Family's 'worst nightmare' after purchasing home filled with defects

Rimple and Preet Sharma had hoped their new home would be compliant, but say many of the promised fixes were not complete. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor) Two families who bought newly built homes in suburban Adelaide say they are living a nightmare in properties that are filled with defects. The builder has been fined $75,000 after an investigation by the consumer watchdog. Master Builders SA says more needs to be done to monitor owner-builders. Link copiedShareShare articleThe dream of buying a home has become a nightmare for two families who were sold houses filled with defects, with the builder now facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines over the project. Last year, two homes built on a subdivided block in Adelaide's northern suburbs were listed for sale, described as "masterfully constructed". For Rimple and Preet Sharma, it appeared to be a great option for their young family, and they invested their life savings into purchasing one of the two $800,000 homes. "We have expected [it] to be a safe home, a good house for our family — which should be complying, and up to the building standards, but we didn't get anything like that," Ms Sharma told ABC News. A door at Rimple and Preet Sharma's house. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor) The couple put an offer on the property late last year, which was accepted, and they ordered a building inspection. When the building inspection report came back, multiple concerns were raised, including holes in the walls and ceiling plastering, a failure to weatherproof the house and problems with plumbing and drainage. In email correspondence seen by ABC News, the vendor assured the Sharma family the outstanding work would be finished before settlement, and that "cosmetic" items including paint touch-ups and plaster rectification were "standard handover items and will be completed as part of our normal finishing process". But as the deadline loomed, the couple said many of the promised fixes were not complete. The vendor, Khorshed Alam, an owner-builder who is also a home loan advisor with a credit union, rejected suggestions that nothing had been done. In email correspondence seen by ABC News, he said all safety-related matters raised in the building report had been rectified and "do not provide grounds to delay settlement". A skirting board mismatched with a door frame at Rimple and Preet Sharma's house. (Supplied) As settlement approached, Ms Sharma said they had already given notice on their rental property, and with no family support nearby, and concerned about losing their $50,000 deposit, she and her husband felt they had no other option but to go ahead with the purchase, despite the fact a number of raised concerns had not been resolved. "At that time, we were helpless and it was just three days before the settlement, and we can't move back," Ms Sharma said. Rimple and Preet Sharma had hoped everything would be fixed and finished. (ABC News: Steve Opie) After the family moved in, Ms Sharma said a council representative came to the door with bad news. "He said, 'I just want to [make you] aware you guys … can't live in this house, because this house has so many defects, and it hasn't any occupancy certificate'," Ms Sharma recalled. The council confirmed to ABC News it had initially revoked the certificates, which guaranteed the two new builds were safe to live in. The certificates were reinstated, but in a letter sent to residents sighted by ABC News, the council advised the new owners to seek independent legal advice about the "unsatisfactory and outstanding building work" and referred them to Consumer and Business Services. "Council continues to hold concerns regarding the dwellings constructed at the above address, particularly in relation to the quality of the building work and resultant appearance and overall standard of the development," the letter stated. Parts of the roof and guttering at Rimple and Preet Sharma's northern suburbs house. (Supplied) Last Friday, Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Michael Brown issued a public warning notice about eight traders, including Khorshed Alam, that had been fined by the Consumer and Business Services' Building Industry Response Team. Mr Alam was fined $75,000 for three counts of operating without a licence, and three counts of performing building work without building indemnity insurance, for the two properties and another also in Adelaide's northern suburbs. "I have determined to issue this notice because I consider Mr Alam has demonstrated a tendency to disregard important legal obligations, such as requirements to hold a building work contractor licence and requirements to obtain builders indemnity insurance," Mr Brown said in the public notice. Last month, before the fine had been issued, Mr Alam's lawyer told ABC News he was in discussions with Consumer and Business Services. "As those discussions are ongoing, and our client is currently in the process of obtaining legal advice, our client d

Family's 'worst nightmare' after purchasing home filled with defects

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