Issues in an 11 month old house [self build]

littlefriend

Hi there,
I'm wondering would someone be able to give me some advice about this or point me in the direction of someone who would know what to do.

I started building a house in August06. It was completed last April. I have had nothing but problems with a lot of things in the house since then. [3 times pipes have burst causing damage etc]. Now my back garden is flooded.
I contacted the builder about these things but he told me to f*ck off and that he had done his best for me. I might point out that due to being very pressured by the builder he has been paid in full since the house was finished.
I don't know what to do or who to get to help me. It seems that work was done to a sub standard level and the cracks are beginning to show.
I am so stressed out by all of this.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd be so grateful. There was no architect working on the job however, an architect the builder knew signed stage payment forms for me so that I could draw down money from the bank.
The builder was covered by home bond.
I am just waiting for something else to happen all the time. Do I just have to keep waiting for things to go wrong? I would like the whole house tested for anything that wasn't done properly [I don't mean a snag list]

Sorry for the all over the place message but I'm feeling really awful = there is loads of water all over the garden. No idea where it is coming from - I'm just at the end of my tether. Please don't anyone say you should not have paid him all the money etc - I know that now - I just got a bit bullied along in the building process [female on my own facing 6 builders telling me I'm wrong about everything]

sinnerboy

first document clearly all the issues
take digital camera pics to indicate problems too

About Homebond -do YOU have any document relating to the house ? The guy may have given you you an impression ( only ) that he was HB registered . However if you do have HB documents contact them in writing with your difficulties

If HB proves to be a "blind alley" you need to find an sympathetic
architect ,
engineer or
surveyor
together with a good solicitor to act for you .

I hope it all works out for you

muffler

There are several factors involved here. Homebond registered or not you should have had someone there to supervise or oversee the works. You should not have allowed yourself to be bullied as you put it. Im just pointing out the obvious and not giving you a telling off. Just a reminder for others who are going down the same route.

Do you have a contract signed with the builder? If you do then you have something to fall back on. Failing that I would get someone - architect/engineer/technician - immediately out to look at all the different problems. Even if you do have a contract you will require a written report in any case.

You need to get this done and sent to the builder before the 12 months is up.

Homebond will only cover the structure of the house so for all other matters you need to deal directly with the builder. If he wont listen to you then perhaps he will listen to your solicitor.

sinnerboy

agree with what Muffler has said 100%

except ....

actually for the first 5 years HB warranty does cover other things

http://www.homebond.ie/homebuyers.html

littlefriend

Thanks for your replies.
I was very ill while a lot of the construction was going on which is why I was a bit meek in forcing issues. Obviously this is not the way to do things. Also the builder was someone I've known for years so I guess I trusted him to do right by me.
Anyway, homebond did come out to the house several times and had to sign off each stage before the next one could start. I have never received any documentation from them.
What happens if it goes beyond the 12 months - I'm just asking as it is almost 12 months since I moved in. Surely the builder is liable for things going wrong within the house for longer than 12 months?

What is the situation in relation to the architect who signed off the stage payments? I paid him to do this although it was only 1500 euro or something like that. I'm not sure is he legally obliged to make sure things are done correctly before signing off

Builderfromhell

I would agree with the above comments and advice.
From reading this forum for some time, I am sure many of the members would help you if they could.

In your case however, you need to get some kind of sympathetic building professional to look over the house and give you advice. We are only hearing one side of the story here. Perhaps the house is fine bar some dodgy plumbing. A good plumber ought to locate leak and fix fairly fast.

Maybe that is all that is or was ever wrong. As I say we are only hearing your side of the story.

Wish I/we could be more helpful.

muffler

Again its down to a contract if you had one. The normal defects liability period is 12 months unless agreed otherwise.

Contact Homebond and request copies of all their reports.

in relation to your architect I would have thought he would have done more than issue stage payment certs for that money but then again its down to what you agreed with him at the outset.

Get cracking on this first thing tomorrow. Even if you do not have a written report from a professional write a letter yourself to the builder advising him that there are defects and that you are requesting him to return and make good all the said defects.

Victor

littlefriend wrote: »

What happens if it goes beyond the 12 months - I'm just asking as it is almost 12 months since I moved in. Surely the builder is liable for things going wrong within the house for longer than 12 months?

It depends on the contract, but typically any patent (obvious) defect has to be brought to the builder's attention within 12 months of completion. Otherwise you can forget about them. Latent (hidden) defects are another matter.

What is the situation in relation to the architect who signed off the stage payments? I paid him to do this although it was only 1500 euro or something like that. I'm not sure is he legally obliged to make sure things are done correctly before signing off

He will argue he was only signing stage payments. If he was providing a full service, he would be charging a fee of 10%+. You get what you pay for.

littlefriend

You see the builder employed the plumber - I didn't pay the plumber - I paid the builder. That said, most of the issues have been to do with the plumbing rather than the builder himself. There are no obvious issues that I haven't dealt with.
Its just that things keep going wrong - when does it become one big issue to be dealt with rather than oh another pipe is leaking I have to get the plumber to come and fix it, wait for the walls to dry etc.

At the moment I have two rooms with walls drying out due to 1] an overflow pipe not being plumed properly. The water tank leaked and the whole thing came through the ceiling in the sitting room 2] leaking radiator pipe underneath an upstairs bedroom coming down the walls in the study.
Last summer the whole of downstairs flooded - a nail was hammered into the floor and hit a water pipe which was covered by less than 1 inch of concrete. That particular incident took 3 months to resolve. Of the 11 months I have been here there have been major water leaking issues in 6 of them.
Now the garden has flooded.
Do I just keep having to wait for the next thing to start leaking? I know that this is only one side of the story but I don't really know what the other side of the story could be. I'm not trying to dramatise things here - these are the things that have happened.
Thanks for replying

sinnerboy

the builder employed the plumber - this means the builder is reponsible . so even if HE has to get another plumber to sort it out - he must do it .

Tails142

It has been raining heavily over the weekend, maybe that's why your garden is flooded?

It is annoying about the nail through the pipe but unfortunately it is one of the risks of having a floor laid and isnt the first time I've ever heard of it. Overflow not being plumbed correctly is also a common problem; if you had've got a surveyor or an engineer to check the house and do a snag list these things would've almost definetly been spotted. You're builder should've really done it but sometimes these things just get missed

Welcome to owning a house tbh

littlefriend

No the flooding is not because of the rain.
Am going to try get some professional help with this tomorrow. Its too long a story to explain here - eg, the water system had to be replaced with a new pressurised one a couple of months after I moved in. Thats why there was a problem w/ the overflow pipe from the tank - this happened after the snag was done so was missed. Also, the radiator pipes are covered by very little cement - hence a short nail burst one - they are meant to be buried much deeper than they are.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. Just find it hard to deal with these things as they keep happening. The first couple of times seemed like bad luck but as the months and incidents go on I'm concerned that something else about to happen

davidoco

If, apart from a few cracks, you have mostly plumbing problems probably best to cut loose from the builder and just get your own plumber on board.

Get a recommendation from someone. Tell him you want the house thoroughly checked and anything not up to standard replaced. You’ll be surprised by the amount of contempt for the original plumbers work you’ll hear from a new plumber (that’s just the way it is). Don’t even listen to all the giving out just ask for a list and price to replace/fix the various items.

Let’s say it costs you €1500. The effort and cost of pursuing that through the builder is up to you.