Hyndburn Homes Inspections

[accymel]

Missed the inspector this week as been on hols, typical been waiting ages for them, so booked now for wednesday morning for inspection as is Tinks, thing is we beleive its only to do with new bathrooms & kitchens ripping them out & replacing with fandangled stuff but missing the most important basic points of need here, which is central heating & double glazing for a start!!!

We are currently on very expensive & crap economy 7 blower heaters that are too expensive to run & are rubbish apart from eating the eleccy, we are on a hill point with only single glazing so winter is freezing & no real reliable heating apart from one solitary gas fire. So why the bathrroms & kitchens for priority??? when heating is more important to us lot up here & certainly need by priority those attending to 1st - thats why we voted em in for that point of promise, so we will be certainly bringing this up with him, specially cos means a big disruption & building site living for a bit

Cos to our way of thinking of our new landlords is that they are run & have same staff in majority as the old council, so feeling rather sceptical with all the upcoming empty promises. Anyone else had inspectors up?

[Madhatter]

We had our bathroom done here by north warwickshire borough council, and fhm, 7 months on I've still got plugs sockets hanging. Be warned unless your bathroom and kitchen is bad it's not worth the hassle, and they never finish them. they say it is but to you it won't be.
If they're storage heaters they won't change them, if it's a warm air blower fed from a central warm air heater via tubes, then they should, they don't work. Double glazing should have been done years ago, we've had it 12 years, give em a kick up the ass.

I strongly believe that there should be an internet based complaints and discusion service for all these councils and housing associations. They seem to be doing what they want where they want for who they want by whoever is the cheapest, and I'm sick of getting a shoddy service. They ignore complaints or fob us off, they don't listen, and if I complain for my nan I'm told to shut up, I'm not the tenant.

[Debbie J]

We haven't had the inspectors yet Mel, so let us have any hints and/or tips of how to deal with them for when we do

[Madhatter]

lol if it's anything like FHM they threaten to walk out if you dare to tell them how you want your kitchen other than stating which of the choices you want that a group of people with no taste dreamt up.

[jambutty]

A couple of years ago or so Twin Valley Homes (Blackburn and Darwen) did my windows (living room, bedroom, kitchen and washroom), front door (I don’t have a back door), kitchen and re-wired my flat. This is my experience. This is all related to a ground floor flat so it will be different (more complex) for a house.

They sent round an agent to discuss the installing of a new kitchen, re-wring the flat, double-glazing and new modern front door. She brought with her samples of all the variables that would be involved and was very helpful as we strolled through the process of selection. I was done in less than an hour. But then aesthetics was never my strong point.

I had a choice of the colour and type of front door and I also had a choice of the style of doors and drawer fronts on all the new kitchen units, the colour of the worktop, floor, wallpaper and colour of paint that the wallpaper would be painted and woodwork. I had limited input on the kitchen layout. In fact there was only one possible layout to take full advantage of the limited floor space. The only variable was where the washer would go. I chose the place and they agreed with my selection.

On the appointed day at the crack of dawn – well it was for me but in reality it was 0830 - the guys arrived to do the windows and doors.

Tip – Make sure that you and yours are up and breakfasted BEFORE they arrive. It is too late once they appear on your doorstep.

Tip 2 - if your TV aerial and telephone leads come through your old window frame disconnect them and pull them through to the outside before they 'do' that window. They will replace them when the new window frame goes in but not through the frame. The wires will be routed around the frame.

Tip 3 - move any furniture that makes access to the windows from the inside awkward. If you don’t they will but may not take the same care as you would. Those guys were in a hurry. Must be a bonus thing.

Tip 4 – if your home is a no smoking zone tell them the minute that they arrive.

Each window was completed, at least on the inside before the next one was started on. The old windowsill was covered over with a new plastic one. Any gaps were sealed with that white silicon sealant stuff and a masking strip of plastic was stuck over the seal. Shoddy work really!

Then came the electricians to do the re-wiring and change the electricity meter to a modern one.

Tip – cover all your furniture with the dust sheets that they supply but only for the room that they are working in. If there are not enough, ask for more. They have to supply them. Keep the doors to other rooms closed and if possible seal the gaps around them. It is amazing how the dust can still get into a room with a closed door.

Obviously all power to the home has to be disconnected at some time and in my case I would have been left without power for nearly a whole day. Yet they had to have power for their work so I asked them to supply me with power to my computer so that I could stay on line and my fridge freezer would also be connected. They obliged.

As the electricians did their thing the kitchen wreckers invaded my kitchen. All appliances except the cooker are removed. Having just a small flat the fridge freezer went into my living room, the washer in the lobby and the gas cooker stayed where it was so that it was still usable in the evenings.

Tip – empty all your kitchen cupboards the day before they arrive and keep handy basic requirements like cups, plates, saucepans, cutlery.

Tip 2 - make room in your living room for your electric kettle and microwave etc. Keep a large bottle of tap water handy for brews during the day. They won’t take kindly to you trying to fill up your kettle whilst they are working in your kitchen. In any case the water will have been turned off for the whole house. Don’t even think about making a cooked meal during the day. Sandwiches and microwave are the answer.

Tip 3 – watch them work if you must but don’t get under their feet.

When they had finished the kitchen the socket for the washer was underneath the worktop and behind the washer when it is in place and there is a switch above the worktop to send power to the socket below. Apparently that is they way things are done these days. Crazy! What happens if the fuse in the plug blows? You have to pull the washer out and somehow get to the plug to change the fuse. Not easy for an apprentice geriatric.

Your cooker will be chained to the wall to prevent you pulling it out so far as to strain the gas pipe and maybe pull it out. I’m not sure if this applies to electric cookers.

