New build deviating from plans…

[Coxey]

That’s dreadful. If it’s a planning issue - not on the approved plans - then they can go back for a non-material amendment.

I would not accept that.

[un1eash]

It seems normal practise on new builds, here's one near me.

[Zarco]

Sometimes it is a design feature (perhaps not in this case!).

[covmutley]

Yes, if its slightly recessed, it will actually look better than just a plain brick elevation. But still, wow! Thing is, what other 'fixes' have they done???

[Iownacar]

eliot said:

agent006 said:

And how much thought would it have taken to line up that extractor vent hole with the middle of the 'window' above it?

Make sure you get a proper professional snagging done before you move in.

was thinking the same - that welsh bloke, he’s hilarious.

I can just hear him, 'absolutely shocking that is. What winkle-spanner thought that would be alright'.

[scot_aln]

Maybe the builder has got an indicator that the next budget having run out of options is going to bring back the window tax from the 1800's

Jokes aside as above have seen this in various new build estates. Can often look like they are just saving windows especially when usually overlooked from about every degree anyway.

[Evoluzione]

It depends whether you want it and if it would overlook anyone who doesn't.
If so, negotiate a discount, wait a year or two, put a window in it.

[leef44]

Just get Banksy to come round and sort it out then you won't notice it at all

[98elise]

agent006 said:

Honestly not sure what would look worse, the plain gable with no window, the window, or that bricked up window.

Suspect it'll be a fair bit of work to make that back into plain brickwork. You might already have the 'best' solution unfortunately.

Agreed. A plain gable will look worse.

[Johnniem]

OP, just wondering if you have looked at the planning portal on your local authority website to see what the 'approved plans' for your house actually show. You will at least be able to check that elevation and find out whether there is a window, or faux window, there in the approval document.

JM

[Mark V GTD]

Puzzles said:

I think it looks better than a plain wall.

Much better - a plain wall on a gable like that will look awful. I would go down the route of installing a window later on and leave the faux opening, lintel etc in place to facilitate that.

[Toaster Pilot]

Johnniem said:

OP, just wondering if you have looked at the planning portal on your local authority website to see what the 'approved plans' for your house actually show. You will at least be able to check that elevation and find out whether there is a window, or faux window, there in the approval document.

JM

There should be neither. They’ve agreed to restore the wall to how it should’ve been built in the first place which is plain - whilst some people seem to dislike that I think it’s better than this half arsed effort.

[Pflanzgarten]

fk me, it sometimes gets my back up when some potential customers don't trust us in the building trade and then I see ste like this and remember why they're like that.

Back when I was house bashing proper the two biggest fk ups I remember were (on the same site!) the foreman setting out to the wrong hand-they even sold it! Then the brickies built two semis that were getting on for 900mm out of square-the joiners tried to cover it up putting the roof on-the bloody roof on! It took that long to notice!

I refused to do the gutters and it all came to a head, I took on another site and pissed off and although it was supposed to come down they're still standing to this day. I think I was about 18 at the time-fk me you were in trouble if you got a crap site foreman.

[Jeremy-75qq8]

The windows to the left and right are at differing heights which is rather odd.

Does you planning permission exclude any changes to fenestration ?

I assume you have an agreed set of plans for the house - our one will be on the planning portal.

If they can't replace the widow then I would simply tell them it has not been built in accordance with the plans and get them to resolve it properly.

[Pflanzgarten]

Jeremy-75qq8 said:

The windows to the left and right are at differing heights which is rather odd.

Does you planning permission exclude any changes to fenestration ?

I assume you have an agreed set of plans for the house - our one will be on the planning portal.

If they can't replace the widow then I would simply tell them it has not been built in accordance with the plans and get them to resolve it properly.

There's nothing much wrong with the heights, the soldier courses are all even it's probably just the difference between bedroom windows and baths etc.

As long as the windows aren't facing other properties (which should have been picked up at planning level) there shouldn't be any issues in getting a none material amendment but does the extra window even work there (is it above the bed headboard for instance)?

There's plenty of architectural tricks to play on a plain gable before you start resorting to daftness like this.

[blueg33]

Pflanzgarten said:

fk me, it sometimes gets my back up when some potential customers don't trust us in the building trade and then I see ste like this and remember why they're like that.

Back when I was house bashing proper the two biggest fk ups I remember were (on the same site!) the foreman setting out to the wrong hand-they even sold it! Then the brickies built two semis that were getting on for 900mm out of square-the joiners tried to cover it up putting the roof on-the bloody roof on! It took that long to notice!

I refused to do the gutters and it all came to a head, I took on another site and pissed off and although it was supposed to come down they're still standing to this day. I think I was about 18 at the time-fk me you were in trouble if you got a crap site foreman.

Three worst on my sites (site manager got his P45 on the first two)

1. House built 7 courses too high. Planners took enforcement action, we failed at appealing it. Had to move the family out, take the roof off remove 7 courses and put roof back on.

2. Showhomes on a site in Stratford upon Avon were timber frame, one frame installed handed so the house wasn't symmetrical. 20 years on, the house is still there and I drive past every week, it still pisses me off.

3. We inherited a Persimmon site of large houses after they took us over. One plot had the heating oil line under the floor. The line was leaking and the fumes in the house were terrible. We had to demolish the house and start again.

I like to think my site teams are better managed (I was land director when the above fiasco's occurred).. Biggest issue we have is delay due to ground workers and energy companies not being able to supply smart meters.

[Pflanzgarten]

blueg33 said:

Persimmon site

Locally to us, they were traditionally the worst.

I got asked to price a job a couple years ago on one of theirs, new staircase-word was the guy had been pissed off with it for years and had finally decided to rip it out.

I go out expecting and old spindle jobbie wanting oak treads and glass balustrade (the usual upgrade) installed or at worst a creaking mess that would need re-gluing.

No, it needed completely ripping out.

It was in the centre of the house and the set out was so out of square but they just worked back into the centre so you basically were left with a trapezium shape which (quite fantastically) the joiners had butchered a mid winder into fitting. I don't know how long it took him to get used to it but it made me feel iffy going up and flat out drunk going down!

Even worse, the W/C was under one side and you could see in the oak flooring just how far out they'd had to make the stud work to get it to fit-what's a small Persimmon W/C, 1.8m long? The floor fitter lost a plank and a half over that distance.

[cayman-black]

blueg33 said:

They fked that up! Idiots!

Crap site manager, crap brickies - can no one read a plan these days.

That sort of stuff is unacceptable in my business.

This. what about putting plans in for the window, you should get it.?

[blueg33]

cayman-black said:

blueg33 said:

They fked that up! Idiots!

Crap site manager, crap brickies - can no one read a plan these days.

That sort of stuff is unacceptable in my business.

This. what about putting plans in for the window, you should get it.?

It will depend on overlooking I guess. Normally circa 22m window to window

[Toaster Pilot]

blueg33 said:

cayman-black said:

blueg33 said:

They fked that up! Idiots!

Crap site manager, crap brickies - can no one read a plan these days.

That sort of stuff is unacceptable in my business.

This. what about putting plans in for the window, you should get it.?

It will depend on overlooking I guess. Normally circa 22m window to window

I don’t think this would be an issue but as another poster said, it would mean the window would be in a daft place for the layout of furniture in the room. It’ll be better off without it (the plot that does have it loses one of the other windows in the same room)