A DISTRAUGHT couple have slammed housebuilders Taylor Wimpey after their dream home was flooded just a few days after they moved in.

Plumbers said the deluge was due to a faulty sink fitting which resulted in water in the mains system causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to flooring, furnishings and fittings.

Since the flood, 30-year-old Martin Boyes and his partner Lucy Connelly, 28, have been unable to carry out any repair work because of a dispute over who is responsible.

Taylor Wimpey have denied any liability, saying the couple must pay through their own insurance.

The water has caused damage on both floors of the property at the new Brooklands development in Linwood, including the master bedroom, bathroom, hallway and lounge.

The couple have also had to pay for humidifiers in a bid to dry out the soaked areas.

Telecoms engineer Martin said: “We’ve been told by Taylor Wimpey that they are not responsible for the faulty fitting, even though we took out a two-year warranty to cover such eventualities.”

Martin and Lucy, who is a physio, paid £191,000 for the three-bedroom home and moved in on June 10.

Lucy discovered the flooding after waking up in the early hours of the morning on June 19.

Martin added: “We’ve had to rip out all the carpets in the hall and lounge and have been left with the bare concrete floors to walk on.

“The water was everywhere.

“This was supposed to be our dream home, it was perfect for us, but it has turned into a nightmare.

“When we were going through the buying process, Taylor Wimpey couldn’t have been more helpful. Now they don’t want to know.”

Martin claims the water has also caused structural damage to the concrete walls of their stairway.

He added: “The Taylor Wimpey warranty apparently covers any damage caused by faulty materials or poor workmanship for up to two years but we are still fighting them two months later to pay out.

“The last response from their customer service team essentially told us to stop contacting them.

“The faulty fitting in the upstairs bathroom has been confirmed to us by two different plumbers independently of each other and was fitted either by Taylor Wimpey directly or by one of their sub-contractors.”

Martin says the last few months have been very stressful for the couple as they try to resolve the dispute.

“We are now nine weeks on from the incident and no further forward with regard to Taylor Wimpey completing repairs,” he added.

“They are adamant that we should pursue a claim through our home insurance provider.

“We’re not willing to take this course of action and suffer an exorbitant rise in our home insurance premium.

“We would like to avoid legal action against the builder if possible but are willing to travel down that avenue if necessary.”

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland told The Gazette: “We are fully aware of the unfortunate situation that has arisen for Martin Boyes and Lucy Connelly at our Brooklands development in Linwood and we are very sorry for the significant inconvenience and distress this has caused the couple.

“Our out-of-hours service responded and resolved the source of the leak in their property and we provided an update to the NHBC [National House Building Council] when they were made aware of the matter.

“While we are genuinely sorry to learn about the extent of the water damage to the property, we have confirmed to the couple this is now a matter for our respective insurance companies to resolve.

“The insurance companies are also best placed to provide independent inspections and advise if there is any structural damage present.

“We remain in contact with the couple and confirm that our respective insurance companies are dealing with this matter.”