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Property/DIY

Half a rant half a WWYD?

14 replies

Plumbingproblems · 10/05/2013 21:50

I've name changed in case anyone recognises this situation.

A few months ago we completed and moved into a house that was built in 2009, it has had 1 previous owner and in really good condition.

We paid for the full survey on the property despite it being a new build and had all the paper work back from the previous owners to say there were no problems that they knew about.

Fairly quickly it became obvious there was a problem with the heating/boiler. We couldn't work out how to use it, despite having all the original instruction manuals, so we spoke to the estate agents who contacted the previous owners to ask how to use it.

Their response was to say, they had never been able to work it out and they used the controls on the radiators and left the heating on all the time. Not satisfied with that response and having stupidly high gas bills due to the heating being on even when the thermostat was on nil and the control panel said it was off, we called in a plumber.

The boiler had been wired up wrong, the thermostat was faulty as was the control panel. An electriction was called and the faults were fixed.

3 weeks later and, mainly due to the weather being so hot at the beginning of this week, I realise things still aren't right. We phoned the plumber who sent the electricition (it was sorted through him in the first place) hoping that something he had fitted had a fault, but sadly not.

Were waiting for the plumber to come back out (he's on holiday) but we (the electricition and us) think that either a valve has been put in the wrong place or a connection is wrong.

I'm so angry as the previous owners knew there was a problem, but never contacted the developers to see what it was or to fix it. they never mentioned to us there was a problem and now we are left with a huge bill to pay.

i know that when you move into a house there are unforeseen problems, but they knew about this and should have contacted the developers, it wouldnt have cost them anything as it was a fault the developer created.

So if you've gotten this far, thank you, and what would you do next? Our solicitor has suggested sending a letter to the previous owners asking them to pay compensation, but is it worth it? WWYD?

OP posts:

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Karbea · 10/05/2013 22:00

It seems worth a punt, you've nothing to lose. I'd probably ask the solicitor to do it.

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Crutchlow35 · 10/05/2013 22:03

scottish law is probably different but dont you have a clause on your contract to report such faults? we have between t and 7 daya but outwith that you suck it up i am afraid

it is why i insist that this is a major thing buyers check as soon as they move in.

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HaveToWearHeels · 10/05/2013 22:12

In the sellers defence have you ever tried to get developers to fix snagging ? They probably ran out of steam and gave up and just lumped it. Not your fault I know. To be honest if I got a letter asking for compensation for something like this I would bin it, you really can't follow it up unless you take them to the small claims court and it would be your word against theirs. They probably didn't know it was such an expensive problem.

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TeamEdward · 10/05/2013 22:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HaveToWearHeels · 10/05/2013 22:33

Unfortunately NHBC would not cover this, NHBC is not worth the paper it is written on to be honest. If your house falls down you MIGHT get them to do something.
This is from their website

The cover is split into two periods:

Damage or defects to your home which occur during the first two years from the date of legal completion.
Damage to specified parts of your home (essentially the structural elements), in years 3 to 10.

As this is not structural you wouldn't be covered.

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Plumbingproblems · 10/05/2013 22:34

We contacted the NHBC who said the heating/plumbing is only covered for 3 years, so we couldnt go through them. We know the old owners never even tried to contact the developers to get it fixed, they admitted that much.

Havetowear I would do the same I think, or at least contact my solicitor to find out what my legal position is. Our solicitor seems to think we have a strong case tho, and thats not just to get money out of us! Shes offered to do the letter for free then talk to us about small claims if thats what we want to do all free of charge. So I'm inclined to believe that it might be worth it?

I dont know it just feels like such a hastle and I want to cry. Most of the pipes are hidden I'm dreading being told they need to access them :( we've almost finished decorating.

Crutch we thought it was just us not knowing how to use the heating system. Its very complicated with a thermostat on the hall way wall, control panell in the kitchen, control panel on the boiler and more buttons on the hot water tank in the family bathroom. There is no way we could have figured out it was faulty and gotten someone out to see it within 7 days!

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Plumbingproblems · 10/05/2013 22:40

yep haveto that's what they said.

I know that I'm goin gto have to suck it up, but I'm just so annoyed!

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HaveToWearHeels · 10/05/2013 22:55

you could try small claims court yourself, it's not too complicated, don't use a solicitor at some point she will charge you.
I would wait for plumber and take it from there.

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Plumbingproblems · 11/05/2013 09:08

sorry solicitor ofered to talk us through the process, not actually take us to small claims. She said it wouldnt be worth her coming with us, but she would explain the process and be there is we had any questions

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TeamEdward · 11/05/2013 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Madamecastafiore · 11/05/2013 11:40

NHBC wouldn't cover this.

Think I would take out British had insurance and get them to sort it. We pay a lot a month I think but their service is fantastic and they will be able to diagnose problem in I e hit rather than having to have multiple tradesmen out.

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PigletJohn · 11/05/2013 12:39

bg insurance doesn't cover correcting something that was installed wrong.

I'd expect a competent heating engineer to be able to puzzle out and rewire the components. It shouldn't involve changing the pipes, most likely it will be wiring between the controls.

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ohbuggerhelp · 11/05/2013 19:25

Your survey should have indicated a problem, caveat emptor, I'm afraid. I really wouldn't waste your time in small claims, you will lose.

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Plumbingproblems · 11/05/2013 20:30

there's a disclaimer on the survey that states it doesn't check the working order of the boiler, just what it looks like or something.

the wiring is all fine, the problem is (we think, from what we can tell) the pipes have been connected up wrong. We have a hot water tank and when the heating is switched off, and the hot water is meant to be on heating up, the water takes a very long time to heat up, but the radiators also get warm

We have boiler insurance, but technically this isnt the boiler, its the pipes being connected wrong.

Madame, things have improved, its only because we've had the heating off as its been so warm and the hot water still coming on that we realised there is a problem, there really isn't any other way you could have known. But before they re wired, changed the thermostat, control panel and pump it had a mind of its own, the pump was going constantly and the heating never turned off, ever.