leaks, and he queries the party wall.
He points to the apex and states he can pass his hand clean through to the neighbours home, and that it should be fully insulated against fire.

I check the regulations and sure enough, that's not up to snuff - I did some research and find out that it's actually ILLEGAL for it to be constructed this way.
I chase the builder, who send their head of inspections to have a look.

He also passes his hands through the wall. Then leaves and does nothing.
No report to the builder, no remediation, nothing. He didn't contact our neighbours.

12 weeks pass and they send a "bodge it and scarper" maintenance crew who tell me:
"That's a roofer's job and we're not trained in firestopping" - they didn't know the regulations, didn't know the NHBC standards and argued with me AND the actual technical drawings in the NHBC standards.

I refused to allow them to fix it with "expanding foam" and insisted that they carry out an inspection in the other areas I had highlighted.

They found:

  • Missing firestops and huge holes around service pipes:

  • Incorrect materials and insufficient closing around pipes:

    • Entire areas of boxing missing, entire areas uninsulated:

    • Missing firestops, and entire sections of insulation across the entire front and back of the house...
      There is 12.5mm of plasterboard and a 6inch strip of rockwool between my sons bed and the guttering outside.

      • Cooker extractor fan was never connected and had been venting combustion products into our home.
      • Immersion heater was wired incorrectly and had shorted, actively melting the socket every time it power cycled.

      Builder has just replied that they can "fix it" but have only listed what I can visually see, and refuse further inspections.

      They have not built this house to NHBC standards, and we bought new - off plan - because of the contractual guarantees, so we could avoid all of this hassle and actually be able to enjoy starting a family.

      It's been 5 years of hell, and we want out.

      Please help!





43
NHBC Warranty / Re: Leaking roof NHBC have accepted the claim
« Last Post by New Home Expert on December 09, 2023, 12:08:38 pm »
Shocking brush off. NHBC Warranty now worthless as "Peace of Mind" for new home buyers.
Now it would appear the "policy" is just send cheques for claims and escape managing the actual works to correct defects!

44
General discussion / Re: Advice needed
« Last Post by New Home Expert on December 09, 2023, 12:01:13 pm »
First of all don't link drop again or you will be banned.
Secondly this is a new homes forum not an employment site.

Thirdly, take the job, if it doesn't work out what have you lost?
I doubt this post was intended for no other reason than to link spam the forum.
45
General discussion / Re: Help! BDWH Part Ex
« Last Post by New Home Expert on December 09, 2023, 11:54:11 am »
Why not contact the agent yourself and get the price set to £275k?
In the current market you can expect offers of over 10% less than any stated price.
You would be very unlikely to get a viewing let alone any offer in 6 weeks too.
BDWH guaranteed offer price is good, saves you Estate Agent fees and means you don't have the hassle of last minute cancelled sales, delayed Exchange of Contracts etc.

In a nutshell, it is a silly mistake, probably not even of BDWH making.

Be sure to have your new home professionally snagged and inspected before you legally complete as I have a feeling that you will not be entirely happy.
46
General discussion / Help! BDWH Part Ex
« Last Post by Cameron1590 on December 06, 2023, 06:31:53 pm »
We agreed with Barratt David Wilson Homes (BDWH) to do a part exchange "extra".

We signed the sales agreement which stipulated that BDWH would market our property at £275k for six weeks. If no buyer was secured in six weeks, then they would become our guaranteed buyer at £260k.

Any sale agreed in the first six weeks above the part ex price of £260k would be given back to us as if the transaction was a traditional sale. (Subject to EA fees of £3k).

Unfortunately, one Estate agent has put the property online today at £270k. We have spoken to someone at BDWH who are "looking into what went wrong" and said they would "get the price amended to reflect the price in the agreement (£275k)" however we are concerned that if the property does sell in the next six weeks, there is a potential for people to have seen the property at the lower price and make a lower offer as a result.


Surely BDWH have broken some form of consumer code or regulation here? I am not really sure what legislation to look at in order to bolster my argument for compensation.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Malty
47
General discussion / Advice needed
« Last Post by mariagreen on December 05, 2023, 08:43:26 am »

I'm very glad I joined you
I have been working as a professional independent home cleaner for almost 5 years, and recently I was offered a job as a general cleaner at but I’m confused, I’ve been hearing both positive and negative reviews about them, so any advice? shall I accept the offer or continue as an independent cleaner?
48
NHBC Warranty / Re: Leaking roof NHBC have accepted the claim
« Last Post by Caz37 on November 28, 2023, 05:19:10 am »
Update.

This was their reply

"Thank you for your email of 23 November 2023 about no corespondence from the builder since our joint visit

As the original builder has failed to contact, we will take back the claim our policy is to cash settle

If you want to you can obtain quotes for the necessary repairs to your roof and send them to us for a review.

In the meantime, I will send you a cash offer with Schedule of Works for consideration based on what we believe repairs involve

Contact us

If you need any more information, you can reach us on 0800 035 6422.

You can send an email to mycase@nhbc.co.uk. Make sure you include the NHBC reference in the subject field so that your email is directed to the right case file Alternatively, you can write to NHBC Claims, NHBC House. Davy Avenue. Know Knowihil, Miter Milton Keynes, MKS REP"
49
NHBC Warranty / Re: Leaking roof NHBC have accepted the claim
« Last Post by New Home Expert on November 21, 2023, 06:22:35 am »
I don't believe that a cash offer from the NHBC even if refused fulfils their obligations under the warranty.
They can offer it, but under the warranty the obligation is to rectify defects covered by the warranty, not pay-off claimants. 

That said many new home buyers do take the NHBC money, especially when it is minor defect for example, unsightly poor workmanship brickwork, where the buyer takes the £2,500 and has the money and lives with the brickwork.

The warranty lasts until rectified, if the defects are notified before the warranty period expires.
This means that even if the defects are addressed and not done properly, the NHBC still on the hook.
But, be aware they can play the "it's a maintenance issue"  "storm damage" "erosion" "normal wear and tear"  to avoid paying out!

At the end of the day you can complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Services as NHBC warranty is insurance.
But the FOS take a long time, with first an assessor who after six months, will try and fob you of with a few hundred and you then insist on an actual ombudsman which will be 3 months before they even allocate it to an Ombudsman and another 3 months before they reach a decision.
I know this, as I am a year into this process with a complaint about Nationwide Building Society.
50
NHBC Warranty / Re: Leaking roof NHBC have accepted the claim
« Last Post by Caz37 on November 20, 2023, 04:02:21 pm »
Thanks for the response.

I was talking to someone else in the estate who has similar issues & apparently the NHBC said if they don't accept the payment then there's nothing else that can be done as the NHBC has agreed to settle but he would be refusing to accept the payment. Essentially the NHBC has fulfilled their obligations.
My 10 year warranty has run out but the problems started within the cover period & were accepted.

Wondering if that is also going to cause any issues?
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