In summer 2005 I moved into my present flat. It is a so called new build, built by a well-known company, that, for arguments sake, we shall call Barratt. I am neither advising people to stay away from such properties, nor advocating them, but here is one of the problems I've had with this developer.

The brochure described it as a gently-sloping back garden. But when Alan and Jackie Carter prepared to move into their newly-completed four-bedroom Bellway house, they were horrified to discover what could only be described as a cliff towering above it.

We purchased a 2 bed flat from DWH in May 2003. We only went to look at the Development with no intention to buy and came away determined to purchase one of the flats. The deposit was down within a week. The flat was near complete and had only the kitchen, sanitary ware, skirting etc to fit.

When the Gallimores from Rhoose Point bought their £200,000 house, they discovered a unique water feature that they could do without. Most new houses, when bought, have a few snags which need correcting but weeks after buying a new house in Rhoose Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, Paul and Karen Gallimore faced a rather more pressing problem.

This article has been compiled from the mass of e-mails we receive from Fairford Leys residents concerning the problems of buying a new home in this development and we hope it will be helpful to anyone considering buying a property here.

Drumbow Homes are the worst builders I have experienced for snagging. and in general. I had to involve NHBC to exert pressure on them to do anything.

Furious homeowners in Portishead are threatening to stage a sit-in at the offices of dock developer Crest Nicholson - unless complaints about their homes are sorted out.

Christopher Browne meets a couple whose spirits were dampened by their new home. Family ties and low property prices persuaded Gavin and Julie Griffin to buy a new house on a George Wimpey Homes estate near their childhood city of Sheffield. Read more...

WHEN PR executive Heather Scott moved into a new six-bedroom detached house in the East Lothian village of East Saltoun, she wanted to be sure it had been finished to the high standards she expected. Homes on the exclusive 21-property estate sell for £350,000 upwards - and at that price it wasn’t an unreasonable request.

At this point we then inspected the property and found approximately THIRTY defects. Some of these were cosmetic, some more important (i.e. the bathroom light could only be turned on if the hall light was already on).The site manager then mentioned to us that he had fitted the thermostat on the top floor (this is a three storey house) because the electrician could not trace the wiring where it should be.