issue with new build

Zales200483 · 4 December 2017 at 5:42PM

Well, you would like to thinks so but it appears that even that is to much to ask.

My other concern is at the moment that if they have to excavate and go through the foundation to get to the pipe, will that affect my foundation. Site manager claims that as it is block and beam foundation it wont be an issue but tbh i have absolutely no faith in them.

Furts · 4 December 2017 at 6:24PM

Zales200483 wrote: »

quick update, had a site manager poping in, opened all the manholes, let the sink run and no joy. Possibly the pipe got disconnected or wasnt connected at all. Groundworkers coming tomorrow with prodes and will be trying to figure out what happened.

WOW! Hold on and step back here.

Your sink is Foul Drainage. This should have been air or water tested prior to handover. This is a long established, every day, known by everybody, part of the Buildings Regulations. In turn this means your home has either: a) not received a Final Inspection, and does not have a Completion Certificate ... or b) the inspection has been scimped/bodged or bribed to pass. Either way you should not be getting anything done without taking this up, in writing, with the Head Office of the builder. Allowing the groundworkers back in to cobble up incomplete drainage is a recipe for disaster. I would not be allowing this under any circumstances until I have written proposals and a Method Statement, Risk Assessment and Design.

Also consider your 10 year warranty. This is based on the assumption your home complies with the Buildings Regulations, when clearly it does not. What else might be bodged? You have already commented about the walls and drafts .. that is a separate issue, but you sound like you may be needing urgent professional advice here. It sounds like you did not have a full survey of your home before purchase. Whilst it is a bit late now, it is never too late whilst you still have a two year builders defect period.

Zales200483 · 4 December 2017 at 6:52PM

Furts

Appreciate the advice and i dont want to be to cheeky but what would you do in my stead. I am bit confused here tbh, want the issue to be resolved but also resolved in proper manner.

Zales200483 · 4 December 2017 at 7:41PM

To be absolutely honest i am a bit stuck here. I wouldn't mind going via official channels but my issue is whether i would get support and back up and from who if the builder turns around and refuse to cooperate or will purposely drag his feet.
At the end of the day it is me and my family that will have to live in house without waste drainage.

Decisions, decisions....

Furts · 4 December 2017 at 9:58PM

The brutal truth, and the unfortunate truth is this. You have allowed this situation to occur, albeit not intentionally. The work will hit the profit margins of the builder and groundworker so they have an incentive to bodge and scarper. The work is an embarrassment so they will want to hide it as quickly as possible. They definitely do not want you talking to neighbours about your problems here.

The flip side is this - it is your home on your land and you are 100% entitled to know exactly what and when things are happening. If you give a blank card for them to knock hell out of your home then they will happily do so. Bear in mind you have shown weakness to date, and are continuing to do so by wavering. Professionals would not be acting like this. Developers would not be acting like this.

By all means get an investigation, or drain trace done, but do not allow any excavating or floor removal, or whatever, until you have 100% clear written, water tight proposals. Then remember drainage is covered by the Law, that is the Buildings Regulations. This is your legal responsibility, all the more so if you actually have a Completion Certificate, or even a Final Inspection. Here you have said nothing to any Forum users so matters are vague.

If you allow a bodge you could be in Court, and I emphasise you, not the builder, nor the groundworker. This is because all this is your responsibility. In reality your Local Authority have far better things to do than prosecute you, so legal action from your local authority is a hollow threat. However, wise up and take matters seriously. You are in a worrying position here.

All this before we get to the bottom of your drafts with your floor ...

Zales200483 · 4 December 2017 at 10:08PM

I decided to take more formal route. Composed email to Customer service Manager and Customer service stating that before any work commencing i want to discuss the issue. I raised few concerns such as, whether breaking through my foundations wont affect structural integrity of the building, whether the exposed area needs to be treated as it is essentially an open cesspool and potentially health hazard to me and my family etc., pointed that those should be taken into consideration and i should get a plan detailing how they plan to deal with the issue. I think that is reasonable and I will be insisting on it. Hopefully they will contact me tomorrow, if not i will be in touch with head office and maybe council down the line as it contravenes approved documents of building regs.
Tbh, i am trying to stay on top of this but i feel like fighting lost battle. For one issue rectified, 2 other, more serious pop out.

Furts · 4 December 2017 at 10:23PM

Well done! You have to show you are professional and serious. Any failure here and you risk be taken for a right ... best not say it.

Whilst I sympathise with your situation an important point should be born in mind and it never harms to re-iterate this. Your "new home buying experience" is par for the course. But when I suggest to folks to get full surveys, or a comprehensive snagging of their new build it is always the same. "We are not prepared to pay that. Why should we? The builders have such nice sales people they would never role us over and fleece us". Of course, it is this naivety that the new home building industry happily dumbs down to. Why should they not? The lower they can drive the standards the more profit they can make!

One day you will trade up to another home. It is likely that this will not be a new home, because of your current experiences. But this does not worry the builders. Whilst houses are in short supply and there is always a fresh years intake of naive and trusting young purchasers there is no incentive for them to up their game.

You may view all this as cynical, but a reality check is this. I have a vast amount of new home building knowledge and experience, so I am qualified to comment here.

Best of luck, and keep all the good forum folks posted

J_B · 4 December 2017 at 10:23PM

Not sure really, but would it be a good idea to speak to the council building inspector?

Zales200483 · 4 December 2017 at 10:36PM

Thank you all for your comments.
Dear Furts I have to respond here in relation to the new build experience. My first big disagreement with the developer was my insisting to have my people to inspect property before completion date. I was not allowed to do that. I decided then and i still stand by it that i will get a professional snagging company but just before my 2 years warranty is done. The reason behind is that certain faults are not noticed straight away, you need to spend all 4 seasons in a house to more less pick on things. Like the issue with draft, as we moved in March i didnt really noticed that then and obviously had to wait till cold season to finally pick it up.

Doozergirl · 4 December 2017 at 10:51PM

That choice didn’t exactly pay off. Snagging straight away is essential. It would have been important to find this horrible issue much, much earlier.

It would even make sense to do it professionally twice. You’ve spent enough money on the house after all, but you will find the snags yourself by day to day living over time anyway.

Snag professionally straight away, snag yourself through your initial ownership and then pay again if you feel it’s warranted.

issue with new build

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