The parents commissioned the work so their autistic daughter could have her own room
The family went ahead with the extension to add a fourth bedroom but the work has left them homeless(Image credit: John Duffy)
A family claimed they were left homeless after the building firm they paid became insolvent – taking £62,000 of family's money with them.
Rochdale parents-of-three Danielle and Andrew Duffy agreed to pay Nuera Construction Ltd £71,000 for a double-storey extension – but were left with a derelict shell. and no money to fix it instead.
Now they claim the company has stopped returning their calls for the majority of the work but it wasn't completed before they went bust.
What work was meant to be done?
The couple moved out of their house in March 2023(Image credit: John Duffy)
The family wanted to build an extension to add a fourth bedroom so daughters Chloe, 14, and Sophie, 13, could have separate bedrooms. They went out looking for builder quotes to .relocate their bathroom as well as making their kitchen bigger.
Mrs Duffy told MailOnline: “My eldest daughter is autistic, and her sister is suspected of having autism and ADHD, so we decided to extend so they could have their own space.”
The couple signed a contract and work began in March last year but then, after work faltered, the couple received an email from building firm Nuera Construction Ltd outlining how the building company had gone bust.
Mrs Duffy said she has been quoted £45,000 to complete the unfinished work(Image credit: John Duffy)
Family told it will cost extra £45k to finish the work
There is mould throughout the property(Image credit: John Duffy)
Mrs Duffy said she has been quoted £45,000 to complete the work, but doesn’t have the money as the project ate up their £15,000 savings and the house has been remortgaged.
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She said: “I just don't know how we are going to pay for it. We don't have that kind of money.
“'I am so embarrassed. I have never asked for financial help in my life. Everything we have, we have worked hard for.”
The process of paying money to builders is complicated and renovators are urged to closely look at all their options, particularly paying the builder in cash.
‘He has absolutely destroyed us both financially and mentally’
Rochdale parents-of-three Danielle and Andrew Duffy agreed to pay Nuera Construction Ltd £71,000 (Image credit: John Duffy)
The couple, who have a son Lewis, nine, moved out of their house in March 2023 so work could commence but have not returned since because it has no gas or electricity. It has also been open to the elements and mould has taken hold in some rooms.
Danielle said that Nuera had “absolutely destroyed us both financially and mentally”.
A GoFundMe page to help the family get the home to a liveable state has been set up by Andrew’s brother John.
He wrote: “(The builder) left the building open to the elements for five months causing even more damage and cost as everything is now mouldy in the main house.
"Even after a year, the house isn't liveable, a new builder has been around and given them another quote to make the house liveable which will now cost them another £45,000, which they don't have. And to top it all off environmental health have been telling them they need to clear the waste that the builder left behind.”
Building firm claims ‘unforeseen works throughout the project’ to blame
A Nuera Construction LTD representative told MailOnline that the value of the works to date was £59,600.
The firm was forced into the liquidation process in November last year “due to a commercial contract failing to pay a substantial balance owed,” a spokesperson said.
They added that the company would not be providing any refunds, claiming the family has had the value in works of paid balances.
Sam is based in Coventry and has been a news reporter for nearly 20 years. His work has featured in the Mirror, The Sun, MailOnline, the Independent, and news outlets throughout the world. As a copywriter, he has written for clients as diverse as Saint-Gobain, Michelin, Halfords Autocentre, Great British Heating, and Irwin Industrial Tools. During the pandemic, he converted a van into a mini-camper and is currently planning to convert his shed into an office and Star Wars shrine.
