Couple's new build home dream turns into 'nightmare' with infestation and damp
04.03.2024 - 11:24
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A couple's £320k new build home has been ruined by mould and beetles.
Diane Jackson, 61, and her partner Mark, 59, say their dream home near Darwen, Lancs, has turned into a "nightmare". They bought the four-bed property after selling their old house to their daughter.
But instead of enjoying their new life, they've faced nothing but problems. They claim to have found damp, mould and an infestation of beetles in their new home, making it unliveable. This has forced them to move into rented accommodation, which they're paying for on top of their mortgage.
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Diane, who has run a business for 20 years, said: "The beetles were in every room - it was awful. And the mould was horrendous. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even go in the house at one point. I wanted to show my family my new home and be proud of it, but I was embarrassed. It was so upsetting I couldn't have anyone visit."
The couple got the keys to their brand new home, part of the Davyfields development, on April 21 last year. Before moving in, Diane decided to lay new flooring.
But when she removed the plinths from under her kitchen cabinets, she was horrified to find the walls covered in damp and mould.
And things got even worse when, two weeks later, thousands of tiny black bugs started showing up all over the house. These were plaster beetles that like wet places.
Nine months after buying their four-bedroom detached house for £320,000, Diane says it's still not fit to live in. Now she's paying a £1,700 mortgage and £950 rent for another place.
Diane asked the builders, Applethwaite Limited, to sort out the mould and bugs in her house. They sent someone to get rid of