Exclusive:Sheffield mum says she was “mis-sold” brand new four-bedroom house which has flooded for five years
Frazzled mum saved “every penny” for £205,000 brand new four-bedroom house
A Sheffield mum says she has been “mis-sold” her “dream” brand new four-bedroom house which she bought for £205,000 - but is permanently flooded.
The mum-of-three, who asked not to be named, says the bottom of her garden, her driveway and sometimes her kitchen, have been underwater since she bought the property on Harborough Road, Manor, in 2021.
Telling of her upset about the dream townhouse-turned nightmare, she said: “I saved for years to buy this house. We never went on holiday, my children were happy not to go. All they wanted was this house.”
The gutted homeowner contacted developer Keepmoat - who built the house - after being advised by Yorkshire Water that the cause was a soakaway water pipe that opens onto the garden of her home.
Normally soakaway pipes - built underground to manage stormwater runoff - are directed down into gravel-filled pits where the water infiltrates deeper soil.
However images taken by stressed mum over the years show a pool of water on her patio - below an incline from the garden - where the open mouth of the pipe spews water onto her lawn and patio.
The anxious mum claims she has had “no help” from Keepmoat in addressing the faulty pipe, describing their customer service as “awful”.
Speaking about the problem, she said: “As soon as I got the house water started coming in and it’s got worse as time has gone on.
“I’m a single mum, I suffer from depression and this is affecting me mentally - my kids can’t even go outside in the garden.
“I’ve been to the council, Yorkshire Water, and the house builders but no-one can help me. Two weeks ago it was raining heavily and my kitchen started to flood.
“It’s ruining the floor under the lino and my children are asking me to fix it but I can’t - it’s so upsetting.”
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said the drainage, sewers and soakaways were “under the ownership of the developer” of the site.
Commenting on the pipework, Warren Thompson, of Keepmoat, said: “We have recently been made aware of (the homeowner’s) concerns and we’re working closely with her to create a solution as soon as possible.
“At Keepmoat we’re committed to delivering on-going customer care and addressing any issues, providing support where we can.”