New Home Owners And Snagging Forum

Advice on buying a brand new home => Snagging and defects => Topic started by: owner2019 on August 07, 2019, 12:34:41 pm

Title: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: owner2019 on August 07, 2019, 12:34:41 pm
Does anyone know what the allowance is when comparing your actual built walls to the measurements provided on the house plans? Is there a standard acceptable margin or does each developer have their own standards? Any idea where i can find reading material on it?
Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: Maxell on August 07, 2019, 09:01:19 pm
I think the pamphlet the sales provide which has floor plans is just an approximate guide and is not a working drawing .

Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: New Home Expert on August 08, 2019, 09:56:03 am
There is no allowable allowance but most housebuilders add a disclaimer room sizes will differ not exceeding plus or minus 50mm. (See example below)

That gives them scope pretty much to do anything!
Overall footprint floor area should not change beyond the advertised area.

Quote
This brochure, and the description and measurements herein, do not form any part of a contract. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this cannot be guaranteed.
Site layouts, floor plans and specifications are taken from drawings which were correct at the time of print.
All plans contained within this brochure are not to scale and room sizes are approximate and subject to change.
Measurements contained within this brochure were taken from plans in metric measurements.
Imperial measurements are for guidance purposes only.

Maximum room dimensions are shown and are measured to include items such as kitchen units and are measured to a minimum ceiling height of 1500mm
Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: owner2019 on August 08, 2019, 12:37:05 pm
I have asked Persimmons for their allowances and will see what I get back.
The issue I have is that one of our bedroom cupboards is 30cm short on the depth and 20cm short on the height.
I have seen what our neighbours have done with this space to make it practical and it is frustrating that due to the fact ours is very short on the sizes, we cannot do the same.
Want to approach them with this, which I am sure they will not fix but just wondering where I can go with it since it's massively reduced our storage and is nowhere near our actual house plans (not just the sales brochure).
Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: New Home Expert on August 09, 2019, 11:47:37 am
Oh dear it's Persimmon so I guess you will get absolutely nowhere.

I would get a solicitor and trading standards office involved as you got something quite different from what you were sold.

30cm is nearly a foot in old money and 8 inches less in height. Definitely way out of any tolerances in their brochures. You need to also ask WHY it is so far out too. there is a reason for everything.
Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: Repton buyer on August 12, 2019, 06:50:11 am
I can only speak for experience with Taylor Wimpey but 50mm was the tolerance in their brochure. Anything above, I would flag immediately and get their customer service rep to measure it himself in your presence.

They also put in their policy that a wall is "straight" if out by up to 5mm. (One of ours bows between the kitchen and hall, and again on the floor above - but they won't do anything about it as a 5mm "lego brick" can be barely held up by a spirit level)
Title: Re: Building Allowances/Margins
Post by: New Home Expert on August 12, 2019, 10:08:38 am
New homes - where defects come as standard and where huge tolerances allow plc housebuilders to do nothing!
 Tolerances used to get out of fixing bad workmanship standards - out of level/plumb is acceptable (http://www.new-home-blog.co.uk/tolerances-used-by-builders-to-defend-poor-quality-new-homes)