A man in Derbyshire has unfurled a huge banner over the garage of his home in a row between himself and the developer.
Balbinder Singh, who lives in Mickleover, a suburban Derby town, says he is still trying to sort out the problems that have plagued his home since he moved in in April 2021.
Avant Homes said the problems were caused by building an extension that affected its warranty.
Now, almost two years later, Singh says the company is ignoring him.
In a desperate attempt to increase the pressure on Avant Homes, Mr Singh, who lives on the Cotchett Village property, put up a sign reading: ‘Avant Homes, our review. We moved in on April 1, 2021 and the work has not yet been completed.
Mr Singh, who lives in Mickleover, a suburban Derby town, put up a sign reading: ‘Avant Homes, our review. We moved in on April 1, 2021 and the work has not yet been completed. Avant no longer responds to us. There is a lot of unfinished work. We are happy to share photos. Don’t make the mistake we made’
‘Avant no longer responds to us. There is a lot of unfinished work. We are happy to share photos. Don’t make the mistake we made.
A frustrated Mr Singh erected the sign, which he designed himself, on March 6.
Avant Homes told Derbyshire Live that they have been in discussions with Mr Singh regarding the £500,000 property.
A spokesperson for Avant Homes said: “Having fully investigated the occupant’s concerns regarding his home, we believe that a significant number of these were caused by the construction of an extension on the property after the home was purchased.”
According to the company, the extension voided some aspects of the property’s NHBC Buildmark guarantee, an issue that was explained to Mr Singh.
“We inspect the home and communicate to the occupant what is acceptable for us to resolve regarding their concerns outside of those created by the extension,” a spokesperson said.
“Our customer liaison team is proactively dealing with a very small number of residents in the development who have raised concerns to ensure reasonable requests are addressed.”
Avant Homes said they have been in discussions with Mr Singh regarding the £500,000 house. According to the company, the extension voided some aspects of the property’s NHBC Buildmark guarantee, an issue that was explained to Mr Singh.
Singh said: ‘They are ignoring us and it doesn’t bother them. We are tired. How can they leave it like this? They agree with me when I speak to them and then no one comes. Someone has to show up.
The property has a sloping porch over the front door.
However, Mr Singh says his design causes water to trickle down the wall to the side of the door, creating moisture and moss growth.
Singh said an upstairs toilet seat is damaged and an extractor fan has faulty lighting.
Other residents on the street, including Kevin Crisp and his family, say they have experienced similar problems.
Mr Crisp said: ‘There’s been a lot of stuff. We had a Queen’s Jubilee street barbecue last year and the theme was that everyone has the same problem.’
At their home, which they moved into in 2021, they claim a sink issue caused the kitchen counter to warp and a replacement was cut too short.
Mr Crisp’s partner said: ‘Customer service is devilish. Even during the checkout process we were ignored.
Avant Homes said the problems were caused by building an extension that affected its warranty.
Avant Homes told Derbyshire Live that they are working with “a very small number” of residents in Cotchett Village, on the A516 Etwall Road, to address their concerns.
Steven Bosworth, who also lives on the estate, claims his house was plagued with problems when he moved in in 2020.
He said his downstairs toilet was ripped out and refitted due to water leaking through the walls, his floors were repaired due to scratches and his kitchen units redone due to missing sockets.
He said: ‘We would never buy from them again. They are a waste of time and don’t want to fix anything. I constantly push them to come and fix things and we are still waiting.
Another couple who live close to Mr. Singh said that their experience with Avant Homes has been positive.
They believe they were among the first to move, having acquired the keys in March 2020.
They said any issues were quickly resolved after the first Covid-19 lockdown eased that summer.
At the time, not many other people lived on the site, and merchants worked in the houses every day.
However, they claim that customer service has ‘gone downhill’ ever since.
