New Home Owners And Snagging Forum

Advice on buying a brand new home => Snagging and defects => Topic started by: madmag676 on December 07, 2013, 10:11:39 am

Title: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on December 07, 2013, 10:11:39 am
We have just moved into a new build and have been having a few problems so have been doing some research and came across this forum.
We will probably lean on you for some information going forward, as we are currently in the 'being fed a line' phase with the builder.

Dave & Rachel
Title: Re: Problems With Morris Home
Post by: Philofacts on December 09, 2013, 08:30:05 am
Welcome Dave and Rachel,

Did you have your new home professionally inspected and snagged?

All you have to do is ask if you want some advice.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris Home
Post by: madmag676 on December 19, 2013, 05:50:04 pm
We have bought a new Morris Homes house and very nice it is too.
We are having some problems and to be fair, there is one large (to us anyway) and the rest are all small but build up.

Anyway, the big problem for us was that a couple of days after moving in, the morning after the bairns had had a shower there was a lot of water on the ceiling in the living room. It turns out the waste water pipe in the shower had been connected but not secured with the screw. In itself not a problem but a few weeks before we moved in we had a wander round the house and noticed brown marks around the tape on the ceiling and suggested to Morris that there was a leak and we were told that it was all fine. On the day we moved in someone came around to stain block those brown marks as they were still showing through the  paint.

Not a problem with the water leak, they say, let it dry out and we will stain block and paint it.

We have some friends in the business who said the plasterboard really should be replaced so we spoke to British Gypsum to find out the best course of action and they said that if it was 'moisture resistant' all is well and good, if not it really should be replaced.

We asked the question if it was and are still waiting for a reply. We have had a couple of their directors around and one of them said, 'if it was my mum I would be happy to paint over it'. Now my missus and her mum where there and her mums opinion is 'well i am your mum and i would want it replacing'.

A number of snags as you would expect but what it is the general consensus about the plasterboard. Our greatest worry is in 5 years time when they have left site, having a problem with mould and mildew where the water has been as we have seen it in many other houses that have had a water problem and don't want this in ours as missus has asthma and we have two young kids.

Dave
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: Admin on December 20, 2013, 09:01:20 am
I find it strange that British gypsum would suggest the plasterboard should be replaced just because it has got wet as a result of a small leak.
The brown marks suggest the water from the leak has now dried and providing the plasterboard is still intact, not crumbling of "blowing" it should be perfectly alright long term.

The use of a "stain block" paint - this is usually just common undercoat - to seal the stain to stop it bleeding through the re decoration is quite normal.  Morris should not have left this until you were actually moving in to attend to it though!  Worse still they left it to you to see in the first place, rather than the site manager snagging the home properly.

Mould and mildew can only exist with ongoing damp and moisture and a lack of ventilation.
If the original leak has been properly and permanently fixed you should have no further problems.
Provided you notified Morris IN WRITING of this issue, there will be a record and should there be any future problems with this area, it will still be covered under the NHBC warranty, even in five years time.

Finally "a number of snags as you would expect"  well actually no!  
No new home buyer should "expect" to have a number of snags in their new home.
New homes should be properly snagged by the house builder so they are as near perfect as they can be.  
You wouldn't get a fuel leak or oil leak in a brand new car, so why is this expected and accepted in a new home costing 15 times more?

Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on December 21, 2013, 11:24:57 am
Cheers for the response.

It has made me a bit happier. We have written to them about that, so they have got it in writing, hence the reason for a couple of their directors coming round.

We are waiting for a letter to come back from them but we were only working off other people's advice so another take on it is always good.

Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 13, 2014, 06:57:59 pm
Yay. Small victories ;D
Morris said:
"With regards to the ceiling staining due to the leak from the ensuite, although I do understand your concerns and the advice given on replacing the effected plaster board, having inspected at the areas in question there were no signs of any defect or bulging to the ceiling, we therefore feel that no re-boarding is required to this area. The issue has been noted on our system, and if should you encounter any further issues with this area it would be covered under our 2 year warranty, but Morris Homes will also cover to the end of the NHBC warranty.
With reference to the decorating works which have been carried out to the areas where the stain block has been applied, this has flashed with the existing ceiling paintwork and therefore re-decorating will be undertaken to the complete living room ceiling."

They are also going to change the media plates that dont work with Virgin media as well to ones that, apparently, do.

Also, a scratch that we found on the kitchen worktop that they are unable to fix means they are going to change the whole kitchen worktop.

General question to anyone that knows. We have got 3 inspection covers in the rear garden and one in the front but they are all plastic. I stood on one as it is part of the main slabbed walkway around the garden and heard a crack. Is that supposed to happen and is plastic the standard.

