First-time Dundee homeowner ‘kept awake at night’ over bankruptcy fears after Raac discovery
First-time Dundee homeowner ‘kept awake at night’ over bankruptcy fears after Raac discovery.
The potentially unsafe concrete affects hundreds of properties in Dundee. A first-time homeowner says she has been awake at night thinking about bankruptcy since discovering Raac in her Dundee property.
Erin Chalmers purchased her property on Whitfield Rise in 2023. However, just a few days after receiving the keys, she discovered that the houses on her new street were among hundreds in Dundee built with potentially problematic concrete.
It came as a great surprise to the now 26-year-old, who said there was no mention of the material in any documentation pertaining to her house.
She explained: “The sensation of being able to buy my own home at the age of 24 was incredible. I thought, “Not many people can do this,” and I was rather pleased of myself.
“There was no mention of Raac in the house report. My offer was accepted, and I received the mortgage just well.
“I got my keys on Friday, and my mother and grandmother came in on Monday to help out. My elderly next-door neighbour stepped out and asked, “Did she get the house?”
That means there is no Raac. “And Mum was like, ‘Raac?’ She knew nothing about it. “Then, I can’t remember exactly when it was, I got a letter through the door to say there’s evidence of Raac – it’s just absolute madness.”
‘That keeps me up at night’
Erin is in uncertainty and worried about the future as a result of the disclosure.
“If I knew that my house had that, I wouldn’t have bought it” , commented the woman. “I feel like I’m stuck with it and can’t do much else.
“If my partner and I decide to buy a house together someday, I may be unable to do so.”
“And I don’t want him to be caught in my predicament and forced to move in, because that will become his problem as well.
“I can’t sell it because I won’t get nearly as much as I bought for it, and I’m sleeping beneath a roof that I’m not sure will collapse or not.
“If I stop making payments or go bankrupt, it will wreck the rest of my life. “That keeps me awake at night.”
Hundreds of Dundee houses impacted
Nearly 1,000 flats and residences in Dundee have been discovered to possess faulty concrete. These are a combination of council homes and privately owned properties.
The city’s privately owned homes were purchased via the Right to Buy scheme, which ran from 1980 to 2016. Dundee City Council said these properties are the responsibility of the owners, and they should obtain their own guidance on Raac.
The Courier’s Trapped By Raac campaign calls on all levels of government to work together to find a solution for homeowners and tenants living with damaged concrete.
The campaign is a collaboration with our sister publication, The Press and Journal. It scored a major victory earlier this week when Aberdeen City Council offered additional funds to ensure Raac-affected homeowners in the Torry district of the city received a financial package roughly similar to their home’s pre-Raac pricing.
Houses in this region are scheduled for demolition after the local administration deems them beyond repair.
The Scottish Government had already provided £10 million to help the council assist these residents.
Dundee people would also like to see local and national governments intervene, as well as make financial commitments.
Erin went on to say, “They have money set aside for cladding because some cladding is considered risky. “If they can find the budget to help, we are just a drop in the ocean.”
“I feel that, with Dundee being the most amount of properties affected by it, there must be some sort of call to action for it.”
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