Chris and Steph outside their house (Image: BBC) Share your email to get the latest property news More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Share your email to get the latest property news Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice A couple who bought their first home have been left devastated after making a huge mistake. Steph and Chris Oliver were excited to move into their newly built three-bedroom house , which they bought using the 'Help to Buy' government scheme for £130,000. However, as reported by the Mirror , their joy quickly turned to shock when they discovered a building error that had been missed during the property checks. When they needed a new mortgage in 2015, they were shocked to find out their house was worth nothing due to construction issues. And, as revealed on
BBC One's Rip Off
Britain show in 2020, they weren't alone - all 13 houses on their new estate in Bradford had the same problem. Read More Related Articles Photography firm 'sorry' after Aboyne school pictures omitted children with 'complex' needs Read More Related Articles EasyJet flight from Glasgow forced to make emergency landing after mid-air fault Chris, a graphic designer, expressed his disappointment on the show: "It's a mess. We feel let down by the systems in this country. There's been so many people who we should have been able to trust and rely on and no one wants to help." To make matters worse, Sherwood Homes, the company behind the development, went bankrupt in February 2020, leaving families with unfinished work costing thousands of pounds. "We tried to contact Sherwood Homes. There was no reply. They stopped answering phone lines and emails. We were in a state of panic," said Chris. Adeel Azfal, 27, who lives with his partner and their two-year-old daughter (Image: BBC) Adeel Afzal, 27, who shares his house with his partner and their two-year-old daughter Anya, nabbed their home for £175,000 in June 2016. "We've got a young family. My partner doesn't work so we are tied into what we thought would be our forever home," he told Bristol Live . Discovering it was valueless came as quite a shock. "When we realised it was worth nothing it was a shock. I'm in £150,000 worth of debt to my mortgage provider and I'm paying for a house that's worth nothing at all." One massive issue is the estate's proximity to an antiquated landfill site. The Council reveals that even though it has been inactive for over four decades, it still releases fatal methane gas when merged with other gases. Builders were supposed to add a safeguarding layer under each home's flooring, but residents remain uncertain if they executed the task at all or correctly. Hamid Khan secured ownership of one property, shelling out £180,000 back in 2016. Join the Daily Record
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BREAKING news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. He speculates that this protective layer was properly installed; however, without proof, verifying would entail ripping open their floors. "You can only verify it if you break the whole floor. It doesn't make sense," he explained. "You're so close to a landfill site and to not install a gas membrane and not install correctly. It's just unheard of." Gary Rycroft, a pro on all things related to house buying, suggests inhabitants should voice concerns about the solicitors handling their property purchase. "The conveyancing solicitor on the face of it hasn't spotted various issues you would expect them to spot," he highlighted. Mr Azfal said that the property lawyer should have checked things like the environment, the new road, and the drains because they are so important. He shared that neither the Olivers' nor his property lawyers apologised for their mistakes but agreed to contribute towards the cost of finishing the building work. As a result, he is now taking his complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. Top news stories today Grieving parents demand justice for tot Dad's knife threat after school fight Mum threw weedkiller in cop's face Scots paedophile
prison death probe A representative from Bradford Council expressed regret about the situation: "Clearly residents have been let down by the developer and the agencies that worked for the developer, and that is why the Council have supported residents through guidance and advice." The council representative added: "We understand that a number of the residents have successfully taken legal action against the developer's agencies in order to rectify some of the problems on site, which the Council considers to be the correct route for residents to be following." A spokesperson from Homes
England has commented on the case: "We have been in regular contact with Mr and Mrs Oliver over this matter and recognise the distress it has caused them." In addition, they mentioned that Homes England will cease collecting interest on Help to Buy loans for those affected by the situation. Don't miss the latest news from around
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