Problem with new conservatory

[poppynurse]

Why does it alwasy happen to me???

I shopped around for a conservatory and settled on a company who I felt would provide quality and value. Their surveyor came out and measured up, I pointed out things that I thought might be an issue, was told no problem, and the workmen arrived as promised.

The conservatory is rectangular and will be just 14 inches from neighbours fence line (which is not straight - it bows in towards my garden), I was concerned about getting down that side to clean the glass but was reassured that there would be room. When the foundations were dug I queried it as it didn't look like there would be room to get down the side, the surveyor wasn't available but I was promised a call back which never happened. In the meantime I spoke to one of the chaps in the shop who said that the surveyor denied the conversation re cleaning windows and if i wanted to change that wall to brick I would have to pay £700 extra (I can't afford this) and it would put the job back by weeks.

Now I find they have built the base the wrong way round - ie with the long side to the house, so there is no room to get down the side to clean the windows due to it being built the wrong way round. Also they did not account for the drop from the house to the garden so whilst it looks like there will be a minimal level change from house to conservatory ther is a huge drop from conservatory to garden (and no apparently they are not responsible for steps...)

Thoughts/ideas please? I'm going to be paying for this for the next seven years....

[freakyleaky]

Did you get a set of plans for the consrvatory before they started work on it?
Did you have a written contract detailing the work and the estimated costs?

[Bookworm]

Put down in writing everything, and I mean everything that's not right, go through it with a fine tooth comb, complete with pictures. Send it to the manager and tell him you will be withholding payment until everything is set right and you are satisfied with the finished work. If you have a direct debit set up, cancel it asap and notify them that you have done so.

You might also have a word with Consumer Direct to make them aware.

I had the same problem with Anglian when they re-did my porch last year, there were so many things wrong, I could have cried considering this was the biggest thing we've ever done on the house. After I told them no fixing, no payment, the manager came out himself and I pointed out everything that was botched up, it was sorted in less than 1 week.

[poppynurse]

Trouble is they built the foundation whilst I was at work (dark when I got home) the next day I didn't realise that they had built it the wrong way round when I rang to speak to the surveyor, I spoke to his colleague and he said he would get the surveyor to ring me back but he didn't.
I worked the next day so didn't realise it was the wrong way round until the dwarf wall was up - but it was the surveyors mistake. He didn't give me a copy of the plan or I would have spotted it, and at no point did they mention that there would be a big drop to the garden. But late to start 'turning it around' now....
I just got a standard contract with lots of small print and the final dimensions and price.

[Bookworm]

Well, from your nick, I'm going to hazard a guess that you're not a builder or a surveyor, right? That's why you were paying someone to do the job, otherwise you'd do it yourself, yes? So it's hardly up to you to spot the mistake.

As for the big drop, sorry, I don't even start to understand what happened there, if it had been built the right way round, would there still be a big drop? If not, then it's up to them to solve it. If yes, then it's something which you and the surveyor should have discussed beforehand, I think. As I said, it is difficult to understand without seeing it or knowing what your garden looks like.

[poppynurse]

Absolutely BW! And I didn't know that there would be a drop...apparently the garden is a fair bit lower than the inside floor (does that make sense??), so they've built the consevartory floor up to house floor level. This results in about 18 inch drop from consrvatory floor to garden (and also makes the conservatory wall look really high from the outside), apparently I am reponsible for adding steps....that was definately not mentioned by them. Methinks they could have dropped the conservatory floor a bit so as to step down from house floor, then step down into garden! Trouble is the surveyor is unavailable to speak with me and his colleague says he is denying discussions about fence line...the wall is fully built now and floor in so a bit late to amend I suppose.

[Bookworm]

Well, you have to think of what you want done to resolve it to your satisfaction and get that in writing, including the conversation the surveyor now denies having had with you, and the fact that no-one pointed out to you that problem that would get caused by the garden gradient. At the very least, the fact that such an important fact was overlooked casts doubts on the surveyor's ability.

As you said, you will be paying for this for a long time, so you should make sure it is remedied to your satisfaction. If it means them having to re-do the work at their own expense, that's not your problem.

Think of it this way: Are you getting, in your opinion, what you are paying for? If the answer is no, then you should seek to get that and no less. It may well be that due to the surveyor's inefficiency and you not thinking about it (which I still think is the surveyor's job and not yours), you'll end up having to pay for steps as well. Or maybe you could live with the side wall not being the way you wanted it, but you'd be willing to let that go in exchange for them building you steps? As I said, you first need to think of how you want the issue solved, then set it in writing to them, but make sure they know that until it is solved, they won't get paid.

[poppynurse]

Would I be justified in withholding an amount off the bill? The frame is due to go on today - I could live with it the way it is, although it is not what I wanted/ordered, my hubbie could build some steps but I don't see that I should pay the full £8.5k for something they've cocked up?

