AN EVESHAM woman who needs her gall bladder removed has revealed how she was left in agony after being forced to clean the ‘filthy’ house she had just moved into, despite estate agents saying they would sort out the mess.
The 41-year-old, who doesn’t want to be named, moved to the Vale last month from the South Coast for personal reasons.
After having nowhere else to go, she was brought up to Evesham by her friend, who she stayed with for three weeks until she could find somewhere more permanent to live.
She moved into a privately-rented property on Wednesday, September 7 and was told by agents RA Bennett the issues with the house she discovered when she first viewed the property, including faulty electrics, mold on the walls and carpet, general dirt and grime would all be sorted before she moved in.
A faulty connection to the cooker also led to her being shocked a number of times. After an electrician condemned the cooker, it has since been removed, leaving her without any means of cooking.
A housing officer from Wychavon District Council was also called to the property and identified a number of safety issues.
Speaking to the Observer, the 41-year-old said: “It’s a lovely little house; it’s just needed a hell of a lot of work done to it. It needs a good clean, it needs new carpets and it definitely needs decorating,” she said.
“My electrics have been now sorted, and the flooring – that’s not great either. It comes up in the kitchen, plus the radiator is hanging off.
“I got here at 8.30am in the morning and I didn’t finish cleaning until about 4.30pm in the afternoon. I took me all day. I was in agony with my stomach. I was meant to be resting but you still find things which need cleaning.”
She also added how she was left feeling ‘gutted’ after the estate agents promised her the issues would all be sorted before she moved in.
“I felt gutted to be honest. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t in so much pain,” she added.
“You don’t expect to pull the cooker out to find thick piles of dirt behind it, and grease and grime down the sides of the walls.
“I couldn’t even cook dinner on that cooker when I first got here, I didn’t even attempt to cook dinner off it because it was filthy. And when I did go to cook dinner off it I kept getting electric shocks from it. The electrician said it was the connection on the wall which he is going to replace for me.
“It was like some tramp had lived in it. It was filthy. It’s clean now but it was stinking. It took buckets of bleach and soapy water to clean the skirting boards and the kitchen.”
RA Bennett have since refunded the 41-year-old’s administration fees and a good will gesture of £300.
A spokesperson said: “We always strive to achieve a high standard as a responsible letting agent.
“Due to our duty of confidentiality and the principles under the Data Protection Act, we are unable to comment further.”
