A different look at it!

[yozzer]

I cannot say I am surprised about this web site which to me appears to be first class, on the night of the TV feature there were 490 people viewing this site now there is about 20, I really doubt if 5 people will bother to look at it in the new few weeks.

You see that is the basic problem is mum and dad walking hand in hand across the threshold of the new sparkling house, little do they know what lurks behind and little do they care - only if you tell them it?s going to fall down ? they might.

The house buying public are perhaps as pathetic as the so-called tradesmen who build the house for them.

It?s like a new car ?it looks good to me ?

The web site was a good idea but I am not certain if your public are worth the effort!

I propose that all contracts between buyer and builder should have a built in retention fund, [it works in industry], the purchasers solicitor holds back 5% of the cost of the house and only releases it 12 months after the house is occupied, this would give the buyer time to find out all the problems associated with the property.

It won?t be put in place because the builders won?t let it, they have too much too lose.

By all means come on this site and have a good whinge but not about a bit of paint that?s run onto the twin wall socket - Lobby your MP and get the contract between builder and buyer stacked a little more in your favour.

Snagging.org good luck with the site - but don?t expect too much from your public, don?t be surprised if it runs out of steam shortly.

As far as the NHBC is concerned when I was but just a lad they were useless and over the years they have got better ? at being useless.

End of my Whinge

[Tony]

Hi Yasser,

There were actually 3000 visitors after the program, but no more than 500 at a time. Usually the site has between 100 and 200 unique visitors per day, which is not bad for something so niche. However, this has been tried before and both sites failed so the outlook is not great, you are right. The first was the National Association of New Home Owners (NANHO) and the second was the the UK New Home Owners Association.

I agree with your second point the only solution is via legislation which requires lobbying. The retention idea is one option and some people do manage to negotiate them, but it is not easy. I understand that these have to be approved at board level in some of the large developers.

Tony

[yozzer]

Tony,

I know the public and clients - they are useless, most complain when it's too late, some not at all, some don't know there are problems, the site is brillant and it is a credit to whoever put it together.

Unfortunately, your are more likely to generate viagra spam for yourselves than people with a real problems, most people don't even know they have problems until they see water coming through the ceiling, just when the NHBC runs out.

I have been in the construction industry all my working life ? there are no apprentices coming through the ranks and the last proper tradesmen are like me coming to the end or the sell-by date, this is the main problem - apart from greed of the builder.

Nothing will change if we don?t help it to change and it?s not like buying a car, a car is built to the nearest 1/1000 of an inch, if your lucky a house to the nearest brick.

I wish you every success with the site, Incidentally did you use Macromedia to produce it?

Here's a question, have building materials gone up in value the same as house prices over the last 10 years and that car you paid ?10,000 for 10 years back risen to ?40,000 - no I don't think so - so who's pocketing the money - yes you got it the builder!