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Dundee man faces losing £40,000 after Raac discovered in building

Brady Macphail did not find out about the problem until months after buying his Craigie flat.

Brady Macphail faces losing £40,000 on his Brington Place flat. Image: Kim Cessford/ DC Thomson
Brady Macphail faces losing £40,000 on his Brington Place flat. Image: Kim Cessford/ DC Thomson

A Dundee man faces losing £40,000 on his flat after Raac was discovered in the building.

Brady Macphail, 30, bought his flat on Brington Place in Craigie in February 2023 for more than £90,000.

He put down a £15,000 deposit and says he spent thousands fitting out the property.

The welder fabricator planned to stay in the flat for about two years before moving to somewhere bigger with his girlfriend.

The flat block in Craigie where Brady lives. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

However, six months after buying his first home, he was told the building’s roof contained potentially dangerous Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac).

He claims he could now lose about £40,000 if he tries to sell up.

Dundee man could lose £40,000 on flat after Raac discovery

Brady told The Courier: “I received a letter from the council saying that I needed a Raac survey.

“I initially ignored it as I didn’t want the extra bills after having just spent so much moving in.

“Then a private landlord who owns one of the other flats came to the door and was really concerned about it.

Brady only found out about the problem months after moving in. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

“She started a group chat with help from the council and I was happy to go ahead with the survey so we all agreed when it would be done.

“The survey found Raac in the close and they said the roof wasn’t damaged but the Raac was there.

“I haven’t heard anything else since then but other flats have had letters saying we need a more in-depth survey.”

Brady says that in a call with homeowners, a council officer said the local authority could pay £20,000 towards a new roof if needed due to Raac-related damage.

However, the total cost of work is estimated to be £80,000.

Raac has been found in the ceiling of the block. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson
The Brington Place flats. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

Brady said: “I’ve been going to the Dundee Raac Campaign Group meetings and people said my insurance could be void if there is damage.

“I don’t see the point of putting more money into the flat if it is now worthless.

“One of my neighbours has tried to sell his flat for £25,000 less than it was valued for and still can’t sell it because it is unmortgageable.

Dundee man feels ‘helpless’ due to Raac situation

“It was a council property to start with but there are no council tenants in the block now and it was a private homeowner I bought it from before.

“I had heard nothing at all until receiving that letter months after I moved in.

“I now might need to stay here until it’s sorted but had planned to move out after the first couple of years.

“I am in a better job now than I was when I first bought the flat and now can’t get a house like I thought I would be able to.

Brady outside his flat. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

“I feel I have thrown everything away on it.

“I’ve been told my flat is now valued at £50,000 but I paid £90,000 for it.

“I just feel helpless now, the council has just left us to deal with it with no help.”

A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “Where properties are privately owned, responsibility for maintenance lies with owners who are recommended to seek their own advice regarding the condition of Raac present within their property.”

In November, Dundee dad Wayne Hoskins claimed he had been left “stranded” in his own home due to Raac.

The Courier has taken a look at what to do if you have Raac in your Dundee or Angus property.


Look out for our other articles this week as we speak to more people affected by Raac in Dundee.

If your home is affected by the crumbling concrete crisis, please email news@dcthomson.co.uk.

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