A luxury estate of eco-friendly ‘net zero’ homes has been branded a ‘horror show’, with dismayed homeowners saying a plethora of faults have turned their £800,000 country piles into ‘death traps’.

Fuming neighbours living in Angmering’s exclusive Swallows Gate community in West Sussex have been embroiled in an exhausting two-year insurance battle to fix their lavish homes.

They have accused developers GD Homes of doing a ‘half-arsed’ job on the leafy village estate, with faults to their hi-tech heat exchange and ducting system as well as their insulation leading to serious issues.

‘It been an absolute horror show from start to finish and the quality of the workmanship is appalling,’ one resident told MailOnline.

‘It’s driven me to the edge of a nervous breakdown. I’ve been very ill dealing with all of this.

‘We had to have a new heat pump installed because the one provided was a 4KW pump when the house, due to its size, required an 8KW pump. The builders just put the same one on every house, which is ridiculous.

‘None of us can sell our homes because the drainage system in the street doesn’t work and would come up on any conveyancing search. It’s just been a dreadful experience since we bought the property in 2022.’

It’s believed deadly black mould, caused by condensation build ups due to poorly fitted pipes and insulation, has started to ravage the properties, with residents fearing their homes could soon be rendered ‘uninhabitable’ by the toxic infestation.

A luxury estate of eco-friendly ‘net zero’ homes has been branded a ‘horror show’, with dismayed homeowners saying a plethora of faults have turned their £800,000 country piles into ‘death traps’

GD Homes are accused of doing a ‘half-arsed’ job on the leafy village estate, with faults to their hi-tech heat exchange and ducting system as well as their insulation leading to serious issues

Fuming neighbours living in Angmering’s exclusive Swallows Gate community in West Sussex have been embroiled in an exhausting two-year insurance battle to fix their lavish homes

Steven Rixon (right) has been the driving force behind the battle to fix the homes and said he has been left broken by it. The 45-year-old IT manager, who moved into his £795,000 four-bedroom home in March 2022 with partner Jill (left), her 25-year-old son and 77-year-old mother, said: ‘The stress has been absolutely soul-destroying’

Developers of the estate have since gone bust, leaving locals battling ‘tooth and nail’ with insurers to try and get the problems fixed, with the bill per home potentially running into six figures, they say.

Environmentally conscious Steven Rixon has been the driving force behind the battle to fix the homes and said he has been left broken by it.

The 45-year-old IT manager, who moved into his £795,000 four-bedroom home in March 2022 with partner Jill, her 25-year-old son and 77-year-old mother, said: ‘The stress has been absolutely soul-destroying. It’s taken over my whole life.

‘It was meant to be this £800,000, pucker amazing house with oak doors and two-metre high ceilings. It was meant to be spot on and amazing – a dream home that’s sustainable. But it’s been anything but.

‘I’m past the breaking point. I have put holes in the wall with my fist because of the stress. The relationship between me and Jill has frayed and is damaged as all we’re doing is arguing about the home.

‘Her mum has had a stroke and is now living in the longue. We did not need this stress in our lives.’

The homes were inspired by the ‘Passive House’ standard in Sweden, which seeks to cut down energy use with top-notch insulation and heating systems.

But Mr Rixon, who drives an electric Cupra car and forked to fit his own 10.5 kilowatt solar array to help him and his family live a green, sustainable life, says he has been forced splash out hundreds of pounds a month to pay for heating.

Mr Rixon accused CVC Systems of ‘lying’ by claiming the ventilation system for his home had been correctly installed

The homes were inspired by the ‘Passive House’ standard in Sweden, which seeks to cut down energy use with top-notch insulation and heating systems

Developers of the estate have since gone bust, leaving locals battling ‘tooth and nail’ with insurers to try and get the problems fixed

It’s believed deadly black mould, caused by condensation build ups due to poorly fitted pipes and insulation, has started to ravage the properties, with residents fearing their homes could soon be rendered ‘uninhabitable’ by the toxic infestation

He says over the winter, the home’s poor insulation and heating systems meant that even with his heating on full blast, the upstairs of the home barely reached 11 degrees.

He fears the problems have exasperated his mother-in-law’s ill-health, following a stroke which has left her needing constant support from her family.

As well as the alleged faults, Mr Rixon also claims developers had not completed key works that formed part of their planning conditions for the estate.

It’s now sparked a row between neighbours and the local authority Arun District Council, which Mr Rixon says is now calling on locals to fork out thousands of pounds to complete a footpath on Dappers Lane.

Mr Rixon accused CVC Systems of ‘lying’ by claiming the ventilation system for his home had been correctly installed. He added engineering company Sweco failed to properly inspect the buildings before homeowners were allowed to buy them.

Another resident told MailOnline: ‘I wish I’d never bought the house. We were so looking forward to our new home but it has been the worst thing we ever did.

As well as the alleged faults, Mr Rixon also claims developers had not completed key works that formed part of their planning conditions for the estate

‘It been an absolute horror show from start to finish and the quality of the workmanship is appalling,’ one resident told MailOnline

Alleged faults include: scratched patio windows, paint on the floors and and dozens of small snag problems

‘GD Homes just went into liquidation when all these problems arise. The firm had no track record and no history of building these types of houses and the council must have known this.

‘Personally I think this need further investigation because something very fishy has been going on here. I’d love to see where the money came form to build this development. It seems like money laundering.’

The battle between owners and developers has reached the financial ombudsman – but homeowners have accused the authority of being ‘toothless’ and ‘dragging its heels’ in getting insurers NHBC to pay out for the repairs. 

‘Arun District Council has been complicit in this and they should be held responsible for this chaos,’ one resident added.

‘The council is simply handing out planning permission for developments like this one but they are not protecting homebuyers by making sure the correct planning laws are complied with.

‘Homebuyers are then left in a situation whereby they have to chase the builders and insurers at a later date to ensure they provide what they are legally obliged to provide.’