Housing horror! NHS frontline worker left homeless

Hi everybody, I am trying to raise some money to help my sister Sherrie and her partner George make their house safe to live in again, after it was destroyed by cowboy builders causing over £50,000 worth of damage! My sister is a Midwife who has been working on the frontline throughout the pandemic, and her partner works for Hornby hobbies. They saved so hard to buy their first home, and in June last year managed to buy it! However the nightmare started in September when they decided to renovate it and bring the house from the 70s into the 21st century.

They did their homework and researched builders, obtaining various quotes and ensured the chosen builder had all the relevant insurances etc.  However, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong! The boiler was moved into the wrong place, radiator pipes were installed too low, poor tiling, the new flooring was ripped up, they were left without a shower and kitchen, no heating and personal items were damaged. The builders even left the front and back doors, and garage open with nobody in the house! Can you believe it!?

But the worst was yet to come; the main issue was when they had a wall knocked down and a steel beam installed. The beam was installed incorrectly causing the whole of the first floor to drop and the ceiling to bow. The upstairs walls came away from the ceiling and walls leaving huge gaps and cracks, and none of the doors open or shut where the floor is now wonky and the house is wrecked.

The builders admitted that they were at fault for the upstairs damage and put in a claim to their insurance company, which was later voided! Meaning the insurance wouldn’t cover any of the damage (their loss adjuster valued the damage at £51,500). We were all absolutely gutted for them as the quotes they received from builders to fix the house varied massively from £50-100k, money they just don’t have!

They tried to borrow more money on their mortgage as well as personal loans, all unsuccessful. They moved into emergency NHS accommodation the day before Christmas Eve after being told the house was not safe and uninhabitable, which is where they spent Christmas. They are currently renting an Air BnB, whilst paying for their mortgage, a loan and trying to find a solution.

Next step, they tried to go through their home insurance, but through no fault of their own it’s been UNSUCCESSFUL! Despite them paying for enhanced legal cover on the policy, the insurance company would not cover that either through their small print! A complaint has been lodged with the ombudsman and we await the outcome of this.

The structural engineer has said that the upstairs blockwork walls all need knocking down in order to put the beam, ceiling and joists in the right position. The upstairs walls will then need rebuilding, plastering, and electrics installing. The bathroom will need to be installed and the downstairs kitchen finish being installed.

So, they are left with a house they can’t live in and with all their current outgoings they will never be able to save enough money to make the house safe and liveable (they are even selling their car to try to raise funds). They have had so much bad luck, and have run out of options (they’ve even applied for DIY SOS)! Sherrie’s mental health has also been majorly affected by the ordeal and the anxiety this has caused. They can only stay in the Air BnB until April and then they will be HOMELESS, which is why I am writing this post for help. Please help them get their home back that they have worked so hard for?

Please note that should we be lucky enough to raise more than what is needed for the house repairs, anything over will be donated to SANDS a stillbirth charity.

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