A SCOTS grandfather is pleading with builders to bay back his new home, claiming the property is wrecking his mental and physical health – and marriage.
John Foster spent £150,000 on the newly-built semi last August but since then his wife, Mairi, has been scalded by a faulty shower and fallen on the stairs due to dodgy floorboards.
John himself says his lung condition has been made worse by green mould that grows in the three-bedroom property in Dunfermline, Fife.
And the 59-year-old says his grandchildren refuse to stay over because the heating doesn’t work properly, making the place like an icebox.
Other complaints against Persimmon Homes include doors not staying closed, damp ceilings, windows leaking and turning black, unsealed shower screen, holes in the toilet floor, faulty thermostats, a sinking downstairs toilet, misaligned back gate, loose slabs in the garden, a flooded footpath, and an extractor fan in the bathroom which blows cold air.
The stress of the situation has taken its toll on John, who says it has “strained” his marriage and left him needing high doses of anti-depressants.
John is retired because he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and says he initially hoped the new home would be beneficial for his health.
He said: “It has been 15 months of torture.
“The grandbairns stayed once, they won’t stay now, they had to come out of their beds and put their coats on.
“When we first moved in, Mairi went to try the shower, and she burnt all her back. We were told it was the manufacturer’s fault, and were told not to turn the shower to the red. I said, ‘you’re kidding, try telling the grandbairns that’.
“You sit in the living room, it’s like sitting outside, it’s like an icebox in the bathroom and the extractor fan blows freezing air.
“The green mould in the kitchen is the last thing I need. I’ve got a chest infection now. I’ve started smoking again too, and I know it’s killing me but I’m so stressed out. If I didn’t have them I’d be off my head.
“This has been a strain on our marriage, we’re so stressed.”
“The main reason for buying this particular plot from Persimmon was to improve my health.
“Not only did we think that the house would be energy efficient being a new build but the layout of the property with the downstairs toilet and the size of garden to maintain we saw as a real benefit to me.”
John said that in a recent conversation with Persimmon he told the firm: “I’ve got a solution – you’ve got to buy the house back off us so we can start afresh.”
On their website, Persimmon Homes state: “From the moment our customers reserve one of our new homes, we pledge to make the experience enjoyable and informative each step of the way.
“We aim to take care of our customers, not just when they are buying but also when they have moved into their new home.”
Iain Innes, managing director for Persimmon Homes North Scotland, said work had already started on the property to deal with the complaints.
He said: “We are committed to working with Mr Foster to resolve all his issues.
“We have apologised for the delay in resolving these items and will continue to work closely with him to fully address all his concerns.”
