Ugly home truths that new owner made public

AFTER a number of disasters with her new home, Natalie Gilmer reached breaking point. Plagued by overflowing sewage, faulty plumbing which yielded only cold water and flooding, the 28-year-old paramedic decided go public with her woes by fixing a banner to the front of her home to warn other prospective buyers.

Since putting up the sign on the Kings Hill development in West Malling, Kent, which warns: "We bought a Countryside [Properties] house. Speak to us before you do," Ms Gilmer has had dozens of notes from prospective buyers thanking her for the advice. Her neighbours have also put up notices complaining of problems with fittings.

"Nearly every day a workman is repairing something," said Ms Gilmer. "They must have made over 100 visits. As soon as they fix one thing something else goes wrong."

Ms Gilmer liked the 192,500 three-bedroom house, which she bought from Countryside Properties with her fianc" eight months ago. She said: "I know we could have got something 20,000 cheaper that had been lived in. But you can decorate a brand new home and everything should be in perfect working order."

Her housing nightmare began before she moved.

"We were told we couldn't move in for three weeks after completion because the property was not

ready," she said. "In return, the company said they'd landscape our garden and they did - seven months later. For that time it was a mud heap with rusty nails."

But the real disasters were to come. Days after moving in the roof leaked into the loft, which had to be completely redecorated. Then there were problems with the hot water. Ms Gilmer said: "We couldn't have a bath for five months. The shower would last a few moments before it went cold. The first time we filled the bath with cold water we realised the chrome ring surrounding the plug hadn't been sealed and the water poured through the ceiling. Next we discovered the overflow hadn't been connected and so another flood took place."

Then it became clear that the garage had been built from porous bricks which let through rainwater, causing another flood. "All the rooms have been affected by damp because of flooding or faulty plumbing," said Ms Gilmer.

Scaffolding put up to fix the roof should have been up for five days. Instead it was up for five weeks.

"The wind whistling through it at night made it impossible to sleep," she said. "The only thing louder is the hot water system. One night the sewage overflowed and the whole house stank."

She decided on her action after unproductive meetings with Countryside Properties. Company regional manager Phillip Baxter would not comment on a specific case but said: "We are dealing with the people concerned directly."

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