New-build homes: 'Unsafe' properties and unfinished estates

By Curtis Lancaster

BBC News

For many people moving into a new-build home is a dream come true, but for some it turns into a nightmare.

Homeowners have told the BBC about moving into unfinished developments and fighting lengthy, stressful battles with developers to get what they paid for.

One couple described cracks in the walls, a peeling floor, a leak and a gap between a floor and a wall, that all left them feeling like their two children were not safe in their property.

Another said residents in his development paid a service charge despite crucial infrastructure, like roads and pathways, remaining unfinished.

A Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report, published last month, has raised concerns about the build quality of some new homes, and a petition has been set up calling for government accountability for substandard housing and infrastructure.

Newly-weds Gabriel and Lauren Pisani bought their family home in Reading last February.

The oven, freezer and plumbing in the kitchen were faulty on the day they moved in, and more than a year later they are still finding problems.

The floor in the hallway is peeling following a leak 10 months ago from an upstairs toilet, and there are cracks in the walls.

“We have had countless issues with the property since day one,” Mr Pisani said.

In his one-year-old son’s bedroom he pointed out an exposed gap where the wall and floor were not connected.

“We can’t leave our son to have any time on the floor in his room,” he said.

He said the experience had “zapped all enjoyment from what should have been the most special purchase of our lives together”.

“We want to feel safe,” his wife added.

Developer Taylor Wimpey said it was “committed to providing homes and customer service to the very highest standard and we are sorry that these customers have experienced problems with their property”.

It added it was “working closely” with the family “to resolve a number of issues and are fully committed to completing all outstanding work”.

Julia Dowd moved from Hampshire to Cramlington, Northumberland, in December 2020.

She had issues with uneven flooring in the upstairs of her Persimmon property and there were problems with the brickwork.

After losing faith in the developer, she hired an independent snagging company to look at her home and it compiled a report of the defects.

She was then able to present that to her the developer as leverage to get her property fixed.

“I hadn’t appreciated how much of a fight you would have to put up with to get things done,” she said.

“It left a bitter taste in my mouth.”

In January, she started a petition, which has since been signed by almost 2,000 people, demanding the government be more accountable for substandard housing and infrastructure across the country.

“It does feel like you have greater consumer rights purchasing a faulty toaster than you do making your most expensive purchase, which is a house, and I feel like we need an overhaul of the whole process,” she said.

For several years Kevin Graham has been battling with Persimmon to get infrastructure on his housing estate in Sherborne in Dorset finished.

“Initially, I was happy that construction would be ongoing for a number of years but it has ended up taking 10 years to complete,” he said.

He said roads, pathways and children’s play parks remained unfinished.

Residents on the Corelli estate pay a fee to First Port management company, appointed by Persimmon, for maintenance of the area.

“We are on an incomplete estate and we are having to pay a service charge to maintain the public open spaces which haven’t yet been completed,” Mr Graham said.

Persimmon said: “We are dedicated to meeting our commitments at our developments, and work programmes are well under way in Northumberland and Sherborne.

“We apologise for any inconvenience our customers have experienced and are committed to addressing their concerns as we aim to complete our developments to a high standard.”

First Port said: “This development has been partly handed over to us and some areas remain the responsibility of the developer.

“Our main priority is to ensure that the communal areas we manage are well-maintained and safe for residents.

“We will continue to work closely with the developer to ensure the outstanding areas of the development are completed.”

The CMA study found a growing number of homeowners in England were reporting a higher number of snagging issues – at least 16 faults per new-build property.

It also raised concerns about estate management charges and the build quality of some new homes.

Chief executive Sarah Cardell said housebuilding needed “significant intervention”.

“Our report – which follows a year-long study – is recommending a streamlining of the planning system and increased consumer protections,” she said.

“If implemented, we would expect to see many more homes built each year, helping make homes more affordable.

“We would also expect to see fewer people paying estate management charges on new estates, and the quality of new homes to increase.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We want to see the quality of new build homes continue to improve and have legislated to set minimum standards for all new build warranties with penalties for those not complying.

“All house builders are expected to do their part, treating house buyers fairly while submitting proposals for high quality developments which meet local need.”

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