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Restoration & Refurbishment

Poor workmanship

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.32 PM

My builder has been paid almost £5000 already to refurb 3 rooms, kitchen, living room and wc After 7 months!! I gave him a week to complete and asked him to leave. I wrote to him with this list of problems around 57 of them. He then wrote back ignoring all my complaints and wrote a letter about stuff that wasn't even in my complaint letter. On he's final invoice it came to around£4700 but now has come back to me asking for £2000 to clear this problem up. He then goes on to say if I'm not happy with this he is more than happy to take me to court with a report about how my house is damp (we new this when we purchased the house 3 years ago) and two statements from a electrician and a painter. The electrician (who only fitted a plug socket and a light) and from the painter saying my partner changed her mind in colours for the Walls and now the builder is saying that my partner changed her mind all the time when actually she didn't and that's why it took so long. I should of realised after so many months but due to other issues in my life I didn't pick this up about the time scale. In he's letter he wrote to me saying it was because of her complete unhelpful decisions she gave. I do not want to pay him a penny and if needs to be let him take me to court but can I (counterclaim??) for the money already he has got! So it can go back into the house as we need to start again on a lot of jobs Thanks

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4 Answers

Anonymous user

Darren, With anything legal it is best to consult a solicitor and seek their advice. It is not helpful to get into disputes with a builder. The longer they go on the more stressful and detrimental they are to both parties, Regards, John Briner Briner & sons

Answered24 September 2011

Anonymous user

Hi, By the sound of it the builder wants shot of you and you want shot of him. You have already posted a question on here about taking the same builder to court for getting your money back for bad workmanship(why pay him initially? and then keep employing him?). Surely it would be best to either sit down with the builder, and discuss both sides of the dispute and come to an agreement. Or seek legal advice if you can't agree. It's pointless posting questions on here, we aren't solicitors. Even if you win the case, usually the court would say the builder has to be granted access so he can put the work right. Then you still have to pay him, otherwise they will think you just don't want to pay full stop.

Answered25 September 2011

Ch kitchens bedrooms bathroom

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Burnley

I agree with building design. Get a independent surveyor in to assess the works completed it will give you a better chance of winning in court over the defect workmanship. As for the rest of the disagreement try to sort it out with the builder. But do it in writing outlining the things you want putting right and the expected time scale. Failing that cut your losses and get another builder in. Regards Chris

Answered27 September 2011

Anonymous user

I agree lengthy disputes should be avoided. A report from a Chartered Surveyor like myself would be useful to itemise and describe every fault that is reasonable and the report can be produced to a solicitor or in court if you need to.

Answered25 September 2011