Why don't new home owners receive a User Manual from the builder?

MM · 2010-12-28T16:56:03+00:00

If I buy a new car or a piece of high-tech wizardry I'll receive auser guide. But if I buy a much more expensive item like a house I getsweet FA. If anyone asked me where the pipes and cables are routed inmy house I wouldn't have a clue. It would be a case of liftingfloorboards to locate the buggers.So why don't we get a detailed specification of the entire property?I didn't know until three years after moving in that my loft has ahidden aerial booster tucked away. No one told me, least of all thebuilder. It was just screwed to a joist, waiting to be connected.When I needed a replacement ball valve for the toilet cistern, I hadto dismantle the cistern to match the part. No user guide to say e.g."The toilet cistern in this property is made by Armitage Shanks withthe model number XYZ. A replacement ball valve has part number 123."So why do we "take delivery" of our most expensive purchase and thenit's a magical mystery tour where the onus is on us to find out whatwe need to know?MM