Persimmon homeowners warn off buyers in new snagging row

A couple have put up signs warning potential house-buyers to avoid purchasing properties on their estate in Newquay, Cornwall, due to a dispute with Persimmon Homes.

Lucy and Guy Sousse said the FTSE 100 company has failed to repair 90 faults in the house that they moved into a year ago and so the couple have capitalised on their home’s position next to the Goldings estate’s marketing suite by putting up messages such as: “don’t buy, run!”.

"We did expect snagging moving in initially with a new home. But we didn't expect that the back-patio doors wouldn't close overnight, which is a health and safety risk. My little boy walking up the stairs finding nails sticking out - that's definitely not just snagging," said Lucy Sousse.

The couple’s complaints are echoed by some other residents of the estate, with homeowner Tamsin Lynex telling the BBC that she feels like she wasted money on her “rushed” house.

Persimmon said it was committed to fixing the problems but had been unable to find time to arrange the work.

"Our policy is that we will not work in a customer's home without them being present. Under these circumstances, the presence of the sign is regrettable and has had an impact on other residents who are happy in their homes," said a statement from the company.

Rushing house building has come back to haunt industry giants before, with Bovis Homes shelling out a total of £10.5m to fix poor quality builds last July in a scandal that cost the company its chief executive and resulted in a profit warning. Bovis's hurried attempts to complete houses saw customers given incentives to move into properties that were still unfinished and sometimes had electrical and plumbing problems.

Persimmon’s shares were up 0.84% at 2,512.00p at 1630 BST.