Ashford Homes Under Scrutiny: A Family's £600,000 Dream House Becomes a Living Nightmare in Devizes

David Walker, a 52-year-old builder, thought he had secured his family's dream house when they purchased a £600,000 new build in Devizes, Wiltshire, from Ashford Homes last April. But, far from being a safe and sturdy haven, the house has become a source of constant stress and turmoil for the family.

Moving In With High Hopes

The Walkers were initially thrilled with their purchase and looked forward to settling into their beautiful new home. Built by Ashford Homes, a company known for its long-standing reputation, the house appeared to be everything the family had dreamed of.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

However, David soon discovered a litany of issues that transformed their "dream house" into a "living nightmare." He compared the experience to living on a construction site, as the house has been riddled with major issues, including poor workmanship, missing insulation, uneven floors, leaks, and a lack of wall ties.

The situation has been so dire that the family has had to move out of their home three times since buying the house, so that work could be done to fix the problems. They have even had to stay with David's mother during the repairs.

A Constant Fight With Ashford Homes

Despite David's own background in building, the lack of assistance and responsiveness from Ashford Homes has turned the situation into "a constant fight" for him. David voiced his frustration, saying, "Everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong, it’s absolutely horrendous because we’ve got no natural light and we can’t do anything in the garden. We can’t have friends round or entertain, or even put the washing out because it’s just banging all day."

The problems reached a peak in January 2023 when the developers put up scaffolding to address some of the ongoing issues. David and his family feel trapped in a never-ending cycle, with no clear end in sight.

Ashford Homes' Response

In response to the claims, Ashford Homes emphasised that it was "currently directly addressing isolated issues" at its Maton Close development. They further stated that the properties had been inspected and signed off by Building Control, and all benefit from a ten-year structural warranty from a leading provider.

Ashford Homes has expressed its commitment to "completing the remedial works to the high standards that both we, and our client, rightly expect." The company's reputation is now under scrutiny as the Walkers' experience raises questions about the quality and reliability of their developments.

The Walker family's story serves as a cautionary tale for potential homebuyers, and as a reminder that the purchase of a dream home can sometimes turn into an unexpected nightmare. Ashford Homes, once a name associated with quality and trust, now faces a potential reputation crisis as it works to remedy the problems with the Walker family's home. David's final words ring as a warning: "I expected this to be our dream home, but it’s been nothing but a living nightmare."