// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Families move out of 'nightmare' new-build homes plagued by defects, damp and mould
An expert found 150 faults with Elissa and Johnnie's home
Elissa and Johnnie say their "forever home" - now wrapped in scaffolding and stripped back to bare breeze block - has become a nightmare.
The couple say they have been forced to move out of the four-bedroom property they bought 20 months ago.
An independent inspector, known as a "snagger", made a report identifying about 150 faults - including wonky walls, bowing windows and a poorly fitted kitchen.
Elissa, who has a long‑term health condition, says the stress has led to hospital visits. The couple are now in a rental home for the second time this year, while repairs are carried out.
Elissa is one of dozens of people from across the UK who have got in touch with BBC Your Voice about problems with new-build properties.
We have heard accounts from homeowners who bought outright, often with a mortgage, as well as those who purchased through shared-ownership schemes. Renters in brand-new flats and people who have moved into new social housing also got in touch. Everyone said they had felt stressed and desperate.
One new owner in Somerset told us she had found black mould throughout her property; a tenant in London said ceilings had collapsed in her apartment block; while a third resident in Essex described how his social housing property had been full of mould and damp when he moved in.
Their stories come as the number of complaints to the New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) has more than tripled in a year, according to its latest annual report.
The UK-wide service received just over 1,800 complaints in 2025-26, up from fewer than 600 the previous year. Defects and snagging were the most common issues raised.