A heartbroken couple whose newbuild dream home has been valued at just £1 has blasted a developer for leaving them with a house riddled with more than 500 issues and ‘not fit for human habitation.’

Dayle Dixon, 53, and Mark Lee, 59, were first-time buyers when they bought the three-bed home in Ivybridge, Devon, for £274,995 in April 2018.

Two days before they moved in Dayle said she reported a hairline crack in the floor, but was told by housebuilder David Wilson Homes, a subsidiary of Barratt Developments, the house was just drying out.

Barratt put down a screed layer to cover the cracks, but it made little difference and now runs the length of the house.

Last year an independent chartered surveyor commissioned by the couple found the property was practically worthless after a catalogue of major defects emerged. 

Dayle Dixon, 53, and Mark Lee, 59, claim their home in Ivybridge Devon, which they bought for £275,000 in 2018, is now worth just £1

The couple has blasted developer Barratt for leaving them with a house riddled with more than 500 issues and ‘not fit for human habitation’

Two days before they moved in, Dayle said she reported a hairline crack in the floor, but was told by housebuilder David Wilson Homes, a subsidiary of Barratt Developments, the house was just drying out

There are cracks running throughout the ground floor, including within the bathroom

Without the problems, it would have been worth £330,000, the surveyors said.

Dayle, who has been forced to take time off work for stress, depression and anxiety, said: ‘This was going to be our forever home, this was going to be it for us. But it has been chaos ever since we moved in.

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‘When we got the £1 valuation I was just numb, in a way I already knew the house we had put everything into was worthless. Nobody is going to want to buy this house.

‘I would say after six years it’s at the end of its life, but to tell you the truth it never had a life, it was never fit for human habitation.’

Through hundreds of calls and letters, the couple have built up an extensive paper trail and are currently suing the developer in a small claims court.

Lorry driver Mark said they had fallen in love with the smart cream-coloured three-bed house in a pretty town on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park believing it would be a stress-free option.

He said: ‘The whole idea of buying a newbuild is it would be stress free.

‘We could’ve bought and done up an old house and been mortgage free, but this was supposed to be a fresh start.

‘I hardly ever spend time here, if I’m not working I just sleep my life away. It’s been tough on our relationship and it’s taken us to very, very low places.’

The house has more than 500 issues, the couple claim, including cracks above the doorframes

An independent chartered surveyor highlighted there was inadequate damp proofing within the property

The couple are now taking Barratt to court over the issues within their home. Pictured: Rubble is strewn across the exterior of the property

Other problems identified in the couple’s report include a damaged soil pipe, damaged and corroding structural floor beams, inadequate damp proofing, inadequate window design and poorly fitted fire doors.

The report stated: ‘The ground floor will have to be stripped back to shell stage, sections of structural walls and floors will have to be removed, and it is likely that further defects which will require repair will be identified as works progress.’

It added: ‘Numerous significant defects have been identified. There has been limited positive engagement from the developer in resolving these issues … There is consequently an ongoing and costly dispute arising between the parties which only appears to be escalating.’

Barratt has commissioned its own reports that took a more positive view, but conceded that there was damage to one of the floor beams and that cracks needed to be monitored. 

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Another Barratt-commissioned report recommended remedial action for cracks across the floor.

The couple – who are also suing Barratt in the small claims court over damage to items in their house during previous repairs – want the housebuilder to buy them out at market rate and cover the money tied up in the government’s Help to Buy scheme which would allow them to move on.

They say the latest offer would leave them with less than £50,000 to find a new home.

Mark added: ‘If we took their offer we would be homeless. We wouldn’t even be able to buy a flat and what are my chances of getting a mortgage at 60?’

Dayle and Mark say several other families on the estate have also had problems with their homes, but are unwilling to speak out because they are planning to sell.

One neighbour Yvonne Challis, who has also had problems with her property, said: ‘I just find their aftercare disgusting. I’ve never bought a new house before but I have built houses, I’m not stupid.

‘But even if I was stupid I would still realise something is very wrong here.’

A spokesman for Barratt said: ‘As the UK’s leading five star housebuilder, we are sorry that Ms Dixon is unhappy. While we try to get things right first time, occasionally mistakes happen which we try to rectify as quickly as possible.

‘We paid for an independent surveyor’s report of her choosing and have confirmed we will deal with any issues it finds – offering to pay for an external contractor of her choosing to deliver the work.

‘So far Ms Dixon has rejected our attempts to resolve the issue in line with her demands, but we continue to try and work towards a successful resolution.’