Christchurch family despair after post-earthquake renovations | WATCH

For Karyn, this was the last straw. Their home was damaged in the February 2011 earthquake and needed substantial rebuilding. Initially they had to fight with the Earthquake Commission to get the total value of the work.

They then faced a fight with their insurance company, who eventually paid the Sopers a lump sum.

Karyn selected a company called Monarch Construction to do the renovations. At first, all went well. The job was finished in September 2020 and the Sopers were thrilled.

“We couldn’t wait to get in, we didn’t even have curtains and I thought I don’t even care” Karyn recalls. But that joy was short-lived. Within just a few months they noticed screws popping out of the walls, in almost every room.

Monarch Construction had installed the gib themselves so Karyn gave them a call and asked them to fix the problem. The company agreed and did the repairs. There was just the plastering and painting to do in order for the house to be looking like new.