Couple’s dream £315,000 new build home turns into ‘nightmare’ with leaking roof, scratches on windows, uneven floors and damaged kitchen tiles
- Leigh Dawson-Browne, 32, and his husband Luke, 35, moved home in February
- They reserved a new build at the Storeton Hall housing development in Wirral
- Issues included leaking roof, damaged kitchen tiles and incorrectly piped boiler
A couple’s dream £315,000 new build home turned into a ‘nightmare’ after they discovered it had a leaking roof, scratches on windows and uneven floors.
Leigh Dawson-Browne, 32, and his husband Luke, 35, moved into their ‘forever home’ at the luxury Storeton Hall housing development near Bebington, Wirral, last month.
The pair fell in love with the development – billed as a ‘unique’ plan to save an at risk medieval site – from their first viewing and quickly reserved one of 27 new builds.
But immediately after they moved in this February, the couple noticed a growing list of problems including a leaking roof and the upstairs bedrooms needing a complete floor renovation.
The issues were so severe that Leigh was forced to work from his in-law’s motor home due to lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus crisis.
The devastated homeowner has said if he could give the keys back, he would.
Leigh Dawson-Browne, 32, and his husband Luke, 35, moved into their ‘forever home’ at the luxury Storeton Hall housing development near Bebington, Wirral, last month
The couple immediately noticed issues with their £315,000 new build home at the Storeton Hall housing development
‘We found problems the day we moved in and it is hard because you know there are going to be some snags’, Leigh said.
‘We have a lot of experience with new builds, more than most, this is our fourth one.
‘But even the decorating is the poorest we have ever had, it is just so disappointing. They were even late giving us our customer care package.’
The bank manager added the problems have put a strain on his relationship with Luke.
He said: ‘It has been horrendous. We have argued a lot, not with each other, but over the house because Luke can handle it better than me.
Issues found in the home included the flooring being uneven on the stairs and first floor
The couple also spotted that their roof was leaking, though developer PJ Livesey says the issues were ‘resolved immediately’
‘Honestly, if they said I could hand the keys back and get our money back tomorrow, I would snatch their hands off.’
The couple said they expected some snags in the new build house, but the reality has been far beyond what you would expect.
The long list of issues includes scratches on the patio doors, an incorrectly fitted boiler, damaged kitchen tiles and uneven floors on the stairs and upper floor.
‘This site is from the 1300s and it took a lot to get planning permission to build here – you want the right people doing it,’ Leigh said.
The home also had issues in the bathroom, where there was missing grout and silicone (right) and trouble with the sink
Pictured: Work underway to fix the issues discovered at the house when the couple moved in
‘This was going to be our forever home, so it was at the very top of our budget at £315,000. But it has just turned into a nightmare.’
A spokesman for PJ Livesey said: ‘We are genuinely sorry that, despite the best efforts of all the team, that Mr and Mr Dawson-Browne are unhappy.
‘The vast majority of issues they reported are typical of very minor snags experienced in new homes and we acted immediately to resolve them.
‘The pictures here show the work underway not the original snags. We have clear and fair dispute resolution procedures and we comply with the consumer code for home builders.
‘This is the only escalated case on the development.’
Couple’s ‘nightmare’ new build: What were the issues?
The list of issues raised by the couple with PJ Livesey since moving into the £315,000 house include:
- A leak in the roof;
- Lumps and bumps under the carpets;
- Problems with the flooring in the upstairs and stairs resulting in noises and uneven floors;
- Patio doors have been replaced because of scratches on the glass;
- Currently waiting for another window replacement, again because of scratches;
- Damage to the cupboard units in the kitchen and their alignment;
- Leaking dishwasher;
- The boiler piped in wrong leading to water running cold;
- Tiles on the kitchen floor damaged – but have only been touched up rather than replaced;
- Problems opening the cooker door;
- Pipework through the house needing looking at due to odd noises;
- Chipped bathtub;
- Wonky quartz worktop in the kitchen;
- Uneven ceiling around bay window;
- Uneven walls;
- Grout and silicone poor/missing throughout.
Source: Read Full Article
