Compensation Question for Floors

GeekLondon

Hi Guys

I bought a 2 bed flat in 2016 Feb, new built.

After one and a half year, I noticed that my living room and kitchen floor is slopping. you put a bottle and it just rolls down.

A surveyor was sent my the builder to check it and they said they need to re-laminate kitchen and living room. Potentially, they may remove kitchen cup boards too.

Then I did my own investigation, and found out that even corridors are slopping as well ad they agreed to redo flooring for whole flat (except bedrooms which are carpet).

They said ripping out the whole floor and redo it will take a week, I believe it will take more than that. I need to move all furniture to bedrooms from living room. It will be a quite disruptive work. I will need to take at least 1 week holiday from work.

So, I am planning to ask for compensation for this disruptive work. Is there any guideline regarding what a reasonable compensation is for this sort of work? I was told that I will not be able to use my Living room kitchen at all.

I would appreciate if you could give me some rough figures.

Many thanks .

Doozergirl

Why do you need to take a week off work?

I’ve never had clients take a holiday to work around my team. They save it for proper holidays, not watching us.

GeekLondon

I do not think I would be comfortable to leave my flat to people who I do not know...

Going back to my original question thou. Let's say I am not taking a week off...

Furts

You are not entitled to any compensation. Which if you think about matters from a legal, or insurance, perspective this stacks up. Compensation puts you back into the position you would have been had the incident not occurred. Since you have no losses, there is nothing to be compensated.

Builders and NHBC are strict and tight pursed on all this. I have been with new home builders who offer token sums, like some additional paving slabs, or a rear garden fence. It is all ex-gratia stuff, at the whim of somebody's goodwill gesture.

In your case try for whatever you want but bear in mind a fundamental. If the problems existed at the time of snagging/inspection and you did not pick it up then your redress is significantly weakened.

If the builder still has plenty of unsold flats then again matters change. But after almost two years I doubt this is the case.

Raxiel

Do you believe the floor always sloped and you've only just noticed, or has a slope appeared due to uneven settlement?

tykesi

Raxiel wrote: »

Do you believe the floor always sloped and you've only just noticed, or has a slope appeared due to uneven settlement?

It doesn't slope, it slopps although I'm not entirely sure what that means.

Ganga

I would have thought that getting it fixed for free would have been compensation,the builder could have refused to repair and then you would have had a fight on your hands.

GeekLondon

What that means is that you put a bottle and it rolls down from one end to another without any force with gaining momentum:) and it has always been there...

GeekLondon

the flat is still under warranty thou. They have to fix it... or I am mistaken?

Furts

GeekLondon wrote: »

the flat is still under warranty thou. They have to fix it... or I am mistaken?

Provided you notified the builder, in writing to the Head Office, in the first two years then you should be covered. If there is no trail of formal correspondence then expect problems.

The fact that a surveyor has been round suggests wheels are in motion. But do not expect easy, quick co-operation. You will have to push and fight. This is because repairs could cost a significant amount. This will be hitting the profits of the builder.

There is also a technical issue which may apply to you. Rectifying floor level problems on flats can be difficult to impossible in some situations - been there and had the stress it creates!