Newly constructed Bellway residence proprietor tells of roof leak and loft mildew

Dean Carpenter's newly constructed residence has black stains on the outside partitions and when it rains, he says, sheets of water run down the bricks.

Since buying their Bellway property in Bedfordshire a 12 months in the past, they’ve found damp or discolored tile fragments, moss and mildew build-up within the roof area.

Dean is considered one of a number of householders on two Bellway estates who declare they’ve had an extended battle with leaky roofs – and time is operating out on their structural guarantee.

Bellway says it tries to resolve points as shortly as potential.

Dean, 41, paid £375,000 for his residence, which was inbuilt 2015.

“Every morning he wakes up and worries about the roof,” he says.

Two roofing corporations have advised them there are too few rows of tiles, which means the overlap is just not sufficient to forestall water ingress.

But Bellway and its insurers, the National House Building Council (NHBC), have rejected Dean's claims, saying that poor customary restore work by an impartial builder didn’t adjust to rules and would have voided its guarantee. Is.

It stated the NHBC inspection “found no defects in the original construction of Mr Carpenter's property” or any proof of leakage or water ingress.

Since then, Bellway has blocked Dean's emails and threatened authorized motion if he continued to put up crucial feedback on Facebook.

“I feel completely let down by Bellway,” he says.

“The roof needs replacing, it needs re-batting, re-tiling and re-relaying properly.”

Eight individuals from Willow Green Estate shared their considerations about stained partitions, mildew, or crumbling mortar in roofs.

One of them, 77-year-old Robert DeGavino, says his loft is crammed with black mildew.

“Bellway came out to inspect the property, but as far as they are concerned, it meets building regulations.

“We are concerned because if it continues to get wetter, what will it be like in the next five, 10 or 20 years?

“They're beautifully designed homes, I just think it's poor construction practice.”

Bellway says it was not unusual for the render to stain after nine years and the NHBC found no sign of water ingress.

At least six homeowners have complained to Bellway or NHBC about their roofs.

So far, only one claim has been approved, which will result in major remedial work on a property in November.

Robert Altman, 44, says he and his neighbors in Florence Close, a 10-home development built by Bellway in 2017, are in a similar situation.

They say they are the guinea pigs of the new, flat-ceiling design, resulting in years of moisture or mold on the walls of their bedrooms and bathrooms.

In 2023 Bellway acknowledged that some roofs were defective and agreed to improve ventilation and install new insulation, but the work took almost two years, and people's roofs remained open under scaffolding for months.

“And the worst part is that they didn't solve the problem,” says Robert.

“Experts who came to certify the work said there were still dangerous levels of moisture in our scaffolding.

“It's just misery upon misery and we're left out in the cold – we're wasting time on this when we have young families, we all have jobs, and if we want to sell our homes, we can't. Are going to be able to.”

Some residents are now considering legal action.

Georgina Bright, 32, says moisture has accumulated in her upstairs ceiling, causing “all the lights to flicker” and when an extractor fan was removed “a lot of water flew out of it”.

She says that although Bellway contractors tried to clean up the mold, it is growing again on her loft and bathroom walls.

“It gives me PTSD, the whole thing. It's horrible.

“And I think sometimes, when Bellway even responds, it's so unhelpful, it makes me feel really crap.”

Bellway “apologized to any homeowners affected on Florence Close” and said it had worked hard to resolve the outstanding issues, adding that the roofs were now “designed to prevent any future concerns.” are” and a mold remediation specialist will reevaluate the properties. Spring.

Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Homeowners Alliance, said the level of cover could be “grossly unfair” for new home owners.

“Structural warranties are very limited in scope so problems can be difficult to resolve – this is frustrating and residents should not become experts as it is not their fault.

“We are relying on private companies with shareholders to deliver a public good and I don't think they take full responsibility for the overall construction of these homes,” Mrs Higgins stated.

• Once a brand new manufactured house is constructed, it’s normally lined by a guaranty, which lasts for 10 years and is split into two intervals. NHBC is by far the most typical
• For the primary two years, the builder is obliged to repair any defects or “snags”, akin to unsealed home windows. Many householders rent professionals to determine them.
• For years three to 10, the home-owner is normally insured in opposition to structural defects, or the place injury has occurred as a result of the muse or roof was not constructed to the proper requirements
• During this structural guarantee interval, minor defects are now not lined. Moisture will be lined up, however solely whether it is discovered to be the builder's fault

Source: Homeowners Coalition

Despite market challenges, Bellway carried out higher than most main housebuilders, with earnings of £381 million final 12 months.

The firm expects to finish 8,500 houses by April and is alleged to be assured about its prospects for 2025.

In July, the BBC reported on 1000’s of ongoing issues at a Bellway property in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, prompting dozens of different sad clients to get in contact.

A spokesperson for Bellway stated that with NHBC it will “correct any legitimate manufacturing defects identified” within the first ten years.

“As a responsible developer we strive to resolve any issues as effectively as possible.

“A new home is a hand-built product, so defects occur and often only become apparent after the homeowners have moved in, as was the case in Florence Close.”

A spokesperson for NHBC stated it was “committed to raising standards in housebuilding by promoting high quality homes”.

“We assure homeowners of our dedication to fairness, thorough investigations and our industry-recognized high standards.”