- Have YOU got a story? Email eleanor.mann@mailonline.co.uk
A builder who works on newbuild estates has sent out a warning to families after sharing pictures of ‘absolutely diabolical’ gardens on TikTok.
Dan Hinton often posts TikToks blasting the state of newbuild homes accusing developers of ‘throwing them up’ and criticising their designs.
His videos have gone viral with more than a million views and hundreds of comments.
Not all of his followers agree with his criticism but Dan said he is on a mission to ‘show people what they are like’.
The builder’s posts often focus on the state of the identikit gardens, often allowing buyers very little privacy.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Ninety per cent of them are absolutely diabolical.
‘I know people have opinions but my opinion is that they are awful.
‘They are very boggy, they do not drain properly, and I hear a lot of stories from people saying they put the rubbish under the bloody grass.
‘Do not get me started on who the hell designs them because the shapes I see and the size of some is madness.’
He added: ‘For some reason a lot of them slope towards the house so when they build the tiny patio with horrid yellow slabs it all puddles right outside the patio doors.’
Dan has worked on newbuilds acrossed the Midlands in Lawley, Priorslee, Crudgington, Alscot, and Donnington.
He claimed the houses not only have sub-standard gardens but also ‘terrible insides’.
Dan said: ‘Who came up with the idea to make stairs out of MDF? MDF is a material.
‘Instead of using timber or thick plywood they use thin MDF so as soon as moisture gets to them, spilt drinks, dog wee, any type of liquid, they swell and just break up.
‘Also when fitting carpet or anything like that the backs come away because they are just glued together no fixings, so they are very poorly built.
‘It’s bloody awful and nothing is square in a newbuild.’
Dan pointed out that regardless of what people think, the houses will still go on to be sold or rented for a considerable price.
He said: ‘To think most of the new builds are rented but think of those who actually went out and bought the house at an extortionate price to have it that bad and that cheaply made – even the insides are terrible.’
Dan’s clips captioned ‘can’t believe they do this’ and ‘state of this!’ have gotten up to 7.8 million views each.
His videos depict tens of rows of immaculate wooden-fenced, astro-turf laid builds with yellow paving patios slabs backing onto one another, with the captions ‘What’s gone through their head here?’ and ‘Another new build…shame about the gardens!’
Whilst Dan is clear about what side of the fence he sits on, his videos have users strongly divided.
The most watched video on Dan’s account, with 7.8 million views, gives a wide view of the fresh landscape from the bedroom window, writing: ‘can’t believe they do this’.
One viewer commented: ‘My bet is 90% of those houses contain a grey crushed velvet sofa’ and another: ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of’.
Others pointed out the practical problems that might arise from such a mirrored design, asking: ‘When the ball gets kicked over you don’t know whose house it has gone to’ and another posting: ‘imagine one fence setting on fire, you’re all gonners.’
But many argued that people were merely being snobbish towards what is simple but effective designing.
Users commented beneath one video with nearly 40k likes: ‘I’d live there happily’ and: ‘Every football kid’s dream’.
Another said: ‘I’d live in one of them, rather have a roof over my head than be homeless.’
A consistent theme that crops up in the enraged comments are the houses’ similarity to a high security prison complex.
One user called the house: ‘HMP New Build’ and another puzzled viewer asking: ‘Is it some kind of minimum security prison complex???’
Many also pointed out the soullessness and lack of variation.
One user even pointed out the builder might be to blame, saying: ‘Not buying the right new build! Who’s the construction firm? Bob the Builders Ltd!’
Married father of two Dan said his own home is thankfully different from the newbuilds he comments on.
He said:’I live in an old 1950s house that I’m changing, modernising with a drive, good-size garden overlooking a playing field – happy days.
‘I don’t know why my videos went on a mad one, people just like to chat, argue and moan I suppose.’
