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George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/01/14 13:29We have taken the plunge of buying our first new build house, i am a pickey sod and have heard many horror stories, so i decided to have a look around for my self, i have worked on sites doing my job over the years and have a decent expierence of all things in the trade......
I have come to the conclusion the sites whoever the builder/ developer is is only as good as the site manager
On looking @ steeple chase which is in a lovly quiet spot, it was @ a very early stage(the 2 showhomes had just opened) when we 1st vsited, we got the details and choose a plot and house style ( Birkdale) but did not reserve it, we just kept it to our selves until more homework had been done, it is oh so easy to get caught up in "the dream" and looked for other nearby GW sites, which we found with a show house the "Birkdale" @ Rothwell Nr Leeds ( i have read a few good things on this site from others, alas all were sold) but it would give us a very good idea of what we could expect. We had a look around and were impressed by the standard of finish, i am aware that showhomes are carefully set out, but it was better than persimmon and bryant homes we had looked @ before.
On a further few visits we reserved our choosen plot, and over many more visits, i met the asssisant site manager Gary, who is a great chap and has all the time in the world for you and answerd my many akward questions, he did not know one regards drains, and found out witin 20 mins and came back to me.
On a futher meeting with the site manager Stuart i learnt about the many awards he had won (after to reading to ask from on here) it turns out he has won a few.
Out plot is now 4 weeks from completion and Stuart offerd a tour, so after the through Health & Saftey brief i donned the P.P.E clothing and had a walk around, i must say it was weird to know as the plaster was drying i would be in the house soon, the electrics and plumbing were all 1 st fixed and the trades were all in doing thier bit.
I had a quick look to see if my extra sockets had been installed for my LCD TV's they had, i looked @ the plaster work and taped joints 99% perfect (they snag after applying White to show any more up and then revisit the faults) we saw this as we walked around plot2,i had a look @ the internal joinery work on the stairs bulkhead, which was open and awaiting a shelf top, all the cuts were in line and the screws were in line too excellent craftsmanship, and a shame to be covered up!!! the block work even pointed and finished to high standard in the loft, which i was told would be the worst as it is very arkward to access, blockwork @ another builders develpoment looked as if it had been pointed by hand in a force 10 gale!!! (persimmon)
The best thing was the state of the site very clean & tidy, outside and in the plots, they must clean alot!!!! i have worked on others that are caked in mud and so are the plots inside, this is important to us as we have to live there and they will be on site for another 2 years, respect is what i think they call it.
Top marks to GW & Stuart, the sales people have been great too Christine & Alex always get back to us, and explain any problems, they even explained about our drive being altered slighlty to give us more room, showing the before and after plans etc..
I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has bought a plot on the site or is thinking about it, after all i read and heard i am glad we have a good site and manager i think this is the key, also by the law of averages if all developers build thousands of homes there are bound to be a few horror stories, its not the problems that worry me, it is how they are dealt with, dont be put offf a new build, if you are not sure ask experts and get a snagging inspection as they offer on here..
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simonlewis
User Fresh Boarder
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Re:George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/03/27 21:29Very interesting to read your email. I am interested in the same site and am seeing a showhome in COlchester on Friday as they don't have the one I want in Silver End..
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Liz.76
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Re:George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/05/13 19:46Simon, How did you get on? Do you agree with Richard? Please update.
Best regards
Liz.76
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Richard
User Senior Boarder
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Re:George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/06/04 18:09 Having moved in on the 23rd Feb i thought an update would be nice, many people just seem to disappear and not update the site which is a shame (excluding the gagged of course) we have now unpacked the last box and are on with bigger jobs E.G Decking & a base for a garden shed plus loads of other internal stuff.
Well all went to plan on the big day, we got the keys before the funds cleared( it does help when your wife is a legal secretary @ the solictors who acted for us, took the advice from here not to use the developers own solicitors) we even got £1000 options voucher instead) so we could get on moving in our furniture, it did not even rain
All the options & upgrades were fitted all present and correct and in the right colours etc, the house was clean and presented with a welcome home card and a massive bunch of flowers for the Mrs
Snags? i hear you ask...... i expected 100-200 snags after reading some horror stories on here, but after the "fam" visit which was 2 weeks before moving in, i was impressed and scaled this back to less than 100, well i hoped as much, it ended up being 31 minor snags and 1 major, i even went over the house again after reading tips on here, and found 6 more and 4 as we lived in the house, all included in the 31 minor snags & 1 major making the above 32 in total.......
Minor stuff... locks on ensuites not engauging into keeps, trickle vent missing, washer instructions missing, grab handle missing off bath etc, Major one was found a few days in, the tiled floor in the kitchen had a slope in it made worse by the fact of a slight dip before the slope, we did not report this until a few days in, when we had cleared all the boxes from the floor and could actually see the floor lol
This was sorted initially by us agreeing to have 4 rows of 8 tiles lifted and replaced, upon doing this the tiling contractor was not happy and suggested lifting the whole floor and self levelling the sub floor and relaying the all the tiles to ensure A) we were happy & the correct colour & batch match on the tiles and grout, it took 2 full days but was worth the hassle, as i would have always looked @ it and moaned, all carried out without the need for arguing and hassle George Wimpey were Excellent.
I would like to thank Stuart the site manager & Gary the assisant site manger and the 2 sales execs Chris and Alex all have been great and have followed things through and made the move so much easier.
In summary we love the house, development,location (so quiet you can hear a bird fa*t) and the GW staff @ Steeple Chase, i hope this helps anyone thinking of spending a huge chunk of cash, as this is what this site is about reporting expierences whether they be good or bad ones
Richard
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Tony
User Platinum Boarder
Posts: 362
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Re:George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/06/04 20:07Thanks for the update and you are right to thank the site staff as they are the ones that can make a real difference, and they did in your case
Drop by in the future,
Tony
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Richard
User Senior Boarder
Posts: 10
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Re:George Wimpey @ Steeple Chase YO8 - 2007/06/04 21:08 I always drop in @ least once a week Tony to read the posts, i should post more as the forum is a font of knowledge really, and has learnt me alot even though am one of the trades (GAS) but been off the tools as a manager and have been for 14 months now i still do plenty and putting up a few curtain poles and drilling more holes for fixtures has got me in love with Mr Bosch again and fitting a solid natural limestone fireplace has made me wonder where my muscles have gone i picked up a screwdriver the other day and stared to write with it
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the correct colour & batch match on the tiles and grout, it took 2 full days but was worth the hassle, as i would have always looked @ it and moaned, all carried out without the need for arguing and hassle George Wimpey were Excellent.
i still do plenty and putting up a few curtain poles and drilling more holes for fixtures has got me in love with Mr Bosch again 
and fitting a solid natural limestone fireplace has made me wonder where my muscles have gone 
i picked up a screwdriver the other day and stared to write with it 