issue with new build

Zales200483 wrote: »

Touche.
In hindsight you are absolutely right. Should have been wiser. I guess inexperience.

You are now fully on the back foot, and reliant on the goodwill of the builder to rectify any defects. We all live and learn, but in effect your approach is throwing away your legal rights, invalidating your warranty and showing the builder you are a weak person. This in turn puts the builder in control - they can choose what to address and the time scale for doing so.

It happens, but as I said earlier you are in a worrying position. It is probable you do not realise how worrying this position is. I guess that is a positive upshot from inexperience.

J_B wrote: »

Having lambasted the OP for all their mistakes - can we offer them any positive advice?

Not lambasted - just a reality check. Further, there is copious advice given so far, so the question becomes is anybody reading and acting on it?

OP talked about a snagging survey before purchase. Clearly the funds were there but the survey was not commissioned. There is talk of a similar survey before two years is up. Again one assumes the funds are there, but the survey has not been commissioned. With every day that passes it can be argued OP's chance of any redress diminishes. There needs to be a bold decision taken, and get grip on everything now with professional help. This will not be cheap or straight forward because the situation has become a can of worms.

You have mentioned the Building Inspector. Life does not work like this. OP has given no feedback to the forum on whether Regulations exist, nor who may have done Inspections and so on. One cannot expect the council to step in and sort this out - they do not have the expertise, nor do they work on a goodwill basis. But now for the rub - they may be responsible for inspecting and be negligent, so immediately another battle starts.

I have said, for example, survey, investigation, Completion Certificate, Final Inspection, Method Statement, Risk Assessment. What more guidance and hints or buzz words are required?

A good Chartered Building Surveyor , or a good Clerk Of Works are two options. Even Forum users could help, but we do not know where the property is, so nobody will jump in blind here.

Buying a new build home is a very, very risky proposition. Taking on "professional" developers/builders is an even more risky proposition. That is why OP needs to draw a line under matters and act from a position of fighting fire with fire. Anything less, at this stage in the two years, will be perceived as a sign of weakness and OP stands a good chance of being shaft-d.

This is not lambasting - it is a view point based on years of experience.

ComicGeek wrote: »

A building control completion certificate does not mean that everything is ok - very rarely do they understand enough about heating and electrical services to check. Probably half of all installations I check have something significantly wrong that requires correction.

My only concern about snagging surveys is that ultimately the surveyor won't know everything about everything, they will always specialise in one area. A chartered surveyor is unlikely to check heating and electrical installations.

I second your comments in particular these two. However here we are entering difficult areas. Snagging companies have existed for a maximum of 15 years, so are not a time and generation proofed concept. Their standards are what? Here there is no general baseline, and their calibre depends on the calibre of their staff. This is turn is a general reflection on those individuals professional qualifications. Do consumers search this out ...? The answer here is no.

I did say a "good" CBS or CoW. Here the consumer has to decide what they require to be "snagged" and to what degree and detail. For mechanical and electrical one moves into specialist areas which is why the CoW profession has the grade, title and acceptance of an M&E CoW. If the consumer wishes to engage a M&E CoW they are of course welcome to do so. This has become a growing issue over the last 15 years as homes have moved towards eco, low energy, passiv, and alternative fuel/energy sources.

Ultimately this is all a huge problem area and perhaps 99% of consumers have zero concept, zero interest, and zero awareness of what a quality job should be. It automatically follows that they have zero willingness to pay for quality control - as you are pointing out even on homes costing millions.

To add to all this 100% of new home owners do not understand the warranty concept, the gist on which it is based, their duties and obligations to comply with it , nor the all round common sense and savvy required when considering the purchase of a new build home.

All somewhat bleak and gloomy! Little wonder OP has issues then. Whilst we are all inexperienced in some or another matter, with a new home costing mega money it is foolish to be inexperienced. One simply asks those without the inexperience to help! But of course this comes at a cost, and we are back to the old thorny topics here. Does the consumer understand? Does the consumer care? Does the consumer want to pay?

Perhaps 95% prefer the alternative route - ignorance is bliss and let's wing it!