A homeowner says he has over 400 faults on his new-build home – including tiles secured on the roof with duct tape.
Joe Tompkinson, 33, and wife Claire, 43, were excited about the prospect of a ‘fresh start’ when they moved into their Linden Homes property in Swindon, Wiltshire, in December 2017.
They began to notice problems after three weeks when a tile fell off the roof and caused £3,000 of damage to their car, which was parked on the driveway.
Mr Tompkinson, a policeman of 12 years, claims he later uncovered more examples of ‘appalling’ workmanship at the detached £400,000 property.
Homeowner Joe Tompkinson, 33 (right), and wife Claire, 43 (left), were excited about the prospect of a ‘fresh start’ when they moved into their Linden Homes property in Swindon, Wiltshire
He says the long list includes botched repairs, unbolted banisters, sinking bathroom floors, subsidence, cracked flooring and missing brickwork.
At one point there were more than 400 faults – a variety of issues from paint defects to tiles not being fitted properly – some of which have since been repaired but more than 100 remain.
Mr Tompkinson said he has heard tiles, some of which are secured with adhesive tape, falling from the roof as he lays in bed at night.
The couple, who live in the property with their three children, aged eight, five, and three – say are at risk of being hit with falling tiles.
But since moving into the home, back in December 2017, the couple have discovered more than 400 issues with their home
Among the litany of issues with the property is the tiles on the roof which had been secured by duct tape (pictured)
Mr Tompkinson says the long list includes botched repairs, unbolted banisters, sinking bathroom floors, subsidence and missing brickwork. One of the many repairs needed is a gap in the window sill (pictured)
Another issue the Tomkinson’s notice with their new build home was crack running through the concrete floor of the garage (pictured)
He said an independent survey condemned the roof because the majority of tiles were incorrectly secured and soffits built too low.
The policeman said he discovered this information through a subject access request under the Data Protection Act and claimed the firm would not release the report or provide a copy to the National House Building Council (NHBC).
Mr Tompkinson said: ‘Linden Homes have allowed my family to live under this roof now for 18 months but for six months have known what is wrong with it.
‘I repeatedly asked for this report, at times sending several emails a week. They withheld it until I put in a subject access request under the Data Protection Act.’
The Tompkinsons’ first noticed problems after three weeks when a tile fell off the roof and caused £3,000 of damage to their car, which was parked on the driveway. The couple, who live in the property with their three children, aged eight, five, and three – say are at risk of being hit with falling tiles
Mr Tompkinson said an independent survey condemned the roof because the majority of tiles were incorrectly secured and soffits built too low. In this image a visible gap between the sealant and the floor can be seen in their bathroom
Mr Tompkinson, a policeman, said he discovered the information from the independent survey through a subject access request under the Data Protection Act and claimed the firm would not release the report or provide a copy to the National House Building Council (NHBC). (Pictured: A large gap between the window sill and wall)
He said:’I repeatedly asked for this report, at times sending several emails a week. They withheld it until I put in a subject access request under the Data Protection Act’ (Pictured: Wall bowed and unaligned)
Mr Tomkinson also claims Linden promised £7,350 to cover expenses while the family vacated the house for ‘a few weeks in the summer’ to allow repair work to be undertaken. (Pictured: Carpet peeling up at the edges of a room, revealing the base layer)
He claims Linden promised £7,350 to cover expenses while the family vacated the house for ‘a few weeks in the summer’ to allow repair work to be undertaken.
He booked a three-week holiday to Florida but claims Linden have since withdrawn the offer.
Mr Tompkinson said: ‘We had been in the new home for a couple of weeks when Claire found a smashed tile on the driveway which had come off the roof.
‘A tile caused £3,000 worth of damage to our car which was parked outside. This was reimbursed but initially Linden said it was an act of god caused by wind.
‘We’ve heard tiles falling from the roof when we’ve been in bed. We are worried a tile could come off and hit us or the children. It’s not safe.’
He says he wants the Government to ‘step in’ and review future developments by Linden Homes given the problems he has faced.
Mr Tompkinson added: ‘It’s alarming that they are insisting on building more houses all the time – I want the government or the local authority to step in and assess whether this is safe.
He booked a three-week family holiday to Florida but claims Linden have since withdrawn the offer (Pictured: Carpet fraying at the edges in a room of the Tomkinson home)
Mr Tomkinson says he wants the Government to ‘step in’ and review future developments by Linden Homes given the problems he has faced (Pictured: Unfinished plasterboard in the kitchen which they hid behind a microwave)
He said: ‘It’s alarming that they are insisting on building more houses all the time – I want the government or the local authority to step in and assess whether this is safe. (Pictured: Hidden behind the microwave is a plasterboard)
‘We would like to stay in the property because we like the area – we get on well with the neighbours and the children go to school five minutes up the road,’ he said.
‘We moved here from a similar property because we fancied a fresh start. Our old house was 20 years old and we needed things like a new kitchen and a new bathroom.
‘We were also looking at building a conservatory so instead thought the best option would be moving into a new build.’
Mr Tompkinson added that his family want to continue stay in the property: ‘We like the area – we get on well with the neighbours and the children go to school five minutes up the road (Pictured: The loft has poorly fitted insulation and an extractor pipe that is not connected to the extractor fan in the bathroom)
In a statement Linden Homes said: ‘We warrant to finish our homes to these standards and the customer has agreed that the NHBC are best placed to determine which issues require attention’ (Pictured: An unbolted newel post holding the staircase together)
Linden Home said they’ve also received ‘an unusually high number of reported issues’ on the Abbey Farm development – with 40 other homeowners describing problems (Pictured: Garden in a dull state just five months after the Tompkinsons moved in)
Linden Homes said they’ve received ‘an unusually high number of reported issues’ on the Abbey Farm development – with 40 other homeowners describing problems.
In a statement, the property development firm said: ‘We have confirmed to Mr Tompkinson, on a number of occasions in writing, that we will attend to any issues with his home which do not comply with NHBC standards.
‘We warrant to finish our homes to these standards and the customer has agreed that the NHBC are best placed to determine which issues require attention.’