False advertising? Already exchanged contracts - Any advice?

Thrugelmir

Over time the bricks will weather and the colour will most certainly fade.

Jhoney_2

pinkteapot wrote: »

Two differently coloured walls meeting in the middle:
https://www.acclaimimages.com/photos-images/brick_wall_in_two_halves_of_different_brick.html

Exactly - but I think that could be achieved with a diluted tin of paint.

This is just not a big problem to resolve if there is a will to do so on both sides. If necessary, have them write an undertaking that you may colour the bricks (within parameters) and the wall is exempt from the 5 year rule.

martin1959

If the builder will not consider changing the bricks in the wall, would they consider changing the bricks in the house?????


I am sorry, but although it may be a pain, it does not look too bad, and as someone else has said, if it was not pointed out, I would probably not noticed it.

ethank

Why did they not use a fence?

kinger101

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I can understand the problem with the wall's appearance and I think it could be a (minor) negative factor in a future potential buyer's drive by.

It gives the impression that the land belongs to the neighbours and that the OP's house territory is smaller.

Visually, people like to mark their boundaries. It's an inbuilt territorial thing and they like those boundaries to be wide. People prefer to have a wide frontage to their house than a narrow deep one. You can even see it in the way people hang those Christmas fairy lights on the outside of their houses - they go to great trouble to emphasise the width of the building.
People fight over the last inch of fence placement even if two feet beyond indisputably belongs to them. They need to have the fullest extent of their territory clearly delineated, not left to guesswork by strangers. That's how our species is.

What's happened here then, is that the visual territory of the house has been artificially truncated to the casual observer. Because the wall colour is associated with the other house, that property now has a far more impressive frontage and a much bigger weighted presence on the street. The OP's house, although identical to the red house, now in comparison has a less effective street presence. It's appears to be crammed in a corner with less visual status.

This is lazy planning. An arrogant overconfident builder who knows he doesn't have to try too hard for a sale. That these details can easily be shelved for buyers at that level. He knows someone will buy the house anyway. That would never happen with a high grade property, he wouldn't able to get away with that.

But I don't think you stand a chance of changing it now.

I think all you can realistically do is work on overhanging planting along your length of wall.

I think you're overthinking it. It just looks crap.

Davesnave

It's all very well people saying things like "It's not too bad," but if you are the one who's making this major purchase, and it's turned out not as you might reasonably want or expect, then the whole purchase and ownership experience is flawed.

Yes, some individuals might simply shrug and suck it up, but that doesn't sound like the OP.

In that position, if there was no redress in law, I'd be looking at ways to make a change immediately after completion, not 5 years down the line.

While a covenant regarding alterations exists, I doubt if the builder would invoke it, provided the alteration is done professionally.

After all, if the colour of the bricks is of so little concern now, and if it then matches the OP's house, they could hardly argue that a substantial change had taken place.

Davesnave

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Over time the bricks will weather and the colour will most certainly fade.

OP, would you mind coming back and updating us, say in 40 years or so?

HHarry

It may help to grow something at the join between the wall and your house - a laurel or similar.
It would just soften the transition between the brick colours, rather than being hit with an obvious change.

Vampgirl

Davesnave wrote: »

It's all very well people saying things like "It's not too bad," but if you are the one who's making this major purchase, and it's turned out not as you might reasonably want or expect, then the whole purchase and ownership experience is flawed.

When we completed on our new house there was one thing which had not been built to the plans (well the plans they gave us, they say it was built to their plans) and I HATED it - I thought it looked absolutely awful and it totally ruined the lounge. I was so upset and disappointed.

4 months on......it doesn't bother me any more and even though the developer has agreed to pay to disguise it, it hasn't been enough of a priority for me to sort out yet! I'll get around to to some time.....

I agree the different brick shades are not ideal, but I'm also another one who probably wouldn't have noticed it unless it was pointed out to me. Grow something against the wall to disguise the join and let time pass.

I reckon when buying a new build - especially if its off-plan - the excitement and (unrealistic) expectation of a perfect new house build up over time as you watch them build the house. Combined with the usual stresses of moving house it means that relatively small disappointments provoke a strong emotional reaction. Given time though, normal sanity does (usually) prevail :beer: No house is perfect!

motherbored21

Render the wall?
Put trellis up?
Paint it?
Hide it with shrubs?