interestrateripoff Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/conservation/11773530/Grand-Designs-presenter-Kevin-McClouds-eco-development-riddled-with-building-errors.html An eco-development by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud is riddled with building errors and shoddy workmanship, it has emerged. The 78 properties quickly sold out as buyers snapped up the state-of-the-art homes, which are "super insulated" and triple-glazed to preserve energy. But residents have reported a string of complaints including damp, draughty windows, uncapped chimneys and plasterboard problems. And following a gas leak it emerged that many of the central heating systems do not comply with standard regulations. .. Clare Honeyfield, 51, who moved into her £125,000 apartment last August, said she feels let down by the TV architect. .. "I don't see the corporate social responsibility I would expect from Kevin McCloud's company. I feel like we have been dumped while they move on. "I absolutely regret buying into the Kevin McCloud brand. I feel very disappointed. Poor article as it only mentions a single house price and no mention of what Kevin McCloud's home is worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewig Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 "I don't see the corporate social responsibility I would expect from Kevin McCloud's company." Sounds exactly what a 51 year old who bought a £125k flat would say. Word for word and unprompted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olde guto Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Didn't he have loads of problems with those houses he built in Swindon (prog about it was shown on either BBC 2 or C4)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtickle Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Didn't he have loads of problems with those houses he built in Swindon (prog about it was shown on either BBC 2 or C4)? He did yes. The series was called "Kevin's Grand Design" from December 2011. The incident I remember was the bathroom was so ridiculously tiny, that the door opened and banged onto the toilet - so you couldn't physically get into the room! I thought an architect would be able to do better than that, when designing a bathroom. Kevin seemed to want to (try to) blame the installation of the toilet, not his choice of room dimensions IIRC. It's a two-part series available on 4 On Demand here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevins-grand-design/episode-guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Is he a qualified architect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Isn't this probably exactly the same with every new build estate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2buyornot2buy Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Is he a qualified architect? Kevin? No he's not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 We seem to be good at trying new ideas, only for the developments to be bulldozed a few decades down the line. Labour councils attempted to demolish Georgian London and replace it with a concrete Utopia back in the sixties. The Utopia that got started back then is now demolished but the Georgian houses that were saved remain. McClouds may come and McClouds may go but the older houses go on forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy T Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/conservation/11773530/Grand-Designs-presenter-Kevin-McClouds-eco-development-riddled-with-building-errors.html Poor article as it only mentions a single house price and no mention of what Kevin McCloud's home is worth. Common sense that a 'Super Insulated' house is going to be prone to damp problems(from kitchen/bathroom condensation at least) unless you have some ventilation, and i'm guessing at 125k they won't have air exchange units. People trying to dry clothes hung in a room with the windows shut tight, where do they expect the moisture to go? Why would they cap a chimney when newly built, the chimney was obviously built to be used for heating (and perhaps regs required for some general ventilation) people are stupid and perhaps should of been given a manual of how to live in/use an eco house. Obviously gas/heating problems are not good. Are they covered by NHBC guarantee like typical builds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash4781 Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Wool jumper is going on. Nearly time for the heating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dames Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Isn't this probably exactly the same with every new build estate? You might say that , but i couldnt possibly comment. D - ( in construction for 27 years ). :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 ^^^ Why didn't you build stuff properly then? Cheap labour, sub standard skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 And tradespersons' salaries cut to the bone I would guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Wool jumper is going on. Nearly time for the heating. Miles cheaper and more flexible to insulate people rather than buildings a fact our ancestors understood but we have forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 And tradespersons' salaries cut to the bone I would guess. My son won't work in construction anymore. His last contract should have been for a year but ended up stretched out over 2.5 years. Mostly down to incompetent site agents, trades that produced such shoddy work it had to be redone or was messed up so badly that son would have to redo his installations - complete nightmare. These were 1.5M+ properties. The only people who made money out of it were the developers. Lesson learned for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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