When Amy Anderson and her partner Ryan Willoughby agreed to buy their first house together, they thought they had found their dream home.
But while most buyers would expect to have some work to do on any home – even a brand new one – the couple were shocked to find almost 200 defects upon moving in.
The pair bought the house on the Beckets Grove development in Wymondham, built by Persimmon Homes, for just shy of £225,000 and were among the first to move into the new development.
However, the dream turned sour for the couple, after they commissioned a snag check which found no fewer than 193 defects within the new build property on Catlyn Place.
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The list of problems ranged from wonky taps to chipped brickwork and cabinets and loose fence panels to dints in door frames.
The pair also found gaps in flooring, unfinished groutwork and unsealed vinyl flooring, as well as suffering blocked drains and water leaks.
Miss Anderson, 29, said the pair were reluctant to complete the purchase until these issues had been resolved, but after giving notice to the property they were renting, had their hands forced.
She said: “Between us we had been saving for our first home for six or seven years, alongside renting. We bought through Persimmon because it was the cheapest way for us to get on the property ladder.
“We’ve been chasing them to fix all our problems but have been told we would need to move out for three days for them to do it, which we just can’t do. Our family aren’t in Norfolk and I work from home, so it just won’t work.
“We’ve tried to be patient and understanding, given everything that is going on with Covid-19, but their construction workers are back now and we feel they should be finishing our house before starting others.”
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A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Anglia said: “We are aware of the customer’s concerns and regret that we have not been able to address these sooner due to the coronavirus pandemic working restrictions.
“However, we have been liaising with her to agree a solution that allows us to complete the work whilst ensuring the safety of both the customer and our tradespeople.
“We remain committed to rectifying the identified issues at the earliest opportunity.”
What snags were found?
Ahead of moving in, the couple commissioned a quality inspection on the property.
It was conducted by a company called Home Snag, an independent company which carries out quality checks on new build properties.
The inspection, which was carried out on Saturday, March 28, resulted in a 49-page report detailing no fewer than 193 faults with the property.
These included:
• Damage to the gas meter
• Chipping and loose tiles on flagstone leading up to the property
• Mortar cracking beneath a first floor window
• “Mortar snot” on external walls
• Grout missing from bathroom tiles
• Misaligned gate causing it to creak loudly
• Nails hanging out of fence posts
• A radiator in the bathroom which does not heat up
• Numerous dints and marks to newel posts, doors and in paintwork
• Unlevel light switches
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