When all the units had been fitted they put some stuff down on the floor that was supposed to make it smooth if not actually level. Being guys in a hurry the smoothness left a lot to be desired. Some time in the future the small ridges will be a wear point of the tiles. It needs overnight to cure so you will be barred from the kitchen during that time. The next day the tiles went down.

The whole process took four and a half days for the inside but it took a further week until the outside was sealed properly against the weather.

Some clown managed to cut the telephone cable along the wall but they got someone in (not BT) to repair it within a couple of hours.

They weren’t the cleanest of workers but there was a foreman who flitted from house to house to see how things progressed. Even so their idea of cleaning up behind them didn’t equate to mine and I’m not particularly house proud.

Finally if anything is not done to your satisfaction, tell the foreman before the workers finally leave. However if you notice something after they have gone try and find the foreman first. If you can’t find him or he takes no action then report the problem to your landlord.

One annoying factor, the kitchen wreckers brought in their own radio and liked to listen to some strange commercial programme. This clashed with my Radio 2 or CD’s but my system had more umph than their radio.

It’s amazing how long it takes to finally get rid of all the created dust.

On balance I was glad when it was all over and I could get back to my normal.

A couple of weeks later an inspector came round to inspect the work. If you have found any problems tell the inspector.

[chav1]

contour housing own hynburn homes and previously i was informed that contour took over another councils properties and DID NOT deliver on the terms that they were given the contract on

i dont hold up much hope for us tennants of hynburn homes but you never know

ps:

this is a kitchen in a hynburn homes flat i took for a family member and hynburn homes seem to think that the flat been covered in every room by damp is quite acceptable for a new born baby to be living in and refuse to re house them even though they have plenty of empty properties sat doing nothing in much better condition

[Madhatter]

well done jambutty for drowning that racket out.
I agree with everything you said apart from they didn't take our appliances out. I advise you to do it yourself before they arrive. they ruined our washer and cooker, they broke next doors cooker and drilled the washer in the other block by using it as a work bench. You got a good gang there jambutty, your lucky. Our foreman didn't care and said so, both FHM and NWBC.
Thanks very much for doing that list because it will be usefull to all yet to have the work done, thats what needs to be done and how it happens.

[Madhatter]

I could put 30 pictures on here with faults on sockets hanging of the wall, light fittings not replaced, faulty light switches left in place, miss aligned cupboards, damaged cupboards, cupboards not replaced at all, plinths not fitted right, brocken brackets, holes in the wall, taps that spray over the worktops, areas that should be tiled have been painted with matt paint, the grease splashes from the cooker can't be removed, the sink was scratced because they used it as a work bench, the fan cables hang down like a christmas garland, they used a supply that belonged to me that was fitted for the christmas lights- dunno what will happen there yet. The kitchen door won't shut, the extractor fan lid flies off and hits you on the head if you pull the cord, the bath is 10mm out, it doesn't drain properly. I could go on there's loads more. FHM of Atherstone must be so proud of their work and north warwickshire borough council and newey electrical services who still haven't tested the electrics which according to the new rules which are enforced by the council, it's a legal requirement.

[jackyalex]

it sounds like theres a big problem with council and h/a replacing bathrooms and kitchens,we too have had problems and i thought it was just our h/a that did it wrong,we were told the kitchen would be done within 2 days we were left with just a sink then when the kitchen went in they didnt allow enough space for my washer which was 60cm w,i was left with a 50cm gap,so they had 2 come back with new unit and worktop,all in all the work took 2 weeks,when they say 2 days it should take 2 days our workmen were going 2 finish other peoples houses when they were suppose 2 be doing mine,they should finish 1 house then move onto the next,i couldnt leave the house , i didnt know these guys from adam

[Madhatter]

NO. first day on a joint kitchen and bathroom project with just replacement of sockets switches to fit the new layout not a rewire is...
Day one strip out of both except bathroom suit ie wallpaper etc in bathroom
day two electrics and strip out old and fit new bathroom suit
day three electric and finishing bathroom
day four decorating bathroom, and fitting new kitchen
day five finishing fitting new kitchen and what should be second electrical fix but they don't do one they bodge it. second plumbing fix sink washer etc
day six decorating kitchen papering
day seven decorating gloss
day eight decorating walls
day nine floors down
day ten standing over the road looking like workmen pricing a job(see gallery competition 10)Sharp intake of break, shakes head, this is a big job.

[jackyalex]

did you all get the wallpapering and paintwork done for you? we had to do it ourselves

[Madhatter]

ye lol mostly over the windows, new floor, cooker, washer, light fittings, the door, our furniture carpet, new units, bath toilet, sink, cistern. but e've got a white patch in the middle of a magnolia ceiling. I'm not sure why it's magnolia but it is, I think the white patch is where they ran out of paint. I'm not a happy bunny, can you tell. The tiling looks like mickey mouse had done it.
The dust sheets are still down here 7 months on, and thats no joke.

[jackyalex]

i take it they left the redecorating to the new apprentice,the kitchens never turn out to be the showroom condition we thought we were getting,its lucky i didnt pay for mine,could have done a better job myself,

[Madhatter]

nope, he's a professional, he's really good they all said, he's so quick it's amazing. What this really meant is that he's so quick it's amazing he gets any paint on the walls. I'm going to report the electricians to niceic, I don't see why they should get away with leaving untested sockets hanging off just because it was a council job.

[SPUGGIE J]

Well for the first time ever the council has offered a consultation to us for some work they want to do. Their plan is to replace the central heating and we get a choice and an even bigger suprise is that if we cant make this meeting they have a phone number to ring for the essence of what is to happen. As I will be working I have to phone, if I can get over the shock.