REDROW BUILD NEW HOMES, SHOW HOMES AND DEFECTIVE HOMES
THIS SITE HAS RESUMED AND WILL BE UPDATED(REORGANISED & REPLETE WITH HARD HITTING FACTS) WITH ALL RECENT DETAILS IN DUE COURSE.. FOR A SAMPLE OF RECENT EVENTS CLICK HERE
IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU ARE THINKING OF BUYING A NEW HOME..DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR...HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY UNDERTAKEN ON THE PROPERTY(BEFORE YOU EXCHANGE CONTRACTS)....BUILDING STANDARDS HAVE SERIOUSLY SLIPPED OVER RECENT YEARS...BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND ASK THE "NHBC" ABOUT THEIR STANDARDS AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE BUILDMARK WARRANTY HELPS YOU...IN OUR EXPERIENCE...IT DOES NOT
HAS BEEN NOTHING LESS THAN
*HERES THE FIRST DETAIL AND WHAT A SUPRISE, REDROW WILL BUY THIS PROPERTY BACK AS LONG AS WE SIGN A CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT THAT INCLUDES REFRAINING FROM TALKING TO THE PRESS, TV AND POLITICIANS AND THE DISMANTLING OF THIS WEBSITE THAT DISSEMINATES THE TRUTH......Mr PETER SHERGOLD REDROWS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER DID NOT MENTION THIS DETAIL TO THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE NHBC AND THE WELSH ASSEMBLY WHEN HE ANNOUNCED IT TO THEM (TO THEIR SATISFACTION)DURING A MEETING HELD HERE ON 30-JULY-2002
BUYING NEW HOMES IN THE 21st CENTURY
IS AN
EXTREMELY RISKY VENTURE
I FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY
WHEN.......
"BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS REDROW
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FIRST FLOOR JOIST STRAPS MISSING...BRICKS LAID UPSIDE DOWN......CLICK ON UPDATE ABOVE OR HERE
NEWSFLASH....DATE..20-MAY-2002 REPOINTING WORKS COMMENCE ON YET ANOTHER NEW HOME HEREIN OUR ROAD TODAY...IT LOOKS LIKE THE FULL MONTY THIS TIME ROUND(PATCH POINTED 2 YEARS AGO)..
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES THAT PROVIDE THE EVIDENCES OF THE
CRAFTSMANSHIP EMPLOYED BY.....
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THE FIRST SERIOUS DEFECT WAS REALISED WHEN I COULD NOT SECURE AN AERIAL TO THE OUTER BRICKWORK OF THE NEW HOME. AFTER HUGE RELUCTANCE AND SIDESTEPPING BY REDROW, THE MORTAR WAS ANALYSED AND EVENTUALLY ASCERTAINED AS BEING 1:1:10.2, CEMENT:LIME:SAND "BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS REDROW THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RE-POINTED BY A SUB CONTRACTOR TO REDROW(GUNPOINT, SOUTH WALES FRANCHISE,regional operators with the same name are not the same company). THE QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP AT THIS PROCEEDURE WAS EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE, AS THE WORKFORCE WERE CAVALIER WITH THE USE OF THE GRINDING TOOLS AND TOOK A LOT OF THE BRICK AWAY WITH THE SUB STANDARD MORTAR THUS LEAVING IT LOOKING UNEVEN AND UNPROFESSIONAL.
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THE QUALITY OF FINISH THAT WAS ACHIEVED AFTER THE REPOINTING PROCESS CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN HERE, ITS A JOKE.
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DESPITE THE ALLEGED REPLACEMENT OF 20-25mm OF THE SUB STANDARD MORTAR WITH CORRECTLY GAUGED MORTAR, AFTER 1 YEAR IT CAN BE SEEN TO BE SHRINKING AND CRUMBLING AROUND THE BUILDING. THIS HAS AGAIN BEEN REPOINTED SINCE (AUG 2001)BUT 6 MONTHS AFTER THAT THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE AGAIN SHRINKING AWAY FROM THE BRICKWORK. IS THIS ACCEPTABLE IN NEW HOMES!
