Oxley Woods Living

Life in an Oxley Woods eco house

 
 

Archive for September, 2009

 

Residents’ forum is go!

September 21, 2009

The forums are now live. Not much there just yet, but if you’d like to join in, go to the forums now!

You can also use the link in the main menu at the top of each page.

Any questions on how to register or use the forums, feel free to post a comment here, or use the “contact” link above.

Positive movements?

September 21, 2009

Well there’s been a lot going on lately that I’ve not been blogging about, purely because a lot of it was timing based.

Unfortunately, it appears that the wishes of over half of the residents here at Oxley Woods may have fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully this will not prove to be the case, but time is running out. More on that perhaps another time, maybe with good news for everyone!

Anyway, aside from the doom and gloom, it does appear that last week and this, there is more activity on site in terms of joiners and other workmen flitting about. I have heard from a number of residents that they have been contacted by Wood Newton about issues that they had not had any news on for some time. This is good stuff.

Perhaps so many residents coming together to express their support for one another, and their frustration, in some cases dismay with the situation on this “landmark development” of eco houses, is paying off. It shouldn’t need this in my opinion. I think everyone expects problems to a degree, but it’s when there’s too many, or they just don’t get solved in good time, that’s when things start to get out of hand and become intolerable for some.

Anyway, hopefully the increased activity on site IS following through and resulting in more people getting their problems solved now. There’s some people out there in a terrible position and maybe that is about to improve! We live in hope.

As for us, after chasing Taylor Wimpey head office/customer service on Friday I had a copy of a letter sent over this morning which sounds very positive indeed for our personal situation. Again, we can only hope it bears fruit and things do improve. We’ve felt positive like this before and had our hopes dashed, this time it does seem different.

Hope so.

Tired of being lied to, and the same old same old…

September 18, 2009

So Yesterday afternoon, weeks after we had our walls and ceiling filled on every floor of the house, out of the blue Peter from Wood Newton arrives at our door.

The painters are on site “I assume you want it painting” (could he be any more antagonistic with his choice of words?!) and can they do it today?

The answer had to be no. We had visitors, my wife and I both had work to do, and I was leaving the house in a couple of hours while my wife would be sorting out the kids.

Apparently it now looks like next week.

As for our windows and doors all being replaced. Fed up of the lies on that one.

The work due originally for sometime in August (18th I believe was the first date we were given), has simply vanished. The windows were going to be tested weeks ago, were tested last week, are being tested as I type. Depending who you ask when. It’s just bull, and it’s pathetic and rude and damaging.

June we had holes drilled all over our house, windows taped and filled up as a “temporary measure”, walls pulled off and radiators removed.

Here we are in September, weather getting colder by the week, and we’ve no idea what on earth is going on.

Shameful, disgraceful behaviour on behalf of Wood Newton and Taylor Wimpey. The way they’re treating our family, their disregard for the well being of us and our young children, I believe, is totally scandalous.

Residents’ forum coming soon

September 9, 2009

I’ve had some positive murmurings with regard setting up a public forum here for residents to share their experiences, and basically use as they please as an online community for our community here in the Oxley Woods eco houses.

I’m working on it, and will get it set up as soon as possible. Nothing fancy, but it’ll be there if anyone wants to use it.

Oxley Woods Living

September 8, 2009

Well, here we are, over 14 months in our multi award winning eco home on Oxley Park. You’d think by now we’d be settled, getting used to our home, be in the advanced stages of decorating. You know, happy families.

This is the first time we’ve ever bought a home, let alone a new build, so perhaps we’re being a little naive. But let me show you how we’re living in Oxley Woods just now, courtesy of George Wimpey and house builder Wood Newton.

The holes, they’ve been here since June. The uncovered patching, that’s been here since the week before last. When is it going to be sorted? We don’t know. Neither do George Wimpey. And if Wood Newton do, they’re not saying. This is Oxley Woods Living. This is some of our house, as it stands, today.

This is our six year-old’s bedroom. He hates the holes. We want to get some more storage and shelving sorted, but can’t because the window is going to be replaced, and that will have a major effect on the walls we need to work on. Life on hold, and a boy who get very upset now and again about the holes in his room.

Boy's room

This is in our one year olds bedroom. There’s another hole by her cot. She quite likes being able to stick her fingers through the wall and play with the plasterboard dust. We don’t like it.

Baby's room

This is our living room, again this has been like this since June. There was no point in fixing it up, because window replacement work was due to start quite quickly. We’re still waiting and it’s now 8th September. When will things be done? We don’t know. We hope it happens before it gets too cold, those pipes are supposed to supply a radiator, currently sat on the floor in our office.

This the room we like to relax in as a family, watch films and unwind at the end of the day (if possible). Now with one wall holy and covered with bare plasterboard, it’s not such a pleasant place to be.

Living room

This is our bathroom. The wall was “warped” or had a “bulge” where two plasterboards meet. And some screw pops. Now it looks like this. Not such a big deal if we had ANY clue when it was going to be painted again.

Bathroom

This is our top floor landing and stair case to the first floor. Notice how the flood of light picks out the different shades on both wall and ceiling so effectively! Walls, ceilings, they were all cracking and creasing due to settling. Now we have to settle with this. For how long? Nobody knows. If Wood Newton or George Wimpey could arrange something with us, or even talk to us properly, that would be smashing.

Landing

Stair case

This is our first floor landing. More of the same. And the same old story about if and when it’ll ever be finished:

First floor landing

Landing

This is our stair case, and ground floor hallway. Seems a little familiar doesn’t it? Tired of looking at the pictures? Imagine how tired we are of looking at this every day.

Stair case

Hallway

This is our kitchen and dining area. Plaster since a couple of weeks back, holes since June, same as pencil marks and water stains. Repair completion date, unknown.

Dining room

Kitchen

Hope you enjoyed the tour and it gives you an impression of life in a multi-award winning George Wimpey / Wood Newton eco home.