The TikTok building inspectors who have amassed 560,000 followers by exposing cowboy builders with videos blasting ‘absolutely shocking’ paving, electrics and brickwork on UK homes
- New Home Quality Control logs a variety of issues in new build homes across UK
- The account initially went viral after they exposed hundreds of fake weep vents
- The videos brand new-build developers as ‘shocking’, ‘tuna melts’ and ‘yeehaws’
A group of snagging inspectors have amassed over 560,000 followers on TikTok after exposing cowboy builders for their ‘absolutely shocking’ paving, electrics and brickwork on homes across the UK.
The company TikTok – New Home Quality Control – documents a variety of issues in new build homes all across the UK, including wonky walls and ‘confused plumbing’.
The voiceover, done by employee Orlando Murphy, 31, then comically describes these developers as ‘tuna melts’ and ‘yeehaws’.
In one video, where garden turf has been laid on top of a bed of rocks, Murphy says: ‘Look what they’ve laid the turf on! I’ve seen smaller boulders in Shrek’s swamp.
‘Like think about what you’re doing! Do you seriously think that’s been prepared correctly for laying turf? Shocking.’
Look at that! Its Absolutely Shocking! New Build Snagging Inspections #snagging #newbuild #shocking #newhomequalitycontrol #construction #fyp #viral #uk
The company TikTok – New Home Quality Control – documents a variety of issues in new build homes all across the UK, including wonky walls and ‘confused plumbing’
The voiceover, done by employee Orlando Murphy, 31, then comically describes these developers as ‘tuna melts’ and ‘yeehaws’
The account initially went viral after they exposed fake weep vents in new build homes all over the UK.
The company realised that developers had been digging out pieces of mortar in walls to cut off small pieces of plastic vents and insert them into holes in order to pass inspections.
Weep vents are a regulatory requirement to let moisture out of the gap inside cavity walls.
Eight videos in and the account had racked up 3.7 million views.
The company was set up by directors John Cooper and Lee Murphy in February 2018 after working as subcontractors for a big housebuilders.
The account initially went viral after they exposed fake weep vents in new build homes all over the UK
Shreks Boulders found at this New Build Snagging Inspection #snagging #newbuild #shocking #newhomequalitycontrol #construction #fyp #viral #uk #building #home
On a job in Pembrokeshire, the pair were made to ‘hide’ a fault in a house just before the owner was set to move in.
‘This was the icing on the cake to a whole load of issues’, Cooper told the MailOnline, ‘it sent us over the edge’.
He said: ‘This was when we decided to do something and make a change in the industry – and what’s better than exposing all these dodgy snags?
‘A few days later, we set up our own quality control.
‘Initially we just wanted to help customers here and there, but now it’s UK-wide. We’ve gone from a small company in west Wales to the UK’s number one snagger inspectors’.
The company’s big breakthrough came after a new hire suggested marketing on TikTok.
‘I honestly had no idea what TikTok was but after it was brought to our attention I said I’d look into it’, Cooper said.
‘I went home and came back the next day initially saying “this is definitely not what we’re going to do”‘.
After their fake weep vent expose, the company started receiving a huge amount of enquires.
Cooper continued: ‘We realised that 90 per cent of new home buyers are young couples just starting out in life. They use TikTok and we had unintentionally put it in front of a big target audience.’
The company went from roughly 60-70 inspections per month before the account took off to about 250 per month.
Lots of issues at these New Build Snagging Inspections 😱🏠🏚 #snagging #newbuild #shocking #newhomequalitycontrol #construction #fyp #viral #uk #home
The inspectors are spread out across the UK and are expected to cover a 100-mile radius, ensuring most of the UK can be provided by their service
As to whether any of the properties they go to are snag-free, Cooper said ‘never!’
‘The reality is that the bad massively outweighs the good,’ Cooper said
The company now employs 12 inspectors, two directors and a marketing manager.
The inspectors are spread out across the UK and are expected to cover a 100-mile radius, ensuring most of the UK can be provided by their service.
Each inspector then sends in a video of the homes they view for Murphy to voiceover and upload.
As to whether any of the properties they go to are snag-free, Cooper said ‘never!’.
He added: ‘We’d be happy to upload any cases where we find a property with no or little faults, but they are few and far between.
‘The reality is that the bad massively outweighs the good. All we want is to see the change that we set out to make in the first place’.
Providing advice to new home-buyers, Cooper suggests looking properly into developers – either on Facebook groups or via Whatsapp.
‘Get in touch with family and friends and ask around so you know before you buy’, he said.
‘Always give us a call for free advice’, he added. ‘We have a customer care team and we’re here to make a change, so we’re always happy to help and try and offer our advice’.
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