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spring statement next month. He should instead order that Help to Buy, which

runs until 2023, provide quality housing for first-time buyers, rather than
financing yet more mansions for housebuilder directors.

Anne Ashworth is property editor of The Times

Case study

Nicola Bentley thought she was buying a “dream home” for her family last May
when she exchanged contracts on a £280,000 house from Persimmon in Kippax,
Leeds (Louisa Clarence-Smith writes). However, when the finance director, 46,

moved in she said she found 700 snags, ranging from a damaged cooker to
leaking pipes and shoddy plasterboard on internal walls.

Ms Bentley, a mother of two, said she is still waiting for issues to be resolved.

“We have been living in hell for the last nine months,” she said. “Persimmon told
us it would take three to four weeks to rectify all our snags. We are now into
week 26 and living in a building site.”

A spokesman for Persimmon said: “We recognise that Ms Bentley has
experienced an unacceptable level of issues and have been working hard to
address these. The majority have been dealt with and we are working with Ms
Bentley to resolve the remaining matters.”