Snagging.org

Shoddy house builders blasted by Selby residents

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:55:07 +0100

RESIDENTS of a new Barratt estate claim the house-builder has gone against planning approval for their homes to save cash. Paula Walter and John Davies, backed by other residents of The Haven, claim Barratt Homes promoted 37 top-of-the-range Selsdon properties for sale after being granted planning permission for the house type but actually built bottom-of-the-range Sutton homes.

Obsessed with house prices, we ignore the cost of lives spent in shoddy homes

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:07:38 +0100

For one of the world's more mobile populations, Britain has collectively hit something of a brick wall during this recession. Shortly before the economic balloon went pop, in July 2007, you may remember that Gordon Brown announced a plan to ensure that three million new houses would be built by 2020, thereby preventing another unsustainable rise in prices based on lack of supply. Now people who want to move can't, and those who don't want to move are finding that they must. .

New homes are too small for everyday life, say residents

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:50:26 +0100

New homes do not provide enough space for everyday activities such as preparing food easily, having friends round for dinner, or even recycling. Small kitchen with few surfaces for preparing food. CABE conducted the research with the owners of 2,500 private new homes, to explore views on the adequacy of internal space.

Getting on the Property Ladder

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:42:03 +0100

Buying your first home is daunting; deposits, arrangement fees, credit checks as well as finding a house that you can call a home for a reasonable price. The present economic climate is making this scenario even more daunting for those who have never bought property, with fewer mortgage products available, higher deposits being required and lending criteria being the strictest it has probably ever been. The only option for many is a new build home as the housebuilders will often pay part of the deposit and there are lots of shared ownership schemes available.

OFT to Recommend Statutory Redress Scheme

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:57:28 +0100

The OFT has given high level advice to the code body about the improvements they would have to make to their proposed code in order to meet the CCAS standards [see note 1] and satisfy the concerns in the homebuilding market study. These include but are not limited to advice regarding the concerns around delays in moving in, the legal status of reservation agreements and contract terms, the rectification of snags and the access to and level of redress. The industry code body has now informed us that it is unlikely to decide whether to apply for its code to be approved under CCAS before September.

Blog about your new build experiences

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:28:06 +0100

Newhomeblogs.co.uk our sister site has been much unloved over that last few months, so we have given it some tender loving care and are now looking for new bloggers. If you are buying a new build home and would like to blog about your experiences then head over the new home blogs. We would love to hear your story whether it is Barratt Homes, Persimmon Home or Crest Nicholson (http://newhomeblogs.co.uk).

Consumer Code for Home Builders

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:53:20 +0100

The NHBC has finally come up with a Consumer Code of Conduct, well a draft one. They are planning to launch it in 2010 and if the industry cannot achieve this goal then the OFT will recommend that new consumer protection legislation is introduced as land and property transaction are currently excluded from the majority of consumer laws. However, Zurich have dropped out which may make this impossible: The OFT was officially informed in writing on the 16 February 2009 that Zurich Insurance Company (UK) Limited (Zurich) had withdrawn from the body which proposed to administer the homebuilding code, leaving National House Building Council and MD Insurance Services Limited to form the code body alone.

Wimpey's 'bad workmanship' on new-build

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:45:24 +0100

An angry homeowner is flying a ten-foot banner from his new-build house warning buyers off after claiming he has waited for repairs for three years. Paul Willey, 31, has put up the massive notice on the front of his �280,000 Wimpey home after getting fed up with waiting for them to fix faults with the property. The banner, outside his home in Colchester, Essex, reads: 'Don't buy from George Wimpey. 3 years and still not finished. They just want your cash.'

Residents threaten legal action against Persimmon Homes

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:02:31 +0100

Residents of Gaston Way in Shepperton are considering legal action against a housing developer who they accuse of 'blunders' including cutting through a watermain. People living close to the former Rodd Industrial Estate in Gaston Way say Persimmon Homes, which has been building new homes at the site for two years, has left them without water and electricity on different occasions.

New Build Heating Problems

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:59:46 +0100

Heating problems are common in many new build homes. Read this on the Montgomerie Park Residents' Association (http://www.montgomeriepark.org.uk/) Site and find the results of their poll: Anyone on the Persimmon estate (or any of the others) have an issue with the heating of their property? I have been having a bit of a debate with builder over undersized radiators. They have sent me some literature from company who carried out the U-value calculations for property size and construction which basically tell you the radiators installed offer the correct output.