A MUM’S £350,000 four-bedroom home has turned into a nightmare after she found 245 faults in it, before being offered only £250 in compensation.
Mum-of-two Carol Ritson, 54, could not wait to get the keys to the four-bed, detached property, but was left devastated after finding it far from finished.
Ms Ritson, 54, lives with her partner Chris, their son, 25 and daughter, 19[/caption]
Carol commissioned a surveyor who identified 245 ‘defects’ in the snagging report[/caption]
She was shocked to find the new house far from finished[/caption]
She commissioned a surveyor who identified 245 ‘defects’ in the snagging report including the news the house was “heavily infected” with radon – a radioactive gas which can cause lung cancer.
To add insult to injury Carol was offered just £250 in compensation when she complained about the Persimmon home in Keynsham, Somerset.
245 ‘DEFECTS’ FOUND
Carol, who moved into the property in June, said: “When we walked in they were still painting the walls and doing the skirting boards. There was a team of cleaners in there.”
Ms Ritson, who lives with her partner Chris Bickers, their son, 25 and daughter, 19, said the family had to wait several hours before the team left and they could move in.
Her anger grew when the snagging report identified 245 ‘defects’.
She said: “Persimmon have laid down membranes to mitigate the radon, but they should have told us about it from the get-go.
“If I’d had the choice, I wouldn’t have bought it for that reason alone.”
Faults in the house allegedly included walls and render being out of plumb, insufficient insulation and doors not being fitted properly.
The weep vents in the brickwork, for preventing damp and mildew, were described as “fake” by the surveyor.
UNDER STRESS
Ms Ritson, who works as a disability analyst, said: “I don’t expect to move into a home that has got this many faults. If it was a car I would take it back.
“Persimmon have offered me £250 in John Lewis vouchers as compensation.
“It’s an insult – I spent £350k on this house. We were in a nice private estate in Warmley before, and now we’re here.
“The Persimmon site manager rings me every day and says ‘I am so, so sorry’.”
They (Persimmon) say it’s going to take another six weeks to finish dealing with all the defects
Carol Ritson
Ms Ritson has been struggling with the stress of the situation since moving in to the property – and is now thinking about selling up.
“Every day we have had to give workmen a key to come through our house so they can fix the snags,” she added.
“I took time off work to let them in the house at one point, and they didn’t turn up. They don’t communicate properly.
“They say it’s going to take another six weeks to finish dealing with all the defects.”
A Persimmon spokesman said the developer is in “regular communication” with Ms Ritson.
MOST READ IN NEWS
He added: “The majority of the snags identified have been resolved and we are liaising further with the customer to complete the remaining works in a timely manner.
“Radon is a naturally occurring gas and is commonly found in certain areas of the country.
“Normal building measures were implemented at this site to mitigate against radon, including a radon-proof barrier across the ground floor and ventilation.”
Carol was devastated to see a poorly aligned door frame in the house[/caption]
Carol was offered only £250 in compensation[/caption]
She said she has been struggling with the stress of the situation since moving in to the property – and is now thinking about selling up[/caption]
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
