Problems, problems!

[Becca00]

I moved into an old farm cottage a few years ago which is owned by a country estate who have a factor who deals with lettings. The previous tennants moved out due to the disrepair, damp issues etc. The house was renovated before I moved in, including new oil central heating system. The house looked lovely. New carpets, magnolia walls throughout, new kitchen, new radiators.

 

Fast forward 3 years! No end of problems with the heating.

 

Heating

The first month or so the new boiler kept breaking down leaving me with no heating for periods in late winter/early spring. Plumber said it was a terrible boiler and he spoke to the factor about replacing it. Being a penny pincher he decided it should just be repaired.

 

A year later I had an oil leak and lost about 100 pounds of oil. It is an outside boiler and I stepped out the front door one morning to a huge puddle of oil. That was fixed, then at the start of December last year all but 2 of my radiators were only barely luke warm. Plumber paid me around 10 visits all together, checking radiators, re pressurising boiler every couple of days anf then finally after 2 months of faffing about he put leak stuff in the system which seems to have resolved the issue.

 

I had to buy a couple of halogen heaters as the house was freezing while this was going on, so am out of pocket for those and the extra electricity. Its been a miserable winter and I've had to take my 12 year old daughter to my dad's for baths as the bathroom was like a fridge and she was in tears one night as she was so cold in the bath.

 

I wrote to the factor asking to be compensated for being out of pocket and for the inconvenience. 4 weeks later and no reply, so I wrote again and he replied saying no compensation will be given as it isn't their policy to compensate for system breakdowns. Doesn't surprise me as he's well known for being a penny pincher and and a difficult man to reason with. He's known for ages that the boiler is rubbish after the previous issues with it! That's not the only issue I gave with the house!!

 

Cracks in ceiling/mold/damp

Cracks have appeared in the living room ceiling and bedroom ceilings which have been there before I moved in as you can see where they've just been patched over. They zig zag across the ceiling. Some are 6 or 7 feet long and 3 or 4mm wide and they are gradually getting worse. At one of them in the living room there is an area about a foot in diameter which is covered in brown mold spots and patches and in the bedroom there are 5 damp patches in the area where the cracks are. There is an area of damp at the bottom of the wall in one corner of the living room where the plaster is now starting to come away.

 

Lighting issue

There is no downstairs light in the hall, just one upstairs. The switch at the bottom of the stairs doesn't work and never has so I have to go upstairs in the pitch dark to switch it on.

 

I made the factors office aware of these issues 6 weeks ago. 4 weeks ago they sent their maintenance man round to look at the house. He said they may put a new living room ceiling up under the existing one,without any mention of investigating why the cracks/mold have appeared. He said he'd be back in a couple of weeks which never happened. What can I do?

 

The house looks nice on the surface so don't know how much disrepair it can be siad to have. I have registered on the council house list but it takes about 10 years to get a house in this area, and I have also registered with the local housing association. I'm a single parent and worry about causing roo much of a fuss incase the factor gives me notice to leave.

 

Any suggestions?

Edited March 11, 2013 by Becca00

[Becca00]

To add to all the issues, just been to the front door and there is a small pile of snow inside the door where the door doesn't meet the frame! About 4 inches long, w inch wide and 1 inch deep!!

[Steve__M]

Can you add some paragraphs.

[Becca00]

Sorry, doing it from my phone and can't seem to get it right!!

[mariner51]

Is the property in Scotland?

 

I think 'old farm cottage' prob explains most of your 'gripes', as they tend not to be eco friendly new builds

Where you provided with an EPC?

 

It would be easier to follow if you reduced text to headings and short explanatory note.

[Becca00]

Have managed to edit the post a bit. Hope it makes for easier reading!

 

Have never had an EPC for the property. Didn't know these existed.

 

Thanks