The Mock Turtle

The builder just popped over. He thinks the paint issue is due to his decorator not using a mist coat (which she clearly didn't in some areas) and the spray painter using the wrong type of tape. There is some paint coming off an area of new plaster in the hall too which appears to have no mist coat beneath it. Either way, he's going to fix it. I'm not keen on getting the same decorator back for obvious reasons, so we're in discussions about who will do it and when.

I think it was six of one and half a dozen of the other and just want it fixed, and the builder wants it to be sorted too, which is good.

Ha! Look at Howdens’ latest colour. It’s from the range they quoted me £16k for.

I'm glad your builder is getting it sorted.

My spray painter is back for snagging and just got really arsy with me. I am so over this all now.

Arsey with you? What a cheek - did they think you should just put up with it?

It all gets so tedious trying to sort out all the issues

Arsey with you because they didn’t do their job properly! What a dick.

If he'd done it thoroughly and checked it all before he left in the first place there would be no snagging! Even tonight I heard him packing up and taking his kit out to the van, so I nipped down to look at the work and he'd missed a bit. He had to get his sprayer out again. Why not just check your work yourself and have some pride in doing it well?

They all need micromanaging, the dicks. I am sure he will never do any work for me again I got ghosted by a blind fitter once as I asked him to come back and fix a (very) wonky fitting.

Fixing snags is so tedious - it caused really bad feeling when we had our roof extension done. Mainly because they'd had their money and no interest in coming back to sort things out. I was pleased when they went bust

My kitchen walls are being fixed on Tuesday and Wednesday next week I’m pleased he could do it so soon. I can finally get fully unpacked next week!

An issue has come to light. An issue I was keen to avoid, and why I hired a builder who is a member of the Federation of Master Builders.

I noticed my new (not replacement) window is not on my building regs certificate. The French doors are, but not the window. New window openings require an application to Building Control.

My builder’s T&Cs states that he would do all work within building regs. Our contract shows that he was making the application and handling that side. Everything else was approved so I’m trying to find out why the window is not on there.

The window installer (not linked to my builder, although he did recommend them) issued me a Certass certificate. I queried it with Certass as it said “replacement window”, which it is not. They confirmed the certificate is invalid (the description he gave of the door and window is was also completely wrong!).

That’s by the by as my builder should have got it signed off.

I spoke to him briefly on Friday and he was very defensive, effectively telling me I was being fussy and asking why I needed a certificate. He said builders make new windows all the time without Building Control and that it is up to Fensa/Certass to sign it off (which is plain wrong). This makes it worse, not better, in my opinion!

He’s completely wrong. I called Building Control and asked and they confirmed it.

The FMB website even says it.

I also don’t understand why the Building Control inspector signed off the French doors (and the RSJ etc) but not the window right next to them. I’m hoping it’s an admin error.

I really don’t think I’m being unreasonable expecting my builder to have got the appropriate permissions. I’m liable for prosecution and it could end up putting a spanner in the works when I come to sell.

I’m going to try and resolve it amicably and find out what happened but he is not happy with me for raising it.

Mr L says you should ask the Council what needs to be done, and then raise it with the builder, as that will be harder for him to push back on. You’d normally expect the building control officer to come and take a look at it, and give retrospective consent (did you have to get planning permission for the new window, by the way? As, if so, you would not expect the Council to be very concerned about it. Even if not, this is not uncommon).

Also, even on a worst case scenario, this is the kind of issue you can buy indemnity insurance for when later selling the house. It is very common for vendors to have to buy it because they can’t show their purchasers all the necessary consents etc for building work. That normally costs a couple of hundred pounds.

Yep we had to do the indeminity insurance thing when we sold Mr Speedy's aunt's bungalow. Wasn't a biggie and seems to happen quite a bit. Hopefully retrospective consent like Liv says and then you can forget all about it.

I hope it’s a straightforward fix as it’s not like you’ve done anything extreme.

We had something quite major missed off the planning application that was part of the listed building renovation, so we had to apply retrospectively and it was fine.

I asked the council last week (I phoned Building Control) and they said I’d need to apply for regularisation. I already told my builder and he still thinks I’m mad and that Fensa should cover it. It’s bizarre that he applied for some but not all of the consent.

I didn’t need planning permission as far as I’m aware.

I went through the indemnity insurance stuff buying the house and I was very keen to avoid it again as that sort of thing can put buyers off.

What’s annoying is that an inspector HAS seen it and signed off the French doors about a metre to the left of it!

Also I think the builder should pay for regularisation and any repair work required after they expose the lintel etc.

Unless by calling the council Mr L meant something else?

No, that’s who he meant! He agrees the builder should pay, by the way.

Thank you!

In better news, a very attractive man has just arrived to fit my shutters Fortunately not to That Window.

It’s very hard to take photos of windows, but my shutters are in and I’m really pleased with them.