Our £600,000 new

Release time：2024-04-25 08:19:16 Source：Culture Connection news portal

An elderly couple have been left 'unable to sleep' after buying a a £600,000 new-build home which they say has almost 200 defects - including wonky floors and ceilings.

Pensioners John and Liz Pritchard say they have been left 'distraught' after moving into the five-bed townhouse in Wellington, Somerset last year.

The couple, who are both in their 70s, have been locked in a battle with Bovis Homes to get the 'bodge job' fixed and claim they've been 'fobbed off, ignored and strung along' by the developer - with little work completed.

They say they were confronted with 'appalling' issues from the moment they stepped foot in the house, after noticing their furniture was wobbling.

The pair are now demanding that Bovis step in to carry out repair work immediately, after alleging their emails and telephone calls were repeatedly ignored by the housing company. 

Pensioners John and Liz Pritchard say they have been left 'distraught' after moving into the five-bed townhouse in Wellington, Somerset last year

The couple say they were confronted with 'appalling' issues from the moment they stepped foot in the house 

Mr and Mrs Pritchard also highlighted what they described as 'rank amateurish' brickwork on the property

The couple, who are both in their 70s, have been locked in a battle with Bovis Homes to get the 'bodge job' fixed

Mr Pritchard says an independent snagging expert identified almost 200 defects when he carried out an inspection at the property, which could cost tens of thousands of pounds to make right

At first the couple suspected the furniture had been damaged in transit, but on closer inspection discovered the floor of the house was uneven.

Mr Pritchard said ground-workers sent to his home by Bovis assessed that the floor would have to be ripped up and re-laid.

READ MORE: We bought a new build for our first home... but here are the FIVE reasons why we regret it and sold it five years later

But weeks later when floor layers arrived, the couple feel they had been instructed to carry out a 'bodge job' and just fill in some problem areas.

He said Bovis later sent an independent surveyor to the home, who allegedly agreed the floor had been laid unevenly and, as a result, the whole house is out of kilter, with uneven walls and ceilings and wonky fixtures and fittings.

The retirees even find it difficult to open their own front door, which they say appears to have been fitted askew.

Mr Pritchard said his multiple complaints had been largely ignored.

He said: 'The floors aren't level, the ceilings aren't level, the doors aren't upright - we've never been able to open and close the front door properly in a year.

'They don't want to fix it. We are being fobbed off and strung along with bodge jobs to make it look good.

'We are fed up that it's not been built properly. They obviously didn't check it properly. The treatment we received from Bovis has been appalling.'

He added that an independent snagging expert identified almost 200 defects when he carried out an inspection at the property, which could cost tens of thousands of pounds to make right.

John and Liz Pritchard's new build home where they claim to have identified many 'defects' 

The pair are now demanding that Bovis step in to carry out repair work immediately

Mr Pritchard even said that he couldn't move his dishwasher into the utility room because it was blocked by a kickboard

The retirees even find it difficult to open their own front door, which they say appears to have been fitted askew

The estate containing the Bovis new build which the the couple acquired for £600,000 

Mr Pritchard even said that he couldn't move his dishwasher into the utility room because it was blocked by a kickboard, and when he approached Bovis he was allegedly advised to saw it off himself.

He said: 'It's not what you would expect for £600,000. We were sold the house that Jack built.

'Bovis are behaving like cowboy builders. You point out the problems and they don't respond. It's shoddy.'

Mrs Pritchard said the insulation in the property was so poor that guests sitting in the lounge can hear sounds from the upstairs toilet 'as if they were in the same room' which she said could be a cause for embarrassment.

The couple say workers from Bovis moved in to fix the 'badly fitted' kitchen, which remains in part uneven, because the cupboard doors wouldn't close and the sink's tap was so tilted they couldn't even fit a kettle under it. 

Mr and Mrs Pritchard also highlighted what they described as 'rank amateurish' brickwork on the property, which was particularly acute in the garage where concrete appears to be falling away from some of the bricks and excess mortar can be seen plastered over the walls.

They said their year-long fight with Bovis to correct the issues had left them 'up night after night, unable to sleep' and described their treatment by the house-builder as 'disgusting and shocking' and alleged their emails and telephone calls were repeatedly ignored.

The couple are now demanding that Bovis step in to carry out snagging works immediately.

The couple say workers from Bovis moved in to fix the 'badly fitted' kitchen, which remains in part uneven, because the cupboard doors wouldn't close and the sink's tap was so tilted they couldn't even fit a kettle under it

They said: 'We want to see Bovis come in and get the work done and have done for the last 12 months but we have been fobbed off, ignored and strung along.

'It's been absolutely awful, they won't even reply to our emails. We have been taken for granted.

'When we found out there were so many problems we even asked for our money back and they said no chance.'

Bovis Homes said: 'We apologise for the issues Mr and Mrs Pritchard have experienced with their property and any disruption and inconvenience it has caused.

'We have been working on a remediation plan and can begin these works at a time that's convenient for our customers.

'As a five-star housebuilder, awarded by the Home Builders Federation, we are committed to delivering high quality homes for our customers and will ensure any issues are fully resolved.'

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