'Cold means I can't live in my newbuild in winter'
BBCHomeowners have said they are "freezing" in their newbuild properties during winter due to problems with insulation and airflow.
One homeowner in North Yorkshire said living in his property had triggered asthma symptoms and given him chilblains on his feet, forcing him to move out during the winter months two years running.
Software developer Rav Sispal bought his newbuild from Avant Homes in March 2023 and has had multiple issues, including leaking windows, structural cracking and problems with the decorative work.
"I've not been able to live comfortably for two years, and at times I've had to wake up and sleep in 6 degrees," he said.
Avant Homes said its houses were energy efficient and built to National House Building Council (NHBC) standards on thermal performance.
Sispal purchased the property before it was built, putting down a £500 reservation fee before securing a mortgage for the £450,000 asking price.
But the problems started immediately, he said.
"From the moment I moved in there were signs of this property's windows leaking quite significantly to the point where the water was going down the stairs. I did report this and they said this had already been addressed.
"For 10 months, I was left with water pooling in and dripping all the way through the frames, all the way along to my bed, and at 05:00 when there was a thunderstorm having to put towels down and trying to stop the water going down to the rooms below.
"My floorboards are lifting and bowing and they will never be the same again."
Sispal said his main problem was the cold - with heat escaping quickly from the house.
"Through the day when I'm working in my office, the floor is cold as if it's wet. It's freezing cold in the whole house.
"Ultimately, because my health worsened, I had to leave the property over winter and I've had to do that two years in a row and stay with my parents while still being on hook to pay all the bills, council tax and mortgage."
An Avant Homes spokesperson said the company had replaced the Velux windows in their entirety following multiple repairs.
They said: "We undertook repairs of the Velux window on a number of occasions, but none of them were to Mr Sispal's satisfaction."
The spokesperson said the company was liaising with Sispal and the NHBC to resolve issues relating to the top floor bedroom and garage ceiling.
"We are committed to resolving the snagging issues identified by the NHBC and have been actively liaising with Mr Sispal to grant us access to his home to undertake the works required.
"As yet, he has not agreed any access dates with us but once they are established we will be able to enter the property and rectify them."
In response to a roof leak Sispal had in the home, an Avant spokesperson said the company had attended within 48 hours of being made aware.
They said: "The NHBC has investigated the roof leak and found nothing materially wrong with the ground floor extension to cause the leak."
A spokesperson from the NHBC said the organisation had assisted Sispal under its resolution service on three occasions.
They said: "Some valid works have been completed by the builder. The builder is ready to carry out the remaining necessary works identified and has requested dates from Mr Sispal to agree when he will allow access to his home to undertake them.
"We remain committed to ensuring Mr Sispal's concerns are resolved in line with the building regulations and our industry-leading standards."
Olga Ellis bought a similar newbuild property from Avant Homes in South Yorkshire and said there were "issues from day one".
"The first year, back in 2018, there were snagging issues but the real concern wasn't acknowledged until October/November 2018 and that was a cold house," she said.
"My central heating bill was high and the house would never warm up.
"I did raise this with Avant and they went through their procedure: if the radiator was bleeding, if I was using the correct temperature, if I knew how to use a thermostat, and then they had their plumbers out to make sure the radiators were installed correctly."
Ellis, who paid £214,000 for the property, said it had made it difficult for her to work from home.
"I've lived in old homes and they were very insulated. So this has been a new experience for me, a bad experience, it's been very stressful," she said.
"I cannot bring guests around because it's so cold. I can't bring my mum round who is in her 80s.
"It doesn't feel like home."
She has now decided to take legal action against Avant Homes.
"You worry about fighting big developers and you're only a little person," she said.
Avant said it had carried out the works required on Ellis's property, which were "inspected and done to the satisfaction of the NHBC".
A spokesperson said: "Ms Ellis raised her concerns via an NHBC resolution which was found to be valid. We therefore carried out the works required.
"Ms Ellis has since raised further concerns directly with Avant Homes. We are in the process of arranging joint visits with her representatives with a view to agreeing the scope of works required."
The spokesperson said Avant Homes would attend to "any valid defects raised that are recognised as such by the NHBC".
A spokesperson from the NHBC said it had assisted Ellis through its resolution service and required the builder to carry out some works.
They said: "We have also reviewed subsequent information provided by Ms Ellis.
"This does not show that the original construction of her property fails to comply with the building regulations set by government."
Both Sispal and Ellis invited thermographer and expert witness Paul Buckingham to perform thermal smoke tests on their properties.
Non-toxic smoke was released into the kitchen with the doors sealed.
The results of the tests showed smoke emerging from under guttering, out of air bricks and around windows.
Buckingham said this indicated the house was not properly sealed or insulated.
"With government plans to build 1.5m houses over the next parliament, to these kind of standards, with this amount of energy leaking out of these buildings, it's not going to meet their climate change targets. Gas consumption will go through the roof," he said.
"We need to start building them properly, make them airtight, make them well insulated, seal them all up and bring energy consumption down."
A spokesperson from the NHBC said building regulations were set by government.
They said: "During construction, builders are required to ensure the homes they are building comply with the building regulations.
"Factors like flooring, window coverings and how the heating system is used can affect how warm a home feels.
"We remain committed to supporting homeowners through our resolution service if our assessment finds that a builder has not addressed a valid issue."
Arnold Tarling, chartered surveyor specialising in defects in buildings, fire regulations and heat loss, said the regulatory bodies were too closely connected to the developers, meaning they defended the builders rather than the purchasers.
He said: "To stop heat escaping from a building you have to seal it up completely.
"And what you see from the smoke getting through is that building is not particularly well sealed - there are holes, there are gaps.
"One of the problems with modern buildings is they save time using plaster board instead of wet plastering.
"That's thatched to the wall with little dobs of plaster and then there's an air gap between the plaster board and the brickwork.
"Dot and dab plaster board should be sealed all around the perimeter to stop air or smoke or fumes from a fire from escaping.
"It's not being done correctly in modern buildings."
Steve Turner, executive director of the Home Builders Federation, said the majority of newbuild buyers were happy with their homes and customer satisfaction levels were at record highs.
"Newbuild homes are constructed to a rigorous set of standards that ensure their quality, safety, energy efficiency and structural integrity," he said.
Turner said air tightness tests were conducted on all new home designs.
"Unlike second-hand buyers, newbuild owners are protected by a builder guarantee, a 10-year structural warranty and a robust Consumer Code, with the majority now having access to the independent New Homes Ombudsman Service," he said.
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