INTERVIEW ALLI GAY CHI HOMES
RESCUING After a rogue builder left one couple’s build in disarray and £50,000 out of pocket, an FMB member company stepped in to right the wrongs
Stepping into a dire situation Alli Gay and her team helped the clients save their property
W hen Sam and Rachel reached out to Alli Gay, Director of Bristol- based CHI Homes and President of the FMB South West Area Board, they were in trouble. A year earlier, Gay had recommended professionals to help the couple get planning permission for a new-build investment property next to their home. At the time, CHI Homes was fully booked, so the clients went ahead with a different contractor. Then Gay got the call. “They contacted us and said, ‘Help. We are parting ways with our contractor
materials on site and subcontractors had not been paid because of the trader liquidating the company. So of course, they were in a really sticky situation.” Although the initial planning work had gone through CHI’s recommended architect, planner and building control officer, the build itself was handled by another firm. But because of their earlier connection, and because Gay was known to the couple through her FMB work, they got in touch again. Calm the nerves “They already had some faith in us because we’d used one of our architects, our planner and our building control surveyor,” Gay
as something’s not quite right.’ When concerns were raised they ran off with the rest of our money.” What Gay found when she visited the site was worse than expected. “They’d put in the pockets for the block- and-beam floor and built the wall on top without the floor. They’d built the walls with non-compliant concrete blocks and the wall insulation was left exposed so it was wet and degraded. “Worst of all there was no drainage, no oversight and no sleeper walls to receive the B&B floor. It was a complete mess. “The clients were £50,000 down and were nervous about what steps to take to continue. There were concerns that
Master Builder 28
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