Problems with Affordable home

R

robbiep

Registered User
Messages
12
Hi Guys,

Just a quick one. My partner and I bought a home via the afforadable housing scheme with laois coco. The problem is we are having loads of problems with the home cracks and appearing everywhere esp around the windows adn the skirting is peeling away from the walls. also our shower keeps leaking into the living despite the builders saying it was fixed. All we wanted to know is who does this fall back on the council or the builders? And also , if the repairs arent done what can we do? Theyve tried to fix the problems before but they keep returning.

Cheers,
Rob
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Don't think it's the council's problem so I presume it's the builder's. Was the house not snagged or surveyed before purchase? Maybe talk to your solicitor.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

It was snagged and all was fixed, we've been living there just under 12 months now and the problems are only starting to manisfest themselves one by one.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

If the builder cannot or will not address the problems then is the house covered by Homebond in case that proves useful?
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Hi ,

The house is covered by a 10yr homebond, but i never knew what that meant tbh.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Cheers man,

Just emailed to ask if my problems are covered under the guarentee. The thing is though the builders have tried to fix these problems before but they keep reappearing. I'm very tempted to just contact my solicitor about as i can't ever see it being fixed.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

I would be inclined to talk to the solicitor while also investigating the possibility of Homebond being useful in this context.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

This maybe a looooooong shot but would there be any way the council can just move us into another afforable home thats the same value?
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Ring the council and see. Would be interested to hear what they say.

Is you house in a private development? are other neighbours having the same problems?

It's the builders fault. our development is the same, two years there and still having issues. write a list, get photos etc to back you up and go to your solicitor for advice. you signed when buying to buy a sound struture....they may be liable!
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Yeah it is a private estate. I work with people who live in my estate but who didnt buy it from the afforable and theyve had no problems at all were as we know someone who did and theyre having the same problem. The guy that came to fix our leaking shower last time was from the builders and said that they used different materials on the ones that were being giving out as to the council as afforable. That seems disgraceful if true.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

if that is the case then the market value of your house should have been lower than the other houses in the development and thus be reflected in your clawback!! I would find out if this is the case. You should not of been sold a house at the same market value of the other private houses if the materials are not to the same standard.

Also get your solicitor involved if they are not fixing the issues. Send them a letter listing the issues. They should be liable for their micky mouse job it's not what you agreed to buy.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

robbiep said:
Hi Guys,

Just a quick one. My partner and I bought a home via the afforadable housing scheme with laois coco. The problem is we are having loads of problems with the home cracks and appearing everywhere esp around the windows adn the skirting is peeling away from the walls. also our shower keeps leaking into the living despite the builders saying it was fixed. All we wanted to know is who does this fall back on the council or the builders? And also , if the repairs arent done what can we do? Theyve tried to fix the problems before but they keep returning.

Cheers,
Rob
Click to expand...

Pls ask them for a check for Pyrite. The issues you have shown above seem very simular to issues in an estate i'm in and lets just say, half the estate had pyrite, its been resolved since (houses evacuated for 6 months, grounds dug up and replaced etc) its a huge job. But it started out as cracks around windows, doors, skirting coming away from walls, cracks been up the main corners from doors, tiles coming away from floor or cracking... doors not closing correctly.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Helenl123 said:
Pls ask them for a check for Pyrite. The issues you have shown above seem very simular to issues in an estate i'm in and lets just say, half the estate had pyrite, its been resolved since (houses evacuated for 6 months, grounds dug up and replaced etc) its a huge job. But it started out as cracks around windows, doors, skirting coming away from walls, cracks been up the main corners from doors, tiles coming away from floor or cracking... doors not closing correctly.
Click to expand...

Do you mind me asking what estate it is? You can PM me if you like.

Thanks,
Neil.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

This has been in a number of estates that i'm aware of, It was due to the quarry that was used by the builders. The quarry contained Pyrite, which when receives air expands and shrinks (i think) which in turn.... your house would start to shift slightly, which would cause cracks, and all the rest which i mentioned. It would never be spotted until somone reported it and this quarry was in wexford so could have been used all over Ireland. It will only be brought to light in any estate if the signs are shown and houses tested. It can be years before its seen. In our estate the houses were built about 3-4 years before signs showed.
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

I would advise robbieP to get this checked out, while it may be normal for a few cracks in your house over time after it is settling etc, skirting moving away from wall is not a sign of settling, its more serious.
[broken link removed]
 
Re: Problems will Afforable home

Hi Rob,
Just before you get too worried....... I've worked as a snagger on a good few different estates and the specific problems you mention in your op are very common for a year old house. Cracks appearing around the edges of windows, ceilings, architrave and skirtings, are usually put down to settlement, caulked and painted over, and not seen again. Different builders use different brands of caulk originally some of which are better than others (caulk is like the silicon around your bath, a flexible filler)

Cracks running across the face of internal walls are sometimes a sign of a bigger problem but again they're more likely along a joint, and not a major problem. cracks on the outside can be more problematic.

When a shower leaks, it often does take a few attempts to fix it.

Any site I've been on the cracks that appear after snagging would be up to you to fix and the builder would be trying to fix the shower. I've always been told that homebond is for major structural defects, and I've never heard of anyone using it.

I would imagine that if there is an excess of pyrite in your foundations then you would have heard something from lots of your neighbours by now.

Two last points: I'm not an engineer, and, my sisters house is one of those effected by pyrite and she doesn't have the cracking problems
 
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