WHEN Yvette Davis paid £309,950 for a brand new house she thought she had chosen her dream home.

But from the day she moved in, it has been a nightmare.

Walls had gouges and lumps, a gas pipe was left sticking out and a leak under the kitchen sink was leaving water marks.

Worst of all the 127 defects she found was pink gunge running out of a bathroom tap.

Laboratory tests showed it was contaminated with bacteria that can cause sickness.

When Ms Davis, an executive assistant, took her complaints to builder Linden Homes, she was told the problems would be fixed within three weeks.

Eight months later she is still waiting for scores of issues to be resolved. She has been signed off work sick and has been living in a hotel since January.

Linden Homes says it is still investigating the problems and has apologised.

Ms Davies, 50, moved into the semi-detached house in Jellicoe Drive, Sarisbury Green, in July 2015.

When Linden Homes failed to correct the defects she discovered, she contacted the National House Building Council (NHBC), which confirmed that 83 out of the 127 “snags” on her list were not up to its standards.

The NHBC report also picked up that pink gunge was running from a bathroom tap.

Swabs taken for analysis contained pseudomonas aeruginosa – a common bacteria that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans.

Ms Davis, who is originally from Bournemouth, sent the report to Linden Homes in December. The company contacted her in January telling her they had received an alert and that she needed to move out of her house.

She said: “It’s likely I was using the contaminated water since the day I moved in – and at least since the lab tested the water.

“I hate my house. I bought a new-build because I work from home and don’t have the time to do a renovation project... I want them to buy my house back. They’ve taken away any enjoyment or excitement out of it for me. It was supposed to be my dream home.

“I just want my life back. It’s been nothing but a nightmare.”

Despite having had the water flushed and tested twice since January, it is still contaminated, and Southern Water has sent out an official notice advising Ms Davis not to use the water from her taps.

A spokesman from Southern Water said: “Southern Water has carried out extensive testing and verified there is no issue with the incoming public water supply – which is wholesome and safe to drink.

"It would appear to be a private plumbing issue and for this reason the property has been isolated from the water main, until such time as works have been carried out by the developer and the pipework sterilised."

“Although we will continue to support our customer, our own investigation is closed and we have reported it to the local environmental health officer and other relevant parties for their involvement.

A spokesman for Linden Homes said: “We are very concerned regarding Miss Davis’ issues at her property.

“Investigations are still in progress and during this time Linden Homes has been and will continue to work diligently with the appropriate organisations to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

"We are currently awaiting test results from Southern Water, taken from within the property and will act immediately on any advice and recommendations provided as an outcome of their investigations.

"Following water testing undertaken up and downstream from the property, by Southern Water, we are advised that the results were negative and are therefore confident that this issue is isolated to this one property.

“Linden Homes is also liaising with the National House Building Council (NHBC) to ensure it acts in accordance with all applicable regulations and procedures.

“We apologise to Miss Davis for the inconvenience this situation has caused and remain committed to establishing probable cause. A case such as this is extremely rare and does not reflect the service or quality of home we endeavour to deliver for our valued customers.

"We are liaising with her to provide suitable alternative accommodation until this situation has been fully resolved.”