As a good will (we haven't asked for it but it overcomes some of their error in putting 3 coaxes from the attic to under the stairs cupboard) they are ' to supply a booster switch and new media panels and modulator.They will also fit the back box and plate where the cables come through the wall in the under stair cupboard.'

But what is a booster switch for?
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on January 14, 2014, 09:19:30 am
It is good that Morris have responded as they have done.  At least you now have some peace of mind.

Plastic manhole covers are quite common. They can be nearly as strong and have the advantage that they don't rust.
The crack you heard could be caused by several things, including the plastic cracking which is more likely in cold weather! The chances are it was just the glue in the IC raising piece or the frame but only you have heard how load it was!  take the cover off and have a look fro any cracks.

A booster, boosts the signal from the aerial so that all co axial cables will receive the maximum signal available.
It all sounds a bit Cat 5 and beyond my expertise.


Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 15, 2014, 08:50:10 pm
Cheers NHE. We have had Cat5 put in but it is separate to the media plates (we were told we would only be able to have the Cat5 if we had the media plates that has proven to not be the case. Good job we didn't pay for them).

Strangely there are 4 co-axial cables in the attic.
Three go to under the stairs where we have had the cat5 terminated to go to a netgear switch to route it around the house. No-one seems to really know why there are three routed down. Someone tried to tell us it was for IPTV but we didn't ask for them and certainly not 3. The fourth we hope is what the terrestrial TV will be able to get routed around the media plates.



Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on January 17, 2014, 10:57:29 am
You should not have been mis informed about having Cat5 only if you had media plates.
No doubt they make money from those buyers that do pay extra for this.
Normally (in the olden days!) there was one co axial TV cable in the loft, for each separate TV point in the home.
Now it's all NetGear, Routers, Cat5 media plates etc.
Even so, some house builder's have a problem getting the basic electrical installation right!
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 17, 2014, 07:38:57 pm
Some of it has been close but not quite like that
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 20, 2014, 08:49:21 pm
This new home buying thing is all about the ups and downs.
So the sparky comes out to sort the media plates. We get told "provide a modulator on to the system which will then make it compliant for the Virgin network, there would be no cable alterations for this solution".

Marvellous thought us. Guy turns up with wifey at home, puts a box down stairs connected to the TV box and another on the TV upstairs. We can now watch the same channel as downstairs.

Huh?   No?

That is not what we were told that was getting done. He has also now removed the media plate in the upstairs so he can connect the wire to the television upstairs.

Huh?  No?

No cable alterations we were told. Also removing the media plate means we cannot now connect to the terrestrial aerial loop for Freeview because he has removed it.

Huh? Eh? I want to go home. Bugger this is my home now.

Getting frustrated now.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on January 21, 2014, 07:10:40 am
It is a pity that the house builders don't employ sub contractors who employ people that actually "KNOW" what they are doing!
The only way you'll get this sorted is to get a TV specialist out and send his bill to Morris Homes.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 21, 2014, 05:52:53 pm
According to his card he knows what he is doing. Shame it is not what has actually been asked for.

Anyway, we have a nice new painted ceiling now in the living room after today. Hopefully the glossy bits will dry matt the same as the rest of the ceiling.

Other little jobs have been done around the house now by some very nice chaps who work for them so the missus is a wee bit happier  ;D
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 25, 2014, 04:49:10 pm
 :( Meh.

So I get a 48 element high-gain antenna and loft mount kit from B&Q and after nearly falling through the roof hatch a couple of times its in.

Find the amplifier that is in there and nice chap has left me some coaxial cable and a connector on the UHF port. Bonus. Strip back the cable and connect it up and come down stairs and before I start getting too fancy I connect up my TV to the only output socket for the TV that is left. It doesn't work. Double check the coaxial cable to make sure there is no braid on the core and that the core is actually seated all the way in. Yes its OK.

Buggereth thinks I so get the small TV that is upstairs and try it in all the other rooms with TV points.
Bugger Buggereth. None of them work!

Oh well. Rachel has got a hot line to Morris Homes now.
No-one else in the office seems to be allowed to talk to her, it has to be one of the bosses so guess she will be on the phone to them again.

One thing that concerned me when I was up in the attic was that when it was dark, I seemed to be able to see through the membrane on the roof. Well is was a sort or erie blue. Is that suppose to be so?
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on January 27, 2014, 08:35:55 am
First of all it is a pity that house builders don't include a loft ladder as part of the house!    They are essential, especially in an emergency.   You should have bought one in B&Q while you were there, they are not expensive well worth the £30 or so.  Or a loft light in some cases!

