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Author Topic: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!  (Read 11190 times)

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gerraya

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New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« on: March 13, 2016, 02:01:22 pm »
Hi All
Any advice and knowledge gratefully received.
Just in early stages of buying a new house.
Semi-detached house on a private plot with total of 4 houses (2 pairs of semis)
Nice house, and is finished. All looks pretty good to me, has been up for about 5  months.
There are for sure a few possible reasons that the two semis I am looking at have not been sold, other two have and are occupied.

Of the negative points 2 are not possible to change and would be down to personal preferences, but I have been able to overlook, even considering resale in the future. The houses still represent good value for money on the face of it.
 
The houses were built by a small local builder, and money put up by entrepreneur.
The standard of work looks pretty good, however it came to light as I trolled the Council planning approvals for this development that the two semis are built on the exisiting foundations of a house, started but not finished, in 2003. The footings were put in place but not continued. Change of planning to a pair of semis on same footprint using original footings.
 
I have a copy of the Completion certificate from the council Building Control and that looks fine.
However on questioning them I asked if the footings were inspected before new work started or is the implication that because the footings were passed in 2003, did that exempt them from todays completion certificate, you can see where this could lead to a problem in the future.

I have not yet seen the 10 year BLP warranty (as completion cert only just issued) after me highlighting it I suspect.
 Of course I will be looking to see if there are any exclusions mentioned in the warranty, as the footings are already over 10 years old !!!!
 
I am assured that the BLP inspectors oversaw the whole build, but in practice have no evidence of that.
 
Woukd I be right to assume that with a completion certificate from the council that this would be all that is necessary, in the event of an issue down the line (house is built on a slope) that BLP would not be able to shirk and responsibility? Anyone's thoughts?

Another issue is the integral garage is small only 2.7 metres wide. But that is not the major concern, the position of the garages is such that entrance to them is from a shared forecourt which is ony 6metres wide, in front of the garage doors, and I do not think its actually possible to get a car in without considerable effort, even a small car, as the entrance is so narrow.

On reading back in the planning approval documents, the highway department looked at the original plan, which showed the forecourt to be 6 metres and commented that they would not approve unless the width was increased to 7.3 metres.  Somehow that has  clearly not happened! Can approval somehow be given on a plan that was rejected by highways (it is a private development that does not abut the main highway).
 
What to do, I don't want to lose the house, but don't want issues with council after buying.
Again any advice welcomed
   


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Re: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2016, 07:48:19 am »
There are so many warning bells ringing its difficult to know where to start.

Small builder and no NHBC warranty:
What you have is a BLP warranty which I personally do not rate at all. For example there is not two-year builder warranty responsibility. BLP is only a structural warranty too. In my opinion, BLP warranty is not as good as NHBC (80% of new homes are sold with NHBC warranty!) and in any event, they would certainly wriggle out of warranty cover for 13 year-old foundations that even if they did do construction stage inspections, they would not have inspected at the time.

Why is it BLP warranty? Perhaps the small builder couldn't meet the NHBC requirements and standards to be an NHBC registered builder.

Thirteen year-old foundations:
The foundations would have been design for one house not two. The concrete is thirteen years old and could have been exposed to freezing temperatures during this time. It is likely that the Council Building Control  would have inspected them prior to concreting.  It is most likely they foundations were only constructed to preserve the planning permission.

It is unlikely that BLP inspectors oversaw the whole project too. You would need a record of any BLP  inspections and what they found during those inspections as proof!

Shared driveway/courtyard:
You and the other four owners would be responsible for the insurance and maintenance of this. These can be a common cause of disputes with neighbours.

As for garage size and access to from this is minor issue. Highways may have suggested a minimum width for access but as planning was granted with 6m perhaps this was not of primary consideration by the planners.

The advice I give is good advice:-  don't buy either of these two homes.
They are destined to be bought at a knock-down price by a cash buyer and rented out.
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gerraya

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Re: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2016, 02:13:11 pm »
Hi and thanks          WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can see that I have been concerned throughout this purchase.
I have looked at BLP in depth and even their own brochure says that they do not normally inspect foundations, but rely on a Completion certificate from local council's Building Control.

Has been a bit odd to think that properties have been finished all bar a bit of snagging for a few months, but when I looked at the council building control website records, I found that no completion certificate had been signed off; and of course BLP would not issue their 10-year warranty without clapping eyes on that.

It was clearly my involvement that started that whole process of certification, as that has been done over the last week, but still no sight of the warranty.

I have already told the seller, that i will not buy without fully reading and understanding exactly what that Warranty does or does not include (like you I am of the opinion that the age of the foundations would be an immediate get out for them in the event of any issues, but was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt until I see it for myself.

I have also asked about surface water drainage as the semis sit about 5 metres lower than the main road, wth these being at the end of a private drive with a 1 in 10 drop from start to finish (about 40 metres). I read from one of the planning consultation reports that it was suggested that a plan should be submitted of how water was going to be got rid of (sounds like a soakaway, along with the roof water.)
Foul water is individual pump back to mains, approx 5 metres over 40 metres.

Problem is when I try to investigate the planning application online it keeps referring back to the original planning approval of 13 years ago and I cannot see what i would expect to see, ie Full building drawings, roof, layout plan with dimensions, sewage, surface water etc it just talks about. I don't even see the original plans of the single detached house. I have however seen a plan and been told by the builder that they had to reinforce the foundations under the 2 integral garages. (Side by side) with concrete beam, but can't see that on any applications.....would that be normal?

I guess that I do like the house, price and position (not on big new site) but got to keep that under control, especially where the warranty is concerned.


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Re: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2016, 10:47:27 am »
You can see what BLP does and does not cover by checking them out online!  Not very enlightening is it?
You may like to click the links by BLP on my website and this previous post by a Professional snagging inspector about BLP Warranty

As I said, you would well advised not to buy either of these houses.

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gerraya

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Re: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2016, 09:29:20 am »
Yes I had looked at the references you make, but surely if there was a problem as insured they would have to pay up? I appreciate they would try to riggle, what insurance company doesn't?

That is why I am trying to open up any unknown unknowns asking the developer as many questions and getting emailed replies, all of which are copied to my solictor. Just to have a record,
Oddly BLP warranty certificate still not arrived (odd because these houses were finished 6 months ago)
Had reply to my questions regarding footings (13 years old). I am told that it is a 'ground bearing concrete slab'

I must admit that even though I am not a builder I am concerned about this revelation, especially on a sloping site and 13 years old. Have asked for details, like is it reinforced, how thick, where is DPC.
Also found out that roof water will be channelled into the sewer lift pump to combine with foul water waste!!!!!
I guess there was not enough ability for soakaway from the road as well as the roof, so roof water had to be got rid of elsewhere.
So it is looking like too many issues are coming up even for me to continue.

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Re: New home, 13 year-old foundations and small garage!
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2016, 01:39:05 pm »
Good, as I said walk away.
Gathering evidence isn't the same as being able to use it for a claim.

Your "footing" is what is known as a raft foundation. They are used if the land is poor loadbearing quality such as landfilled.

A ground bearing slab for a ground floor is different and quite rare as they can cause subsidence and cracking problems down the line.  Most "proper" house builders use beam and block suspended floor and offer NHBC warranty.

The drainage sounds an ongoing issue and maintenance too. WALK!
New Home Blog - New Home Expert is committed to providing help and advice for people having issues with their new homes and difficulties with house builders as well as helping potential buyers reduce the risk of possible problems if they do buy.