Homeowners angry in unfinished estate after firm goes bust

This week, we reported liquidators were appointed to Merchant Homes which had sites in Glasgow and Renfrewshire. 

Napier Grove, a new-build estate in Linwood, where prices started at £171,000 for a two-bedroomed terrace home and £210,000 for a three-bedroom semi-detached villa, is unfinished.

The firm built 28 homes and marketed them as being in a "superb development".

It is still effectively a building site.

When our sister title The Glasgow Times visited the development, it could be seen roads have not been surfaced, some homes have been sold but unfinished, and the new owners are unable to move in.

Most homes are occupied but residents said solar panels on the homes, a money-saving selling point, have never worked.

Homeowners have been left with no one to contact and are wondering if the outstanding work will ever be done.

Zoe Carroll lives with her wife, Tracey, and baby daughter Riley, in a three-bedroom house in the development.

She said: “There has been no contact from Merchant Homes or the liquidators.

“I last asked about the solar panels on December 8 but have heard nothing back.

“We paid a lot of money for the house and were promised it would all be finished.”

Zoe and Tracey lived nearby but wanted a larger house for their family.

Zoe added: “We were promised everything would be completed.

“The roads are not finished and are dangerous, the suds basin is a hole in the ground.

“There were always excuses and we were told they would get round to it.”

May Whiteman moved into her three-bedroom house in July.

She moved into the estate after her husband died in 2022 and wanted to be close to her family.

She said: “The roads are not finished and we don’t know if the council will adopt them in the state they are in.

“I have a problem with the driveway and the solar panels. They have never worked.

“I feel really sorry for the people who can’t move in because their house isn’t finished.

The developer billed the homes as having the “hallmark of excellence”.

When offered for sale in 2022, Linda McLuskie, sales and marketing director of Merchant Homes, said "We have high expectations for Napier Grove, a superb development which is perfectly placed for family living and will no doubt be a popular choice for homebuyers.

"The house styles at Napier Grove each have the hallmark of excellence in terms of finish and quality of materials and fittings, and the location boasts great commuter links and a plethora of amenities nearby."

Alison Ann-Dowling, Linwood Labour councillor, has been to visit the site.

She said: “I have spoken to residents and I have a number of concerns around the ongoing maintenance of the area.

“The roads are in poor condition. I will be working to ensure the process for the council adopting the roads is expedited.”

With the site abandoned at the moment, the councillor has safety concerns.

She said: “Large areas of the site are not safe. Some are fenced off but a child could easily get through the gaps.

“The suds pond needs to be secured.”

She wants to know who is going to be responsible.

She added: “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”

Mark Harper and Steven John Parker, from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency, have been appointed joint liquidators.

Mr Harper said: “As we are in the infancy of the case, we are still at the information gathering stage.

“However, once we are in the position to do so, we will be in contact with all those affected by this.

“For some time, the construction industry has been experiencing extreme challenges.

“The rate of failure in the sector is at its highest in over a decade, rising material costs, inflation, planning delays, and skills shortages have all contributed to the distress.”