Fitting a TV aerial is not that simple.  The aerial needs to be pointed in the right direction to get the best signal.
professional fitters use a meter.  You may be able to buy one from Maplins.  You could have got your aerial there too!
It is unlikely that all the coaxial cables are faulty and I suspect it is the aerial direction.

The underfelt you have is a special breathable type "Spanflex" is one.
They are better because the whole roof can "breath" and in the event of a fire, unlike roofing felt which melts and drips alight spreading the fire, these new types do not. In addition, they are not degraded by sunlight.

If you can see daylight the roof can breath. 
If you can see daylight in one particular place you may have a tile missing or slipped.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 29, 2014, 08:52:59 pm
I agree about the ladder and as well, some sort of boarded 'landing' area in the loft to move around a bit.

Anyway the antenna is pointing in the same direction as all the neighbours and is a high gain one that works in all signal area types.

The television man is coming back out.

I am getting a bit miffed with Morris Homes now and that is saying something. I am generally a chilled type but their bluster is just annoying me now. They keep rattling on about their '5 star status' blah blah.

I have seen what that actually means in one of the other threads so that about sums that up.

They seem to think they have done us a favour in just getting things to the basic standard you would expect when you move into a new home which, for a business, is a crap attitude to have.

Never mind, what doesn't break us, makes us stronger.
At least it is the house that is broken. Not us for now.

Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on January 29, 2014, 09:53:53 pm
First bit of sunshine we have and guess what?
All the windows at the back are scratched.
It is in the middle where no one can get to them so it is not something we have done.

Hint for people. Move in the summer when you can actually see the house for what it is actually worth.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on January 30, 2014, 10:53:17 am
Builders don't normally provide too much boarding in the roof space as it is deemed to encourage owners to store things there which will suffer due to damp and cold temperatures.
It is always a better idea to buy a house that has been built in the spring summer months as it should be drier and the standards better due to daylight.
Scratched glazing, especially in the inside the sealed unit should be changed no quibble irrespective of the Glass and Glazing Federation and NHBC 'A consistent approach to finishes'  "viewed from 2 metres rule."
Not really Morris's fault (as they didn't make the glass) but perhaps they should have seen it.
It will be interesting to see how they react when you report it.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 07, 2014, 05:00:29 pm
One thing that is consistently annoying me with Morris Homes at the moment is the fact they seem to be over the moon in the fact they have almost achieved a very minimum standard.

They have still not managed to deliver on all the promises but seem to have made that my problem. I have to contact the cable TV supplier to get a specification so Morris can 'look into it'. They have already been given the information and obviously done nothing with it.

It is a real disgrace and it is no wonder the industry has taken a knock in reputation if this is what they set out to achieve.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on February 08, 2014, 07:55:39 am
I have been saying this for the last eight years to the point of "banging on"  that house builders don't care.
They don't care about the quality of the new homes they build.
They don't care about their customers
and they don't care about their bad reputations or the fact they are getting worse!

They over promise and under deliver, not once, but everytime!
Then they say it's "within tolerance" or "it meets the minimum standards required"  and use this as a reason for doing nothing.

I recently wrote to Taylor Wimpey CEO Pete Redfern about a Taylor Wimpey buyer who his company was threatening with legal proceedings on a daily basis!

Mr Redfern replied yesterday to tell me:
"we are in direct contact with this customer and he remains happy with the service we have provided."
"As a customer focused business we aim to provide the best possible experience for our customers through the homebuying process."


Denial isn't just a river in Egypt!

Conrad Hilton once said:
"All a business needs to succeed is a great product and satisfied customers"

You really do have to wonder how all the large house builders manage to keep going, given they have a rubbish product and all their customers hate them!
People will no doubt read your thread and STILL buy a new home from Morris Homes!
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 08, 2014, 10:54:46 am
I agree with you whole heartedly there and I have only been exposed to it since late last year. It is a terrible situation to be in but they don't want to change it because it costs money to deliver satisfactory customer services.

It is just one big blame game. Morris blame the contractor, the contractor shrug their shoulders and say it is what they have been asked to do and blame Morris.

The fact the sub contractor doesn't get paid when they complete one house but all on the estate means they don't care about quality in each individual house but the end game is throwing them out and seeing how much profit they can make till they have to pay the subbies

Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on February 10, 2014, 09:22:34 am
Sorry but you are wrong there.
The sub contractors get paid normally monthly (but sometimes fortnightly) valuations of the work they have done.
A carpentry contractor for example may be paid for three roofs, two second fixes, one kitchen and five first fixes.
No sub contractor has to wait until the whole house is finished.

