The moment Aarifa and Adam* stepped into their new home was supposed to be a memorable one. And it was. The ceilings lay on the floor. Electric cables dangled from the exposed rafters and water was pouring through two storeys.
It was only when the couple had collected the keys that they discovered that a frozen water pipe in the loft had burst, flooding the property from top to bottom. Since the vendor lived abroad, no one had noticed. The damage is estimated at £100,000.
