TWO Wokingham families have hit out at a house builder over a catalogue of errors with their brand new homes.
They claim their properties have been infested with rats, had dents in walls, doors hanging off and suffered from damp.
Despite repeated pleas to developer, Crest Nicholson, the families claim their complaints are not taken seriously and have been left living in misery.
David Hartnell bought his two-bedroom flat in Arborfield on Hallowe’en last year and describes it as “a real horror show”.
“During the sales stage, Crest Nicholson couldn’t have been nicer but once they got our money, we felt completely ignored,” he said.
“We paid £320,000 for our apartment but when I saw inside, I couldn’t believe how dirty it was, especially as it was brand new. There was dust and dirt everywhere.
“I was told several times it would be cleaned and eventually it was, but it was just like someone had run round the place with a cloth.
“On completion day, there were still workmen laying turf outside. Inside the flat there were dents in walls, doors hanging off cupboards and the waterproof seal around the window hadn’t been applied.”
Mr Hartnell and his partner were delighted that the flat in the Waterman’s View estate had its own residents’ bike storage.
“However, there was mould inside, probably not helped by the flat roof and there was a terrible stink. The door was replaced four times but it was never secure.
“A neighbour told me their loft had no insulation which meant their heating bills soared during the winter and other residents told their own horror stories.
“I complained to Crest Nicholson using all the correct channels. It took them a long time to even return emails and phone calls. The customer service was just appalling and it still is.”
Mr S Dhami who bought his house in Spencers Wood spoke of similar issues and poor customer service from Crest Nicholson.
He said he and neighbours have suffered with a rat infestation from a nearby pond as well as numerous other problems.
“My son and I have been ill from damp and therefore asthma related issues. Our central heating also doesn’t work properly.
“For over a year now, our house has suffered from repeated leaks and damage to walls and doors. Our driveway is often blocked by cars and despite us pleading with Crest Nicholson to have a proper sign erected, nothing has happened.
“What makes all this so much worse is Crest Nicholson continue to ignore our emails and phone calls and their staff are rude rather than trying to help us.
“We are absolutely fed up. We need to deal with someone significantly above the seniority of the Customer Services agents we have been told to speak with. We need someone with the ability to make decisions.”
However, Crest said that it had been in touch with the affected residents to help them resolve their problems.
A spokesperson for Crest Nicholson said of Mr Hartnell’s issues at Waterman’s View: “Delivering high-quality homes is of paramount importance to us and we are disappointed that we did not meet the expectations of this homeowner on this occasion.
“We are fully committed to remedying all issues raised by the resident at Waterman’s View, and we have been in constant contact with them since the issue was first raised to our customer service team to ensure the work is carried out efficiently and effectively.”
And addressing Mr Dhami’s concerns at Priors Gardens in Spencers Wood, the spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns raised by one of our residents at Priors Gardens and are currently in conversations with them to resolve any concerns as soon as possible.
“All concerns have now been addressed and a delivery date is currently being arranged to finalise the last outstanding element.
“We will also be meeting with the resident in the coming weeks as part of our follow-up care.
“Customer satisfaction is our number one priority and we work hard to ensure that all of our properties are delivered to the high-standard our customers expect.”
