Sign The Petition For Better Quality New Homes

marksoton

Pixie5740 wrote: »

The population is increasing so we need more homes built. It's all well and good saying buy an older property but due to supply and demand someone will end up having to buy a new build. Not all new builds are created equally. Some, particularly from the smaller builders and developments are good quality but they tend to cost a bit more. It's the squeeze 'em in and stack 'em high ones that tend to be built to meet the bare minimum of building standards and even then not always. If you're really unfortunate you could end up like these poor folk in Wishaw, unable to flush a toilet or use the washing machine whilst the whole estate stinks of raw sewage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-24400157

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/fed-up-morningside-residents-hit-out-5115317

I know of one estate in Sussex and one in Hampshire that will shortly be experiencing these problems. Probably affecting some 2500 households.

That's what happens when a 19 year old work experience student working for a consultant models things and lays the sewer flat.

@ circa £50 an hour. It's shocking.

glasgowdan

Does anyone still think these petitions are listened to?

Jon_B_2

marksoton wrote: »

As someone that provides infrastructure to these developers i'm telling you now standards will not improve.

The things i see are shocking and a whole cultural change would be needed. And shorts and bare tops banned!

For example, the other day they were digging around the main fuel feed to Heathrow and Gatwick. I spent 12 months negotiating the do's and don'ts regarding this. They just carried on.

I wouldn't buy a new build if you paid me. 4 different developers in the last year and not one of them has impressed me. Build quality is dire. Whilst harsh i'd say you're a muppet if you buy a new build. Sorry but it's true.

Were you providing infrastructure to developers in the 1890's, 1930's, 1960's? I'd guess not.

I would put money on suspicious methodology and maverick building techniques have been used since the dawn of man. Humans are inherently lazy and if there is a shortcut to be had - they will take it.

Its incredible how perception feeds into reality. 1930's houses were built just after a great depression - I'm sure the foundations weren't laid with gold plating.

SuzieSue

I agree with the OP. The government has encouraged house building but, as usual, has not put the controls in place to ensure it is performed to a basic standard.

It's all very will saying caveat emptor but consumers need protection as can be seen by the Sales of Goods Acts. So are you saying that we shouldn't have those either and that it should be a free for all?

marksoton

Jon_B wrote: »

Were you providing infrastructure to developers in the 1890's, 1930's, 1960's? I'd guess not.

I would put money on suspicious methodology and maverick building techniques have been used since the dawn of man. Humans are inherently lazy and if there is a shortcut to be had - they will take it.

Its incredible how perception feeds into reality. 1930's houses were built just after a great depression - I'm sure the foundations weren't laid with gold plating.

Nope.

I know you've a new build. Maybe you got lucky....

I say it as i see. And what i see is shocking. And i have no reason to lie. Not least because my annual bonus is based on the performance of our house building division within the group i work for.

venna

I'd agree that houses from the 1800s and early/mid 1900s are probably better build as there still existed a more wide spread notion of community and doing things for the common good e.g. inception of the NHS.
Now there seems to exist an 'I'm alright, hard luck on you' and loss of community (see lots of posts above). Companies are praised for making as much for their shareholders as possible rather than shamed for poor practice. Why are some people proud of making themselves rich on the backs of others misery.
A Tory backbencher proposed a motion a few years back to force councils to release small parcels of land, with utility connections, to individuals and self builders. This is how a lot of houses are built on the continent. Unsurprisingly the proposal was tburied ... lobbying by big builders perhaps scared of competition?

Your petition may not be perfect OP but thank you for trying to do something for the common good. That's why I signed it.

Davesnave

There's a two tier level of service.

A close relative works for a large builder which does mainly public sector/ large organisation contracts. These have to be delivered on time and all work is professionally snagged, so mistakes must be rectified.

There are penalties for non-delivery on time and to spec. All work is also up for rectification if anything shows -up as faulty in the first 18 months or so of use; in fact their snag team often doesn't leave the site till that time is up.

Then there's Joe Public....

Miss_Samantha

Cakeguts wrote: »

I think this is caused by the educational ideal of "no one is allowed to fail" and no one is allowed to "tell someone that they are not good at something."

And the fact that from a young age people are told about their rights. Everything is about rights and entitlement.

AdrianC

The_Bag wrote: »

It is in everyone’s interests that the UK build better quality new homes (not just more!) and for those that buy them to have better protection.

Is it? Why?

Why should the buyers of new-build homes get more protection than buyers of any other property?
How does the build quality of new-build homes affect anybody other than those who buy them?

Strikes me that the preponderance of new-build, especially the price premium, is just down to consumer attitudes about all types of product - anything but shiny-new-latest-greatest is inferior, and longevity is irrelevant.

booksurr

venna wrote: »

I'd agree that houses from the 1800s and early/mid 1900s are probably better build as there still existed a more wide spread notion of community and doing things for the common good e.g. inception of the NHS.

do what? Cultural change certainly has a long gestation period but linking inception of the NHS to the 1800's Victorian era is a bit rich

Are Victorian houses better built? Workmanship may be to different standards (as were the labour relations enforcing them!), but Victorian houses were built without damp proof courses and inadequate foundations because they did not understand (want to know about?) subsidence, soil mechanics and capillary attraction.