Man erects giant banners over his garage in line between himself and the developer

A man in Derbyshire has placed a giant banner above the garage of his home in a row between himself and the developer.

Balbinder Singh, who lives in Mickleover, a Derby suburb, claims he is still trying to resolve issues that have persisted since moving in in April 2021.

Avant Homes said problems were caused by building an extension that affected its warranty.

Now, almost two years later, Mr Singh claims the company is ignoring him.

In a desperate attempt to put pressure on Avant Homes, Mr Singh, who lives on the Cotchett Village estate, put up a sign that read: “Avant Homes our review. We moved in on April 1, 2021 and the work is ongoing.

Mr Singh, who lives in Mickleover, a suburb of Derby, put up a sign that read ‘Avant Homes our review’. We moved in on April 1, 2021 and the work is ongoing. Avant no longer responds to us. There is a lot of unfinished work. We like to share pictures. Don’t make the mistake we made’

“Avant no longer responds to us. There is a lot of unfinished work. We like to share pictures. Don’t make the mistake we made.’

Mr Singh put up the sign, which he had designed himself, on March 6 in frustration.

Avant Homes told Derbyshire Live they had spoken to Mr Singh about the £500,000 property.

A spokesman for Avant Homes said: “We are in constant dialogue with the resident [Mr Singh] regarding his property. Having fully investigated the resident’s concerns about their home, we believe that a significant number of them were caused by building an addition to the property after purchasing the home.’

According to the company, the extension voided some aspects of the property’s NHBC Buildmark guarantee, an issue explained to Mr Singh.

“We have inspected the home and advised the resident what we can resolve regarding their concerns outside of those caused by the expansion,” a spokesman said.

‘Our customer liaison team is proactively addressing a very small number of residents around the development who have raised concerns to ensure all reasonable inquiries are addressed.’

Avant Homes said they had spoken to Mr Singh about the £500,000 property. According to the company, the extension voided some aspects of the property’s NHBC Buildmark guarantee, an issue explained to Mr Singh

Mr Singh said: “They ignore us and it doesn’t bother them. We’re fed up. How can they leave it like this? They agree with me when I speak to them and then no one comes. Someone has to report.”

The property features a pent roof porch over the front door.

However, Mr Singh claims his design causes water to drain and run down the wall next to the door, causing dampness and moss growth.

Mr Singh also claims that the bi-fold doors need to be replaced and the interior doors need to be painted.

He said an upstairs toilet seat was damaged and a range hood had damaged lighting.

Mr Crisp and his partner claim a sink problem resulted in a kitchen worktop warping and the replacement being cut too short.

They also claim that part of the back yard has been soaked with water under the faucet for months.

Mr Singh said: “They ignore us and it doesn’t bother them. We’re fed up. How can they leave it like this? They agree with me when I speak to them and then no one comes. Someone has to report

Mr Crisp’s partner said: “The customer service is devilish. Even during the buying process they ignored us.”

Other residents on the street say they have had similar problems.

Mr Crisp said: “We had a street barbecue for the Queen’s Jubilee last year and the theme was that everyone has the same problem.”

Avant Homes told Derbyshire Live they are working with “a very small number” of residents of Cotchett Village, off the A516 Jederll Road, to address their concerns.

Steven Bosworth, who also lives on the property, claims his home was riddled with problems when he moved in in 2020.

He said he ripped out his downstairs toilet and reinstalled it because water leaked through the walls, and his floors had been relaid because of scratches, and the kitchen units had been redone because of a lack of electrical outlets.

He said: “We would never buy from them again. They are a waste of time and don’t want to fix anything. I keep urging them to come and fix things and we’re still waiting.”

Another couple who live near Mr Singh said their experience with Avant Homes was positive.

They believe they were one of the first to move in, having acquired the keys in March 2020.

They said all issues were resolved quickly after the first Covid-19 lockdown was eased this summer.

Not many other people lived on the site at the time and craftsmen worked nearby houses every day.

However, they claim that customer service has “gone downhill” since then.