Building Site Dust - who cleans up ?

BeachNut

The site developer is sweeping the roads to try and keep the dust down caused by construction vehicles coming onto the site while new homes are still being built. Problem is that dust builds up on the properties (doors, windows, etc.) that have already been sold. Is it reasonable to ask the developer to clean the dust and dirt off the doors, windows, etc. that they are essentially creating, or do the new home owners have to bear it ? Has anyone any experience of developers cleaning this up ? Thanks.

martinsurrey

all developer and site dependant.

one site I know, the developer has cleaned the £900k town houses for 18months.

but the HA houses and private flats were left on thier own from completion.

it doesnt hurt to ask, but dont expect too much

[Deleted User]

To be clear, do you own the house yet? If you own it then they must clean it for you. Their mess, their expense.

If you don't own it yet you can refuse to accept it until it is cleaned.

geoffky

Ask nicely they might clean your car as well....

martinsurrey

DELETED USER wrote:

To be clear, do you own the house yet? If you own it then they must clean it for you. Their mess, their expense.

If you don't own it yet you can refuse to accept it until it is cleaned.

wrong on both points (unless its just reserved, in which case, its far to early to be companing about dirt!)

Unless the developer is negligent about creating dust (so sawing bricks on the OP's doorstep), its not thier problem, to get planning permission they often have to include working practice statements as to how they will keep issues like this to a minimum, but its NOT exepcted to be 100% dust free, and its NOT up to the developer to clean (unless they want too), the same principle as driving through a muddy puddle and splashing a car/house.

As long as the developer is taking all reasonable steps to keep the dust down, they are all good to carry on and not help the OP.

And if its an exchanged plot, a bit of dust is not cause enough to refuse to complete, the OP would be served special notice, and then sued if they refused to complete over an issue like this.

lessonlearned

A house will be given a "sparkle clean" a couple of days before legal completion. This will include cleaning the windows, window cills - both inside and out, meter boxes, exterior doors etc, paths swept.

Once legal completion has taken place it is up to the new owner/occupier.

Generally most developers will ensure that the roads are cleaned on Friday afternoons.

Building sites are generally dusty in summer and muddy in winter. It is unrealistic to expect otherwise.

AdrianC

lessonlearned wrote: »

Building sites are generally dusty in summer and muddy in winter. It is unrealistic to expect otherwise.

^ this.

It's one of the things that you have to expect if you're buying an early site on a large and ongoing development. There's going to be disruption whilst the rest are completed. Trucks. Noise. Dust. It's a building site. You chose to live on a building site when you decided to buy an early-release plot.

Yes, of course the developer has to take reasonable steps to be a good neighbour and minimise that inconvenience, but you also have to accept the consequences of your decision.

G_M

AdrianC wrote: »

You chose to live on a building site

Yes, of course the developer has to take reasonable steps to be a good neighbour ... but you also have to accept the consequences of your decision.

^ this. :T