Wrong flooring installed on a new build a week before completion

Flugelhorn

mawbkk said:

Yep PTO for the move. 
They just offered a few paving slabs and turf for the rear garden to keep the wrong flooring. 
I declined and asked for what I ordered. They said it's going to delay completion, I said that's not an option. 
This isn't the sales experience I was hoping for

that is a pretty pathetic offer! the two colours are a long way apart, they really need to get this sorted.

mawbkk

that is a pretty pathetic offer! the two colours are a long way apart, they really need to get this sorted.

Really pathetic. I also see delaying completion 4 working days out as a threat to pressure me into accepting flooring I didn't order. 

Scotbot

mawbkk said:

that is a pretty pathetic offer! the two colours are a long way apart, they really need to get this sorted.

Really pathetic. I also see delaying completion 4 working days out as a threat to pressure me into accepting flooring I didn't order. 

To refit the correct flooring could delay by a few days if they don't have the correct flooring in stock, that part of their argument is reasonable. But only that part. I would tell them either they fix it and compensate you for the delay or reduce the price by the cost of the flooring and installing it so that you can sort it out yourself.  I guess it depends on where you are in your chain as to how much you can hold out.

warby68

Who are you negotiating with? Often worth going a little up the chain.
It actually sounds like a try on to me - not usually conspiracy minded but I bet builders buy acres of the grey stuff and not much dark oak. Squeeze some more margin on the house and pass the error onto someone else. Is that too cynical?
At this stage I'd be tempted to push for the refund/compo option to DIY it. You could then live with what they've put down, get yourselves sorted and do it at a convenient time. I know its not what you planned but you don't want something ripped up and put down in a rush either by grumpy contractors who will no doubt be sharing the pain,  and a nerve wracking completion time.
We had nearly all downstairs done with Amtico including the screed levelling process beforehand while living there (and with a cat who only managed to get one set of paw prints in)

[Deleted User]

lol yeah pets are a nightmare with this sort of thing.  I've just had a dog destroy the base for some steps I'm concreting.  Neighbours must have been a little shocked at my language.  I've also had the same dogs knock over a paint can and walk it everywhere (including a very valuable leather coat).  They must have thought it was play time because the coat was hung up when I left the house.  Came in with the shopping (it was mainly in the hallway) and didn't know where to start cleaning it up.  Fortunately it was water based paint..The dogs went in the bath.  Not head first as was my initial inclination lol.  Funny now.

Sorry OP.., the words just came flooding out lol.

Realising what the flooring is, I agree that I'd ask for a full refund of the vastly overpriced cost and get a private fitter to do it.  You'll get a better job.., the developer will be madly cutting costs as you've seen by the pathetic offer they've made so far.  But I wouldn't be asking for hotel fees etc.  I also agree it might be worth going up the chain.

Others more expert than me will know more, but I suspect the glue might need to be removed as well before the floor can be relaid.

You might have to be prepared to rearrange your break from work though.  

peterhjohnson

mawbkk said:

. I also see delaying completion 4 working days out as a threat to pressure me into accepting flooring I didn't order. 

You'll need proper legal advice on this but as I understand it but delaying completion is very expensive for the side at fault? Not only would there be a delay in getting your house for which compensation would be payable, the builder gets paid later than anticipated. So this could be a bluff - but ask your solicitor

SharkMoney

mawbkk said:

Fair enough, thanks for your opinion.

The survey costs 450 pounds and is booked for the 20th, I wanted the flooring included in that.

I understand people have flooring fitted without moving out all the time but that's by choice isn't it. The burdens now on me to at least move my furniture to suitable storage and take time off work due to the developers mistake.

Hun, this is called life. Properties DO cause disruption to your life when maintenance is taking place. Your new floor won’t be new forever, at some point it will need replacing - would you then be prepared to cough up the expense and hassle of moving into a hotel in say 5 years time? 

Why didn’t you visit the property whilst the flooring was still being laid? 

I have to say, I have heard so many times of the wrong flooring being laid or wrong paint colours being used on new builds. 

whatdoyouthink...

mawbkk said:

They just offered a few paving slabs and turf for the rear garden to keep the wrong flooring. 
I declined and asked for what I ordered.

This is exactly what I was offered when a similar thing happened with my new build. Two weeks before completion was due I went for a viewing and they'd installed the wrong colour kitchen and worktops. Someone from management called me and offered to turf the rear garden as compensation...told them no and luckily they had time to install the correct kitchen before completion was due. 

pimento

mawbkk said:

It's Karndean, not sure of the exact cost. Maybe 4-5k 
Only the colour wrong. Its a light grey rather than a dark oak finish
If all I have to do is disappear for the day its no big deal. I was told Karndean should be left for a recommended 48hrs before use. 
Appreciate the replies, I will leave an update on Monday with what the developer recommends encase anyone is interested. 

We had a very similar problem earlier in the year.  We had to move into our house onto concrete floors because the flooring company was closed due to lockdown.  We were also having Karndean laid across the entire ground floor and we had no option but to have our large fridge freezer and washing machine delivered and installed because he had no idea how long we would be in lockdown.  It was extremely stressful.
When the flooring company re-opened, they sent one flooring guy who was excellent but it took him 10 days because we had carpets going down upstairs and we had to move beds and chests of drawers from room to room (and it's a fairly small house so not much swing space).  We had to get a couple of guys in to move the washing machine and fridge freezer twice while the utility and then the kitchen and then finally the living room was laid.  We put an awful lot of stuff in our garage.
They have to lay a screed first and that slows things down as well.  Our ground floor was installed in sections because we had to live there while it was going on.
The good thing was that once it was down, we could walk on it more or less immediately but the whole thing waas a complete palavar and if all had gone to plan, we would have had it laid before we moved in.

mawbkk

The developers have agreed to replace the flooring and turf my rear garden as a gesture of goodwill. It's going to be a number of weeks before they can source the flooring and the job will take around three days to complete. Pretty happy with that.