Our bathroom sprung a leak and we had to move into Premier Inn – 7 years later it’s cost £1m and our bungalow’s a wreck

WHEN Sam and Dave Fox sprung a leak in their bathroom, they moved into a hotel for a few weeks while the problem was fixed.

But the repair led to a seven-year nightmare which has kept them out of their home almost constantly - and cost an estimated £1million.

The couple are now locked in a battle with insurance firm Aviva after experts told them they should knock down the house in Benfleet, Essex, and build it all over again.

Sam, 53, said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare with seemingly no end.

“We’ve lived in hotels and temporary accommodation for years because of the whole debacle and, with all the work, it must have cost the insurers £1million in total.”

Sam, who is blind after suffering kidney failure, and husband Dave agreed to move into a hotel for eight weeks in summer 2016 while the insurers fixed a leak in their bathroom, which caused damage to the bathroom, hall and dining room floors.

But shoddy work and a row over whether the bungalow should be razed to the ground mean Sam, Dave and their two kids Abbie, 24, and Ryan, 26, have spent years living in hotels and rented houses.

The debacle has also impacted on neighbours Vanessa, 71, and Graham Harris, 73, who have had to put up with building noise for years - and won a payout after cracks appeared in their living room wall.

Nightmare begins

The problems began in August 2016 when insurance firm Aviva agreed to fix a bathroom plumbing problem and the family moved into a nearby Premier Inn. Their household possessions went into storage.

Sam, 53, found it hard to be stuck in a cramped hotel room with her guide dog Winston but said: “I accepted it was necessary for us to move out, but was counting the days to when we could return home.”

As the repairs got underway the builders discovered another leak, this time in the kitchen. Once again, Aviva agreed to pay the extra costs to put it right. 

The family moved back into the bungalow eight weeks later, but the relief at being home was short-lived as Sam felt the floor sink whenever she went into the bathroom.

Loss adjusters were called out and when they lifted the floorboards they found the original work hadn’t been carried out properly, causing further damage. 

Aviva sent out another builder to carry out the work and once again the family upped sticks into a hotel in August 2019. 

Spiralling bills

Sam said: "The cost was around £450 a day for three rooms for my family, meals at £60 a day, £50 a day for car parking, £25 a week for laundry and cattery fees of £100 a week, plus furniture storage at £200 a week.

“Being in a hotel wasn't only cramped for me and my guide dog, Winston, but also meant I couldn't leave the room because the dog was unfamiliar with its surroundings, so I became a virtual prisoner."

In November 2019, the family moved back home. “I thought just in time for Christmas,” said Sam.

But there was festive misery in store after an electrician raised concerns about the standard of work and its wiring.  

A few days later the house failed a safety check.

Fed up, the Fox family demanded to use their own builder and, while Aviva agreed, the firm insisted the house was taken back to its brickwork with all ceilings and floorboards removed to find out exactly what the underlying issues were.

The family were placed in temporary rented accommodation at a cost of £3,500 a month in early 2020.

When the Foxs' builders realised there was a massive amount to be done to make the home habitable, they contacted Aviva who halted the work for reports.

Aviva claims some of the problems were caused by a loft conversion in the house in 2000, but the couple disagreed and went to the insurance Ombudsman.

It ruled in September 2021 that the builders chosen to carry out the original work had caused further damage to the bungalow, which Aviva needed to sort.

But it also agreed with the insurers that there were pre-existing issues with the house - and the Foxes should pay towards those costs.

Demolition dilemma

Since then the family has paid for a structural inspection report, which suggested the property is torn down and rebuilt.

Inspector Christopher Holt concluded: “The structure is in a state of disrepair and there are portions of the property which are currently in a state of failure.

"Without action being taken, further deterioration and failure will occur. Action should be taken to solve the issues.

"We suggest it might be better to rebuild the property, rather than carrying out repairs to a heavily dilapidated building."

But Aviva refused, saying the couple's insurance doesn't cover demolition - and want to fix up the property instead.

Sam said: "This whole thing has cost an absolute fortune and has gone on too long. The house itself is valued at £400,000 so Aviva could have built it twice over for what it’s all cost so far.

“The best solution would be to demolish the bungalow, as the cost of replacing all the bricks and the uncertainty of how secure it would be, makes no sense. I believe it should be covered by my insurer."

Today, the property remains an eyesore surrounded by eight feet high metal fencing with no foreseeable chance of a resolution for the Fox family.

And it’s caused a massive headache for retired neighbours Vanessa and Graham, who moved into their bungalow three years before the issues.

Graham said wife Vanessa suffers from a condition called essential trauma, which causes anxiety attacks and is made much worse by stress.

He said: "When we heard about our neighbour's bathroom, we felt really sorry for them, especially as Sam was blind and thought what an upheaval it would be for them for a few weeks while the repairs were made.

"I knew the noise from the building work wouldn't be good for Vanessa's condition but as it was only going to be for a short time, we thought it wouldn't have a major effect on our lives.”

Stressed out

Early in 2021 the Harris's noticed cracks in their living room wall as next door’s building work got underway.

Their insurers paid a “nominal sum” for repairs, saying it was uncertain the damage had been caused by the work.

But Graham said: “The house was built in 1937 and there were no issues until all the building work.

"We have to put up with a damaged fence banging against the bedroom wall when the wind blows, the noise from dehumidifiers 24/7 and an awful building site outlook. 

“We don't like to go too far from home, as when it rains, water from next door's guttering comes through our roof and on to the living room furniture and carpets. I have to collect it in buckets , so it won't ruin our home.”

Other residents in the street have written to Castle Point Borough Council to complain about the ongoing mess and noise.

This week, local environmental officers wrote to Sam and Dave asking why the property is empty.

A spokesperson for Aviva said the firm had made "repeated attempts to resolve" the problems.

They added: "This is an extremely complicated case that has been exacerbated by the customer’s requests for repairs to pre-existing issues that were out of the scope of the original claim.

"These were unrelated to the escapes of water and have greatly impacted the extent and duration of work required.

In an effort to resolve the claim, we have undertaken numerous works to the property that go far beyond the terms of Mrs Fox’s insurance cover."

The company claims the Fox's are blocking access to evaluate the work because they wants the house knocked down and rebuilt.

The spokesperson added: "We are extremely mindful of the circumstances of Mrs Fox and her family, and remain committed to resolving this claim and getting her back into her home as quickly as possible."

The local council failed to comment.