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"BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS(A JOKE) REDROW
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THE FRONT ENTRANCE ARCHWAY HAD TO BE REMOVED AFTER THE CONTRACTORS WRECKED THE FEATURE BRICKWORK DURING THE RE-POINTING WORKS.( I HAD POLITELY ASKED THAT THEY BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL IN THIS AREA WHILE I HANDED THEM ANOTHER CUP OF TEA I HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE PERSON IN THIS PICTURE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INITIAL DEFECTS TO THE BRICKWORK, AND WAS CONTRACTED TO MAKE REPAIRS TO THE ARCHWAY AND SOME DPM DEFECTS THE QUALITY OF WHICH WAS SATISFACTORY(THE PURPOSE OF THE PHOTO IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE ENDURED NOT TO IMPLICATE ANY INDIVIDUALS)
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ON THE SAME WEEK THAT THE RE-POINTING WAS CARRIED OUT A CONSUMER AFFAIRS PROGRAMME WAS AIRED CALLED WEEK IN-WEEK OUT. TO OUR UTTER AMAZEMENT IN IT, MR COLIN LEWIS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF REDROW (SW)
(HAS SINCE BEEN PROMOTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR HIS UNDOUBTABLE SKILLS AT TELLING WHOPPERS)
WAS TELLING THE PROGRAM MAKERS THAT THE REDROW SITE IN PONTYPOOL THAT WAS FEATURED WAS A ONE OFF AS A RESULT OF A ROGUE BUNCH OF COWBOY BRICKLAYERS, I IMMEDIATELY WROTE TO HIM AND ASKED WHY HE HAD SENT THEM TO OUR SITE ONE YEAR ON AND WASNT GIVEN A REPLY! IN POINT OF FACT SINCE THEN 3 MORE S, WALES REDROW HOMES SITES HAVE REVEALED THE SAME PROBLEMS.
ON 2/8/2000 Mr GLYN MABEY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE NEWLY OPENED CARDIFF OFFICE CAME TO VISIT AND SAID THAT HE COULD SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH THE RE-POINTING OR BRICKWORK GENERALLY TO OUR NEW HOME WHICH WAS THE ANSWER WE HAD ANTICIPATED FROM HIM. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN TO MY MP AND EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS SIMPLY A PROBLEM OF MY RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT THEIR ASSERTIONS IT HAS BEEN MY SOLE AIM SINCE THIS DEFECT HAS COME TO LIGHT TO OBTAIN A GUARANTEE OR CERTIFICATE FROM THE NHBC THAT WILL STATE THAT THE REMEDIAL WORKS TO OUR NEW HOME MEET WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BUILDING REGULATIONS ESPECIALLY REGULATION 7 WITH REGARDS TO BS 5628 (MATERIALS )..... TO DATE THE ONLY ASSURANCE THEY ARE PREPARED TO MAKE(WELL ON PAPER ANYWAY) IS THAT OUR NEW HOME IS A SAFE ONE, FOR HOW LONG IS ANYBODIES GUESS. I BELEIVE THAT THIS AMOUNTS TO AN ABANDONMENT OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.
(ARE THEY SERIOUS!) |
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THEN WE DISCOVERED THAT THE DAMP PROOF MEMBRANE WAS NOT FITTED ACCORDING TO BUILDING REGULATION REQUIREMENT. REDROW EXPLAINED THIS AWAY AS A MISINTERPRETATION OF THE PLAN DRAWINGS BY THE COWBOYS I MEAN GROUNDWORKERS, THIS SOUNDED FEASIBLE AND WAS ACCEPTED UNTIL SOME MONTHS LATER WHEN A NEIGHBOURS NEW HOME WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. ON 9/1/01 I ASKED THE CUSTOMER SERVICES MANAGER (HEAD COWBOY)MARTIN JAMES FOR A COPY OF THE FLOOR PLANS IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE LIKELIHOOD OF FURTHER DEFECTS AND DESPITE HIS VERBAL AGREEMENT WITH US(DURING HIS VISIT ON 9/2/01) THAT WE DID POTENTIALLY HAVE FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE DPM WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM REDROW HOMES BUT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY THE NHBC THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO INSIST THAT REDROW HOMES CONDUCT ANY INVESTIGATIONS AS THERE IS NO PROBLEM EVIDENT. SINCE BEING TOLD THIS I INVESTED IN A DAMP DETECTOR AND HAVE UNDERTAKEN FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS IN OUR NEW HOME AND WE HAVE VERIFIED OUR FEARS BY REVEALING MORE DEFECTS TO THE DPM |
