Couple spend months without flooring in ‘unliveable’ new build home

Dr Andrew McClintock and his partner lived without flooring for almost three months in their new build house, after Story Homes failed to provide clear information about subfloor issues

A couple from Gateshead were left without flooring for nearly three months after purchasing a new build property.

Dr Andrew McClintock and his partner moved into the Highfields development in March last year, anticipating no difficulties when fitting flooring in their new home. Instead, the duo were forced to shell out thousands of pounds in unforeseen preparation expenses.

Andrew explained that the problem wasn’t with the standard of the house itself, but the “lack of clear information about the subfloor” from developer Story Homes, before they bought the property. Andrew, 31, added: “We repeatedly asked for basic, factual information about what the subfloor was made of so our flooring installer could assess suitability.

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That information was either late, incomplete or not provided at all, and we still don’t have the full details of the subfloor specification,” reports Chronicle Live.

An independent survey was carried out, which revealed that a calcium sulphate based screed had been used, which must be removed before flooring can be laid. The recommended approach is to remove it early, with moisture potentially becoming trapped, making remediation more intrusive and costly.

This stage, the couple assert, had not been completed, so they were compelled to pay for mechanical grinding and a more expensive epoxy damp proof membrane, in order to make the floor suitable. Andrew insists that, with the complete information, homeowners can make a more informed choice regarding their flooring options.

He continued: “We made a complaint to the National House Building Council, but because they are just able to enforce minimum technical standards, they weren’t able to address the consumer impact. So, we escalated the issue through the Consumer Code for Home Builders. An independent adjudicator found that Story Homes breached Section 2.1 of the code, by failing to provide clear and timely pre-purchase information, and they were then required to issue a formal apology and pay us £1,226.34 for the remedial works and £250 compensation.”

What ought to have been an exciting milestone for the couple, purchasing their first property, turned into an emotional ordeal for Andrew and his partner, with the subfloor issue proving particularly distressing whilst simultaneously requiring him to become better informed about it to achieve this successful outcome.

Andrew continued: “This has been a lot on an emotional level, as it is the first home we have bought so there were already a lot of things that were unknown with the process. Due to our previous tenancy, we had to move in and live on a concrete floor downstairs, it was unliveable really.

“We were half-moved in and in a limbo stage for over 10 weeks, and it was a lot to fight this whole thing while working full-time, but it was a great feeling when I found out we got the apology and compensation. My heart was pounding and I felt like I was physically shaking when I saw the message.

“I want to say thank you to our flooring installer, Instinctive Flooring, who were exceptional throughout this process. From the outset they were professional, transparent and supportive, and without their integrity this process would have been a lot more difficult.

“I had spent hours learning everything I needed to know about something that was previously completely alien to me, and we’re relieved to be in a position where we feel like justice has been done. I also hope that others haven’t been impacted by this issue like we have.”

In response, a spokesperson for Story Homes stated: “Story Homes takes customer concerns seriously and aims to resolve all issues fairly. In this case, the complaint was independently reviewed through the Consumer Code for Home Builders’ adjudication process.

“The review confirmed the home met all NHBC standards, but identified a single breach relating to the timing and clarity of information provided to the customer before purchasing the property. Story Homes has carried out all actions required in the Consumer Code review outcome.

“The decision made through the Consumer Code adjudication process is final and this review process is now complete. We continue to support the customer with any warranty or after-sales matters in the usual way.”