Family's dream home turns into 'nightmare' after they make awful discovery
07.05.2024 - 11:55
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A family's dream turned into a nightmare when they found their new home was plagued by severe dry rot. Henrik and Tamsin Smith-Thaudal discovered the destructive fungus just weeks after moving into the property.
They brought builders in to tackle the problem in the terraced house, which they share with their three children. But they warned the family of a "potentially full house infestation" after getting to work.
The insidious dry rot has spread to the dining room, bathroom, study, two bedrooms, and the kitchen. Walls and ceilings had to be torn down and part of the roof needs to be replaced.
As a result, the pair and their sons - aged three, 10, and 14 - are having to use a camping shower and portable loo and face repair costs of £30,000.
In an emotional statement, the Mirror reports, Mrs. Smith-Thaudal, a 41 year old NHS commissioning manager, said: "We've been crying quite a lot. The kids are suffering more.
"They've finally come to a house where they have more space than the flat we were renting, but they can't use it. My husband has been signed off work due to stress and is really struggling. It's been an utter nightmare..
The couple, left in the lurch by home insurers who don't cover dry rot, have set up a Gofundme page hoping to offset some of the costs that will exceed their savings.
As first-time buyers, they thought they had done everything right before spending £203,000 on what seemed like their dream home.She added: "We had a survey, we discussed any issues with the house with the sellers."
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