Frustrated couple find their £415,000 new-build dream home is ‘riddled with mould, leaks and broken windows’
A FRUSTRATED couple claim they found their £415,000 new-build dream home riddled with mould, leaks and broken windows.
Sophie Anderson, 28, and her partner Harry Rogers, 28, say they have lost £30,000 on the value of their two-bed flat in Putney, South West London.
They were able to buy the property in 2019 through the government’s Help to Buy Scheme, The Mirror reports.
But weeks later they found their “perfect” home was falling apart with a leak in the living room.
The couple said the widows wouldn’t open the insulation on the doors is poor.
They found damp in the home 18 months after moving in and they’re now struggling to sell.
‘FRUSTRATED’
Sophie said their ordeal has left them “frustrated and disappointed”.
She said: “Originally, some of the window mechanisms did not work and we were unable to use one window at all in the living area.
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“We had to place a kitchen towel folded over the top of one door to stop the whistling from the wind coming through.”
They discovered “severe damp” in the property last winter, which they raised with developers Sterling Ross.
Sophie – whose daughter suffers from asthma – and Harry claim they were told “damp is to be expected”.
Sophie added: “We experienced severe damp in the bedrooms to the point the water was streaming off the window sills and blackening around the window frames.”
We experienced severe damp in the bedrooms to the point the water was streaming off the window sills and blackening around the window frames
Sophie
“We were told it should rectify itself after the first winter. This was not the case and the damage worsened.
A damp survey in November 2020 found the property’s ventilation was inadequate.
Sophie claims the developer didn’t want to deal with the isssue and told her to liaise with the window company.
They say they’ve suffered three major leaks since moving in, one by the fire alarm which made the fuse board trip.
‘SCANT AND SPARSE’
Sophie added: “The other two leaks come through the main bedroom and living room.”
Sophie criticised the developer’s “scant and sparse” responses to their concerns.
She added: “We waited months for repair dates, and then on the day, no one would turn up.
“This involved both Harry and myself needing to take time off work to facilitate.
“Although the majority of issues have finally been fixed, after months to years of chasing, we still have a faulty window mechanism which means we cannot open one of the windows in our daughter’s bedroom.”
The couple have been told the value of their property has plummeted by around £30,000.
Sophie said: “We feel like we were mis-sold a property that has ultimately not been fully fit for purpose.”
She added: “In the short term, it seems like a great opportunity to get a brand new home and get on to the property ladder; however, in our case, the developers behind them were unwilling to help once the sale had been completed.”
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