Couple forced to spend nearly a year living in caravan after builders delay move into dream home EIGHT TIMES

A COUPLE were forced to spend nearly a year living in a caravan after builders delayed the move into their dream home a staggering eight times.

Rob and Irene Callan, both 64, put a deposit down for their new three-bedroom semi-detached house in 2017.

They were told they would get the keys for the house in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, a year later.

Confident that date would be met, they sold their house in Falkirk and seven months later moved into a caravan near their new home.

But instead of moving into their home in August 2017, as planned, they were left stranded in the caravan until January this year.

‘MUCKED ABOUT’

“We got mucked about so much with move-in dates,” said Mr Callan, who works as a senior facilities manager.

“Obviously every time we got told November, for example, we thought: ‘Right, just a few more weeks.’

“Then we got told again, and it was just that constant upheaval that was wearing us down.”

Clearly, as you were given eight different potential move-in dates, we did not meet the code’s guideline

Letter from Allanwater Homes

Developers Allanwater Homes has now apologised to the couple for causing them prolonged upset.

Mr Callan claims they were never fully told what the cause of the delays had been and felt he was “continually pushing them for a response”.

The couple, who have two children, started sending letters and emails to the company’s senior staff – hoping to get their situation sorted.

‘ABSOLUTE ANGER’

Eventually, they received a letter at the end of March that read: “Clearly, as you were given eight different potential move-in dates, we did not meet the code’s guideline.”

The employee also admitted that was an “unreasonable” number of date changes.

Despite now living in their new house, the couple wants to make others aware of the nightmare they went through.

Mr Callan said: “It is just absolute annoyance and anger at the way we were treated.
“I don’t want this to wear me down, but I do want to take it further because it was wrong.”

It is just absolute annoyance and anger at the way we were treated. I don’t want this to wear me down, but I do want to take it further because it was wrong

Rob Callan

And Irene, who works as a domestic assistant for the NHS, said the problems continued after their move.

“When we moved in, the house was covered in grit and dirt,” she said.

“There were still people working on the house, a painter was there, and there was something wrong was the shower in the en suite.

“It was an absolute nightmare.”

A spokesman for Allanwater said: “We would like to once again sincerely apologise for the upset and inconvenience caused to Mr and Mrs Callan.

“The Consumer Code is a voluntary code and open to broad interpretation.

“One of its requirements is that we give “reliable and realistic” information, and on this occasion, through having to change entry dates, we fell well short of the code’s standard.

“The couple have been compensated with extras in their new home to the value of approximately £3,000.”

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