‘OUR DREAM HOME IS A NIGHTMARE’
IT WAS meant to be a dream home for Pratik Patel and his wife Vanessa.
Just under two years ago they purchased a new-build home at a Redrow estate in Pentyrch, Cardiff, for £450,000.
Their four-bedroom detached house would be their pride and joy, but soon after moving in they say they encountered a number of issues – some of which they say are still ongoing almost two years later.
Pratik, 35, a business analyst, alleges housebuilder Redrow would not allow him to inspect the property with an independent surveyor before moving in. When he did move in, in November 2017, he claims there was mould in the living room, water was leaking from the roof, lights were flickering and the underfloor heating system – which cost an additional £7,000 – was not working.
Pratik said: “It was a dream house and we were really excited as this was our first house, but straightaway we encountered so many problems.
“Redrow wouldn’t allow us to inspect the house before we bought it, which was odd.
“They don’t allow customers to take copies of engineering, garden and electrical diagrams signed during the reservation process.
“We even tried to get an independent surveyor in the property, but Redrow wouldn’t allow this – that gave us alarm bells instantly.
“Everything was on their terms, which doesn’t make sense if we are paying a lot of money for a house.”
Redrow did, though, agree to address some of the issues allegedly incurred at the property in January 2018, saying that “clearly some things were not picked up and need to be improved”.
The couple also paid for an independent surveyor to visit the house in February 2018, which Pratik claims resulted in further issues being highlighted.
According to Pratik, the surveying company found so many problems that the surveyor requested an urgent meeting with Redrow to discuss structural issues.
The surveyor found a number of problems, which included a cracked hand basin and the fuse board being incorrectly labelled.
Another report from the surveyor, a month later, confirmed “significant and onerous problems with not a single lintel or timber beam free from defect or liability”.
Pratik said: “Even after we had a surveyor in who had confirmed a whole host of issues, Redrow denied it.
“We paid out of our own pocket for a peace of mind which we obviously never got.
“There are so many structural issues with the house, including with the windows, which need to be approved as firesafe.
“I have just had my first child and it has just been constant back and forth with Redrow.”
He also claims the work wasn’t finished when they moved in and there were a number of outstanding jobs, including drainage issues in the garden.
The couple also claim they were given a three-day rebuild programme in August 2018, which he alleges still hasn’t been completed.
Nearly two years since they moved in, the couple are still in dispute with Redrow with issues over their drive, as they say their cars scrape when driving in, while they also claim the underfloor heating still hasn’t been fixed.
Pratik says he and NHS medical professional Vanessa have had to take time off work to deal with the issues, leaving them distressed.
He added: “When you buy a new-build home you expect everything to be taken care of and you certainly don’t expect to have a whole host of structural problems.”
The HomeOwners alliance, which gives advice to anyone buying, selling or improving their homes, says it has seen a rise in the number of problems owners are having with new-build homes in general.
Paula Higgins, chief executive, said: “We are hearing about more problems owners of new-build properties are hav
ing as more and more new-build homes are being built.
“The Government recognises that buyers of new-build homes do need better protection and they have recently committed to setting up a new homes ombudsman.
“We would advise homeowners with snags and defects in their newbuild home to keep a detailed account of all of these, including dates and actions, and to contact their developer as soon as possible, within the first two years of moving in.
“Our website offers a range of useful tips for people on how to fix problems in a new-build home, including our recommendation that all buyers of new homes have an independent snagging survey done before they move in or as soon as possible afterwards.”
A spokesman for Redrow said: “Mr Patel has been in touch with a variety of media outlets over a number of months.
“Despite many steps being taken to rectify his concerns, including directors personally visiting his home to meet with him, he remains unhappy.
“On the rare occasions when customers aren’t satisfied with our response or escalation procedures, there is the opportunity for an independent industry body to reach a final resolution. Our homes are built and crafted by hand and, when issues do occur, we always seek to rectify them as soon as possible.
“Across our business, 92% of our surveyed customers said they would recommend Redrow to a friend or family member – and in Wales this number tracks higher still.”