Furious homeowners demand Barrett Homes fix their brand new £150,000 properties that became covered in MOULD just six years after being built
- Plymouth residents in uproar after fungus began spreading all over their homes
- Retired shop manager Jean Martin, 72, is heading group and starting petition
- Barratt Homes said houses ‘are rendered and render requires regular upkeep’
A group of furious residents are demanding their brand new homes are fixed after the properties became covered in mould just years after being built.
Jean Martin is heading a group of residents who bought new-builds six years ago and say they’re already disintegrating – claiming it will cost £3,000 to put the damage right.
The 72-year-old said her complaints have fallen on deaf ears and claimed developer Barratt Homes told her the homes were out of warranty.
Brand new homes in Plymouth, Devon, have become covered in mould just six years after being built. Brown streaks of fungus are seen plaguing the exterior of the new-builds
A group of residents who bought the new homes in 2013 say they’re already disintegrating – and claim it will cost £3,000 to fix
Mrs Martin, from Plymouth, Devon, has set up a petition with neighbours demanding action is taken.
The retired shop manager said: ‘We’ve got red streaks coming through the outside paintwork and black blotches appearing through the outside paintwork.
‘In addition, rendering breaking up around the windows. We’ve been here for six years. Other properties built ten months before ours are in an even worse condition.
‘You wouldn’t believe that these houses, government funded, are so new. It looks like mould is coming through the black parts of the property.
Retired shop manager Jean Martin (pictured), 72, is heading the group which has set up a petition with neighbours demanding action is taken.
‘We had a builder around, who said that the only way we would be able to get rid of it is to strip the rendering right back down, and re-rendering it. We wouldn’t get a penny out of £3,000.’
Jean said the National House Building Council told her that the warranty does not cover this particular issue, while Plymouth Community Homes could not help either.
She continued: ‘We’re going around in circles and having absolutely no joy whatsoever, with nobody taking ownership, for which I am astounded.
‘Barratt Homes say the issue is out of warranty, the NHBC advise that we are under a ten-year warranty which doesn’t cover this problem.
‘Then Plymouth Community Homes advise they have no idea how to get rid of the issues.
‘The properties are relatively new and we take pride in our properties and do not appreciate having this to the exterior, which is obviously caused by shoddy workmanship in the mix. There is no other explanation.’
White walls at the doorsteps to the properties have turned black after being covered in mould
Mrs Martin and a number of her neighbours are going to petition for action to be taken.
‘Someone must be able to look at these cases and act appropriately,’ she said. ‘We are going to take this to our MP to see what can be done. It’s just not fair that nobody is taking responsibility for a problem that isn’t our fault.’
In a statement, Barratt Homes confirmed that the properties on the plot are out of warranty.
‘The houses are rendered and render requires regular maintenance. We have been in touch with both the housing association and the residents to advise them of the best way of maintaining the render.’
MailOnline has approached Barratt Homes for comment.
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