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AN EXTRA PAYMENT OF £150 WAS MADE TO REDROW DURING THE PURCHASE PERIOD PRIOR TO THE HOUSE BEING FULLY CONSTRUCTED TO HAVE PLASTERED CEILINGS TO THE LOUNGE AND DINING ROOMS RATHER THAN ARTEXED. CONTRACTORS RETURNED ON NO LESS THAN 5 OCCASIONS TO MAKE REPAIRS TO NAIL POPS AS A RESULT OF INADEQUATELY FIXED PLASTERBOARDS.. THEY WERE EVENTUALLY SCREWED INSTEAD OF NAILED, WHAT A MESS THEY MADE! |
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"BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS REDROW THIS SKIRTING BOARD IN THE CLOAKROOM IS 20mm SHORT OF THE DOORFRAME THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO ABUT. THE DOORFRAME ITSELF HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN RESITED TO RECTIFY A WALL MISALIGNMENT IN THE ADJOINING HALL |
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IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE DETAIL TO THIS PICTURE YOU MAY SEE THE GALVANIZED CORNER SKIM BEADING WITH ASSOCIATED GALVANIZED PLASTERBOARD NAIL HEADS BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE PLASTER, I HAVE SUGGESTED TO REDROW THAT THEIR PLASTERING CONTRACTORS MAY HAVE TO STOP USING A PAINTBRUSH TO APPLY THE PLASTER AND USE A TROWEL INSTEAD. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICES MANAGER (HEAD COWBOY)MARTIN JAMES TOLD ME ON 29/11/2000 AND AGAIN ON 9/FEB/2001 THAT THIS DEFECT ALONG WITH SIMILAR DEFECTS IN OUR LOUNGE AND KITCHEN WOULD BE RECTIFIED |
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"BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS REDROW SHORTLY AFTER MOVING IN TO THIS NEW HOME AND WITH ALL THE RAIN WE`VE HAD LATELY IT WASNT LONG BEFORE WE DISCOVERED OUR LAND DRAINAGE PROBLEM. WHILE MODIFYING THE GARDEN WALL IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS PICTURE I WAS AMAZED AT THE HUGE CONFIGURATION OF UNDERGROUND CONCRETE BLOCKWORK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SUITED TO THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGS, BUT THEN THE MYSTERY WAS SOLVED WHEN OUR WINDOWCLEANER INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A STREAM IN OUR BACK GARDEN BEFORE THE AREA WAS DEVELOPED AND I GUESS THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DIVERTED BY THE ELABORATE BLOCKWORK.........IT FAILED REDROW EVENTUALLY INSTALLED LAND DRAINS OF A SORT MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER I COMPLAINED BUT THESE HAVE BEEN WHOLLY INADEQUATE AND THE STRUGGLE TO GET THEM TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES 2.5 (3.5 NOW) YEARS ON |
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"BETTER BUILT HOMES" TAKE IT AS REDROW
CLICK THIS NHBC LOGO FOR A MORE ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THEM
CHECK OUT "WATCHDOGS" REPORT ABOUT FAILURES OF NHBC HERE
ASSURANCE THAT SUB STANDARD
REALLY MEANS
"A SAFE HOUSE AND ACCEPTABLE"
IMTIAZ FARHOOKI NHBC'S CE WAS RECENTLY REPORTED AS SAYING "All I would say is that we do not want to design any more bureaucracy in the system and slow it down even further, but in some cases we do take longer because of the nature of the cases themselves" IN ATTEMPTING TO EXPLAIN THE DELAYS.
BY "THE NATURE OF THE CASES THEMSELVES" I TAKE IT HE MEANS, THOSE THAT TAKE LONGER TO GIVE IN AND ACCEPT THEIR SUB STANDARD EXCUSES.
PLEASE BROWSE THROUGH TO PETER AND GILL DAWSONS WEBSITE AT
NHBC HAS FAILED THEM TOO
OR VISIT THESE EQUALLY DISAPPOINTED PURCHASERS OF NEW-BUILD HOMES
"CAVEAT EMPTOR"
LET THE BUYER
"
BEWARE
"
IF YOU HAVE ANY VIEWS OR COMMENTS ON THE ISSUES RAISED THEN PLEASECONTACT
ME
THE BBC ARE CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING RESEARCH FOR ANOTHER CONSUMER PROGRAMME ON THE STANDARDS OF NEW HOMES IF YOURS FITS THE BILL AND YOUR INTERESTED THEN CONTACT FEISAL ALI AT THE BBC ON 0208 7524505 OR 07976 617408(best number to try on)
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