Advice needed please. Issues with garden on new build

peddy

We purchased a new build house from a local developer, moved in at the end of September and everything seemed fine (apart from a few little snags that the builder sorted out).

Come January we noticed that the fence at the rear boundary had started to lean and the ground was eroding away (there is a 1 1/2 foot dip appeared along the base. On the other side of the fence is a steep bank of wasteland with the fence being built right on the top edge so inevitably with the British weather being on the wet side we have started to loose our garden down said bank. We even had some of their guys out to fix some steps and they took one look at the fence and said "that fence is going to go soon". It's now 9 months since moving in and I am convinced that when winter and the wet weather comes back we lose the fence, it has moved that much in the time we have been here.

What I am trying to establish is whether the builder has responsibility for this as it appears the garden wasn't made secure by way of a retaining wall?

I have tried speaking to the builders who are just brushing me off saying it is not covered by the warranty.

I would be grateful if anyone with experience of something similar could give me some guidance on who to speak to next.

Many Thanks

EachPenny

It would be worth checking the planning documents for your property on the local council's website. There should be plans included showing how issues like sloping ground would be dealt with.

How far from your house is the fence at the top of the slope?

Guest101

Presumbely the slope hasn't been turfed? And the fence foundation isn't deep enough, both problems could be solved in a day really.

sparky130a

I can't help with your builder issue but what i would say is a small retaining wall should have been built.

Because i guarantee the sub layer is just full of builders c5ap draining everything away.

G_M

Who owns the land the other side of the fence?

EachPenny

Guest101 wrote: »

Presumbely the slope hasn't been turfed? And the fence foundation isn't deep enough, both problems could be solved in a day really.

sparky130a wrote: »

I can't help with your builder issue but what i would say is a small retaining wall should have been built.

An 18 inch 'dip' and a 'steep bank'.... :eek:

mysterymurdoch

I can't directly help, but this is very common in new builds. The garden is cobbled together on a minimal budget and you'll struggle to grow much successfully as the soil will be absolutely useless. You're not alone!

KittenChops

There was a Monty Don series on a few months back called 'Big Dreams Small Spaces' and in series 3, episode 2, there were a pair of twins who'd bought new build houses next door to one another. One of the twins found he couldn't have the garden he wanted due to all of the builders rubble buried underneath. According to the program, the developers paid out to have enough of it removed so that the garden was 'usable'

I know it’s not exactly the same scenario…

Cakeguts

What would worry me about this it the stability of the house. If they can't build a fence that doesn't suffer from subsidence it doesn't say much for the quality of their building. You may need to check your house hasn't moved down towards the fence.

Slinky

This sounds like a new build I pass occasionally that's been built near the edge of a lake but about 6 feet up. Currently the builders are back in shoring up the back garden. Looks expensive.

Davesnave

The landscaping will have been contracted-out at a pared-to-the-bone price.

The builder is probably right that it's not covered by the NHBC or similar guarantee, as that relates to the structure of the house.

While it would be highly annoying, if it were me, I'd not expend too much energy chasing the builder; I'd look at sensible/inexpensive ways to stabilise the garden, which won't have been inspected as the house foundations should have been.

A hedge of reasonably fast-growing trees, like beech or hornbeam will help to provide stability at the top of an unnatural bank. If there's nothing growing there, then it will tend to move downhill.