A FIRST time buyer eager to start family life with his partner in a new home has said he is ‘appalled’ after discovering dozens of faults.

The resident bought the three bedroom semi-detached home at Durham Gate, in Spennymoor, 14 months ago, but said the house has been plagued by problems since.

“I found problems with the home before I moved in when Taylor Wimpey gave me access to the property in October 2018. I was really excited and proud to own my own home at 21 and we had worked really hard to afford the deposit,” said the homeowner.

The resident said he expected the house to have a couple of cosmetic faults but feels let down by homebuilder Taylor Wimpey.

He said: “Once I bought the house, they gave me access to it at weekends and I noticed the first leak from the bathroom which went to the kitchen. I put pressure on them to sort it and they provided assurances that it would be fixed. I also hired an independent professional snagger to look at the building who filled a report of 46 snags alone. Since then I have had 10 leaks in around 14 months from the same bathroom. It is farcical.”

Following the first leak the homeowner said mould surfaced and spread behind the kitchen units before his situation began to worsen.

He claims he was then hit by several issues including a two-metre-long beam crack on the hallway ceiling, cracks on the house windows and a hole noticed in the sealant in the ensuite shower.

The homeowner also said he has been promised call-backs by the company which they have not adhered to

In response to the claims, a spokesperson from Taylor Wimpey North-East said: “We aim to deliver homes of the highest quality and are very sorry to have fallen below customer expectations on this occasion.

“We are fully committed to resolving problems identified at this particular property and have visited on a number of occasions to both investigate the root causes and undertake remedial repair works. We adhere to National House Building Council’s (NHBC) standard approach to finishes as a minimum and will continue to work closely with the customer in order to reach a satisfactory outcome.”

The resident said he has been disappointed at the state of the £150,000 home and said the leaks left his master bedroom flooded and the bathroom unavailable for prolonged periods of time.

The couple were also forced to move in with parents for a brief time as said the smell of the damp and mould was unbearable.

He added: “My experience has been terrible. I feel massively let down by Taylor Wimpey as I spoke to customer care at the firm and was told a new-build homes are man-made and to expect issues. I have also been told that in light all this, a new build home is not supposed to be perfect.”