[10110001]

I hope this wasn’t Lifestyle Conservatories of East Sussex by any chance?. I ordered a conservatory two years ago and it went pear-shape, long story. Half way through, their builders were taken off the job and wouldn’t finish it, no floor, electrics, leaving it open to the elements - and left my garage filled high with glass sealed units. I ended up hiring a builder to finish it nine months later.

It was never admitted, but my feeling is Lifestyle resented me pressuring their visiting salesman into cutting the quote down from £55,600 to £23,100 and thus left no profit margin in the job.

You post rings alarm bells.

Originally Posted by poppynurse

I'm going to be paying for this for the next seven years....

Along with these ones…

Originally Posted by poppynurse

Now I find they have built the base the wrong way round...

...Also they did not account for the drop from the house to the garden...

...and no apparently they are not responsible for steps...

etc..etc.. My only regret about my conservatory is I didn’t buy it on finance, or a loan regulated under the Consumer Credit Act.

1. Look at your finance agreement, is it regulated under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 – If yes then hooray!
2. Is your conservatory loan less than £30,000 – If yes then hooray hooray!
3. Are both you and your conservatory company in England? If yes then you have restitution.

You can get all your money back and have a builder do the job properly.
The Consumer Credit Act 1974 legislates that the credit provider is jointly liable with the merchant for defective goods and services supplied under a regulated transaction, and you can ask for your money back under Section 75 of the Act.

[andynich]

I am not sure whether this will help but I used to sell windows / conservatories etc for both national and large regional companies. I can only comment on how it was with my firms....not all firms are the same.

The surveyor should have produced proper drawings of your conservatory for the company. This would detail all measurements, including distance from boundry wall. It would include floor heights, step downs as well. You should be able to get access to this drawing as you will have paid a survey fee (even if you wern't told) which covers the surveyors costs.

If the external wall is 18" high, in my opinion you are better having house / conservatory floor at the same height. It is not necessary to cost in providing an external step to the garden but a good salesman would at least ask.

As for it being built the wrong way round, you must have signed something and at the very least it should contain a description even if there are no sketches. This will have the external size on so you have a case to prove it is built the wrong way. Anything other than a toatl rebuild is just an excuse from the firm involved, you do not have to settle for this.

What to do - I make no attempt at legal recourse but in my experience the customers who had a problem and got it resolved better were the ones who made most noise. I know its not fair but its the way of the world. You dont state the size of the company involved but if I assume its quite a large regional one, find out the name of the Sales Manager and ring him every day, twice a day! Use Companies House to find any directors you can...ring them constantly. Try to record phone conversations but back up everything in writing. If you can live with it going to print use the local press, most have a consumer champion kind of thing.

Lastly withold payment of anything not already paid....this will be your greatest weapon. The company will threaten...use legal services via your home insurance if you have them or try other free legal options.

On a side note I will try and write a guide to the scams all direct salespeople will try and use to get you to sign on the dotted line. It doesnt matter whether its a kitchen, windows etc etc it what makes us money. Sorry 10110001 your price drop is the oldest one in the book.

Good luck

[Helford]

As you state conservatory would be approximately 14 inches from your boundary, planning permission would normally be required for the project.

As the conservatory has allegedly been built the wrong way around, then this would be in breach of such permmissions. Some conservatories/sun rooms are subject to building regulations and an 18" step would not be acceptable.

It's worth googling 'CDM Regulations' as these stiplulate construction project requirements.

H

[10110001]

Originally Posted by andynich

Sorry 10110001 your price drop is the oldest one in the book.

Perhaps, but this is a 16.5m x 4.6m edwardian gabled conservatory running almost the entire length of the property. Those measurements are metres not feet.

This is what Lifestyle left me with for months & this is only some of it.



It wasn't until I instructed a solicitor to clear up the mess that I got restitution.

Oldest one in the book - I got every excuse in the book.

[andynich]

Apologies 10110001 I wasn't meaning to make light of your situation and I do accept I was part of a wholly unethical industry!

[Bookworm]

Originally Posted by 10110001

Perhaps, but this is a 16.5m x 4.6m edwardian gabled conservatory running almost the entire length of the property. Those measurements are metres not feet.

This is what Lifestyle left me with for months & this is only some of it.



It wasn't until I instructed a solicitor to clear up the mess that I got restitution.

Oldest one in the book - I got every excuse in the book.

I've heard of "al fresco", but blimey!

[10110001]

Originally Posted by andynich

Apologies 10110001 I wasn't meaning to make light of your situation and I do accept I was part of a wholly unethical industry!

Tis OK, all fixed now, on budget but 9 months late. Not sure I could be a conservatory salesman.