A COUPLE who paid more than half a million pounds for their dream newbuild home say water pours through their walls and ceiling every time it rains.
Maheshi Korathota and Chamin Dassanayake splashed £569,000 on the three-bedroom Bellway property five years ago and claim it has been a “nightmare” ever since.
9
9
The family have had to battle leaky bathrooms and faulty cupboards, as well as numerous “cheap fixes”.
But worst of all, they say, is that their garage floods and they are left with a “pond” on their roof during even the slightest wet weather.
Chamin, 39, dad to an eight-year-old daughter, said: “It’s a major problem and it’s been going on for five years now.
“Water leaks all the time and it’s really bad. There is mould everywhere.
“Every time it rains the garage roof is like a pool or pond.
“It retains all the water and it pours through the walls and the ceiling.”
Chamin and Maheshi purchased the house in Dore, South Yorkshire, in 2018.
They opted for a newbuild for “peace for mind” – but they say it has been anything but relaxing.
Most read in Money
Chamin, from Sheffield, said: “We paid a premium for it at nearly £570,000 but we didn’t want to risk getting an old house and having problems.
“In the end, we got the total opposite.
“From day one, we’ve had so many problems. The snag list had more than 100 things on it.”
He reckons the developers rushed the build of the entire estate as their neighbours have reported similar issues.
“Bellway tries to cut so many corners – they just do cheap fixes that are temporary,” he added.
“They used cheap materials, cheap contractors and put in cheap solutions but profited huge amounts.
“It’s not fair. I think it’s just wrong.”
Among the alleged cheap fixes was a “botched” adjustment to their garage roof.
After the family complained about a leak, Bellway reportedly sent a technician out but failed to address the problem properly.
‘DISGUSTING EXPERIENCE’
“They just painted over it and left it so it continued,” Chamin said.
“We later found out something wasn’t installed properly, but no one checked.
“There are just numerous problems like that.
“They could have installed a pitched roof but they just went for the cheapest option.
“We had a green roof and it was leaking so they got rid of the plants and then put a new membrane in and that is it.”
Despite allegedly complaining countless times, the couple claim Bellway has made it incredibly difficult as they are now out of their two-year warranty.
“It has been a disgusting experience – a total nightmare for us,” Chamin said.
“We wouldn’t recommend Bellway to anybody.
“The major problem is that when you buy a newbuild, you can’t actually see the house because it’s usually not built yet.
“You see the images and plans and plot, but that’s it, that’s all we saw.
“It has been so stressful. We’ve got kids and full-time jobs and we just don’t need this.
“We haven’t paid any of our own money to fix the issues as we paid enough for the house itself and feel it’s Bellway’s responsibility.”
A Bellway spokesperson said: “As a five-star rated homebuilder, all Bellway properties are sold with the benefit of a 10-year NHBC Buildmark Warranty of which the first two years are covered by the builder for any defects that occur during this period.
“We are sorry to hear of this customers complaint against Bellway.
“Under our warranty, Bellway has addressed the majority of issues raised by the customer, who moved in to the property in 2018.
“Many of the defects have only been reported outside of the initial two-year warranty but regardless, Bellway has attempted to resolve these.”
The developer added that the roof design was a condition of planning by the local authority.
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
