I was reminded, when I heard CIOB Sir Ian Dixon Scholar Mike Rider present his research project recently, how important managing completion is not only to the builder but to the client anxious to occupy their new building.
As a very dissatisfied client of my new home four years post completion, it struck me that the builder had, through failure to manage a proper completion, incurred financial and reputational damage detrimental to its business and to the peace of mind of its client.
You might assume I am dealing with a small outfit without specialist resources here. However, my neighbours and I are dealing with one of the biggest housebuilders in the UK, a well-known company created through merger, and quite frankly, I expected better from them.
"When a large hole appeared in his lounge ceiling and a loose brick dropped through, the occupant was understandably upset. And this upset is compounded by inept customer care, poor communication and buck passing."
While recent flooding in Chertsey is having a devastating effect on many other riverside dwellers, our problems are compounded by the ongoing failure of the housebuilder to fix drainage problems from rooftop terraces, which cause water ingress and misery for home dwellers below. If water flowed uphill, the problem would be solved by now: it is clear that the levels of the drainage holes are higher than the roof terrace. Pretty basic stuff, yet the contractor has sent in the same subcontractor four times, rebuilt the terrace walls (badly) and failed to rectify the fundamental issue of the level of the drain holes.
So now we homeowners have no recourse other than to call in the lawyers which will add more anxiety and expense.
What can homebuilders do to avoid this type of scenario? Read Mike Rider’s report. And from a client perspective, my advice is: manage the completion process with as much care as the build, listen to the concerns of clients during the snagging phase and rectify defects quickly, communicate and keep proper records of actions taken.
Our builder recently told a new occupant of a flat suffering with water ingress that there was no record of any problem, despite having attended to it on four previous occasions. When a large hole appeared in his lounge ceiling and a carelessly discarded loose brick dropped through he was understandably upset. This upset is compounded by inept customer care, poor communication and buck passing.
With housing being the fastest-growing sector of the industry, lessons should not only be learned but practice improved for the sake of the sector’s reputation and the client’s wellbeing.
Bridget Bartlett is chief operating officer of the CIOB