All sub contractor payments are usually made less a 5% retention.  They get half back six months after the house is completed and the other 2.5%  after two years.
Most sub contractors write-off the second half of the retention if they get it back its a bonus.

I agree house builders don't like paying for anything until they have to.
They are all building primarily with borrowed money.
They also have national agreements with their suppliers and who knows how long the likes of Travis Perkins and Jewson have to wait to get paid.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 10, 2014, 06:05:44 pm
Every day is a school day. You learn something new every day.

Now I am peeved as one of the subbies told me that they don't get paid until it's finished so they need to throw them up as fast as possible.

It just gets better!
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on February 13, 2014, 11:52:35 am
Confirms another golden rule:
Never believe anything anyone tells you!
Either before you buy or as in your case after you move in.

People will tell you almost anything if it is in their interests!

Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 17, 2014, 05:24:59 pm
So we are getting bored and fed up now.

When we moved in our house was the second of 4 (5 including the show house) to be built. A couple of days before we moved in we were told they would not be able to finish the house next door and, pretty please, can they leave the scaffolding up on our drive to finish it.   It would only be there for about 2 weeks.

Well no as it happens, a few extra weeks on that and we eventually got them to take it down. Considering the next door was 'urgent' to get the scaffolding down for us so we start living in our home there were days at a time when no-one was working on it during the week or at weekends.

Well it is up and the scaffolding is down but to make it nice and pretty for the people to move in, they want to get people and materials up our drive and through the larger gap in the fence than what they have put on the house own drive.

Up until now that has been fine but that has all changed and now I am actually very peeved with them.

While all this has been going on, because of the fact that we have been accommodating with their incompetents we have had some wooden boards on the front lawn which has killed it all off.

We did agree that they would replace the lawn but because of the way the drive way will work along the front of all the houses we would have to put both cars on the single width drive way so we have asked for a price to pave the area that is currently mudded, not quite a lawn any more.
Because of the fact that we have been so accommodating we have asked Morris if they part paid with us the money that they would save by re laying the lawn to the area and have had a definite no.

Because of the house we bought and its location on the estate it is one of the ones that every one see's as they drive by to get into the estate do we:-

A) Put big signs outside our house saying DO NOT BUY A MORRIS HOME
B) Spend lots of time out side the sales office on the weekend doing the same sort of thing to anyone who goes in.
C) Refuse them access through our property to other plots
D) All of the above??

Their customer care is disgraceful. See previous post, they are struggling to meet the basic standard and yet seem to think that we are here to be taken for a ride.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS DON'T BUY A MORRIS HOME

rant over. that's better.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on February 18, 2014, 10:14:56 am
You have been far too trusting and co operative with Morris Homes and now they are taking advantage.
I would have demanded £50 a day for the scaffold on the drive at the outset, you let them have it for free.

The first thing to do right away, is to refuse access over your property ie the driveway.
Write to Morris and say in no uncertain terms, they are NOT TO TRESPASS on your property/driveway.
If they ignore this, state that you will require damages in the region of £1,500 per instance.
If they refuse to pay, tell them the matter will go to court, with all the publicity you can muster!
You should also inform them in the letter that they are responsible for damage to your property (the grass) and that this must be made good within the next seven days, you can always rip it all out and lay your paving the moment the weather is better!
Any gaps in fencing should be filled too, especially if it is your fence!

And yes, why not put a sign on your house warning others "Don't buy a house here without talking to us!" too.
And you could talk potential buyers outside the sales office at the weekend. Or put fliers on their cars!
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 18, 2014, 06:58:38 pm
Will have to try to figure out some flyer  ;D

They have got the plant out of next doors garden now which is a shame ::)

The only problem we have now is that the only thing left to do is for them to finish off paving our drive so we have sort of missed the boat now which is a shame.

Will start canvassing the sales office or get some flyers on windscreens because their attitude just stinks.

As said before DON'T BUY A MORRIS HOME
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: madmag676 on February 26, 2014, 05:52:39 pm
Well.we sent a snotty Email to the Managing Director and got a response from him within half an hour.

Since then we have been moved to the care of the site team again and the customer service bloke that was ducking out of committing to things has now changed his tune.

Bonus.

We have been asked to source someone local to quote the work for the media plates which we can do as we have had good previous relationship with a local company and we are getting a quote for some work we wanted doing that was a absolute ridiculous amount previously because they didn't really want to do it.

It seems to work by whining at the right people.  
We will see though.
Title: Re: Problems With Morris New Home
Post by: New Home Expert on February 27, 2014, 09:23:39 am
It always pays to go right to the top in any organisation, especially house builders.
As I have said many times before:-  "It's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil"
In other words, the more of a persistent nuisance you make of yourself,  the more likely you are to get what you want done.