Do they give us our money`s worth ? (House Builders in general)

Member Name: allupstairs

Product:	House Builders in general
Date:	23/08/01 (610 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good investment., Fitted with modern conveniences

Disadvantages: Unable to get good after-sales service

In recent years the housing market has been dominated by HOUSING DEVELOPERS. They concentrate their efforts on the FIRST TIME BUYER, advertising well constructed, quality homes in idyllic settings. They portray them as the easy and affordable option. If you still have any doubts about their sincerity and quality of the property, A 10-year guarantee is also at hand as an example of the faith they have not only in the property, but also in the tradesmen that built it.
Coupled with this, they also offer enticements:

Cash-backs.
They will turf your lawns.
Clear your credit card debt.
Prize draws.

These are just a few examples. They all exist to make us believe that we really are getting a bargain, an opportunity to be free of the rat race.
The developers portray themselves as caring, considerate companies. Concerned about our well being, not just socially, but financially as well. After all, they don’t want us to buy a house that we can’t afford. A godsend for those who would not have either the time, the money or the ability to renovate an older house.

But what happens after you’ve bought your dream home? Is your faith in the developer justified, do both the property and the developer stand the test of time? In many cases I think not!
I am not saying that all developers are bad, but there are those that care only about the SALE, and tend to ignore what happens after.
Quite often problems do not appear for A few months, or even a couple of years after the completion of the sale. Some minor, some less so. The developer asks you to complete a questionnaire regarding the quality of the service you’ve received, and also about the condition of the property. This offers you the opportunity to get any faults you’ve noticed corrected.
Is this really enough? How many faults can occur within the first week or two of you moving in? The developers tell you t
hat they will correct any faults that occur within the first 12 months, many however do not appear until after this time frame has elapsed. Leaving the developer free from any obligation.
What of the 10-year guarantee? You soon discover that this only covers you for STRUCTURAL DEFECTS. So if your doors don’t close, or your windows are leaking you find yourself in an awkward position, unsure of your rights and how to go about exercising them. By which time the developer has quite often moved to another area, and you are faced with a hefty bill because you have to get the services of a tradesman to remedy the situation.
To this I say "NO, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH". In this day and age it is totally unacceptable to be treated this way! Surely when people commit themselves to a debt as substantial as a mortgage, they deserve more protection than just GOOD FAITH!
Let’s be honest, if you were to buy ANY article these days and it was n`t what it was advertised to be, TRADING STANDARDS would get involved. FRAUD is after all an offence in the United Kingdom, and should be dealt with accordingly. Why should developers be permitted to escape the consequences of their actions?

If the developers took a bit more time and care in the construction of these properties, many of the problems that arise could be easily avoided. The truth is that they do not care about Joe Public; they care about profit at the expense of Joe Public.
So much for the caring personality that they initially portray.
If they have so much faith in themselves why do n`t they increase their guarantee to 10 years, P.V.C. manufacturers offer 10 years, why can’t developers?
The 10-year guarantee that they currently advertise is the N.H.B.C. ( national house building council ). Which is independent of the developer, the way in which developers advertise this guarantee is also misleading. You are led to believe that it covers the whole
house; in fact after a short time it only covers the structural integrity of the house. Which is no good if your windows and doors are falling apart.

With all the profits in this industry, is n`t it about time that something was done for the consumer in this area?
New legislation regarding the way in which developers conduct themselves, include in that legislation the developers responsibility to the public. Forcing if need be a re-evaluation of the current warranty system, there by eliminating the loopholes that currently exist in the developers favour.

Thank you for taking the time to read my opinion.

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