Dundee daughter tells of guilt as late parents’ Raac home is unsellable

A Dundee daughter is tormented with guilt knowing that her childhood home will lie empty for years because of Raac.

The woman, who grew up in Whitfield, lost both her parents within the space of 12 months and now can’t sell the home they shared because it contains the defective concrete.

She asked to remain anonymous due to the emotional impact the situation has caused her and her family.

The daughter tells her story as The Courier gives away free posters inside Monday’s paper to help support those affected by the crisis.

We are asking businesses and residents across Dundee and Monifieth to hang these posters on their walls and in their windows and to sign this petition.

As exclusively revealed by The Courier, Dundee has the most Raac-affected homes in Scotland with nearly 900 residential properties found to contain the defective concrete.

‘It was their pride and joy’

For this grieving daughter, her childhood home and the home of her recently deceased parents, falls among that number.

She told The Courier: “Mum and dad purchased their house in Whitfield through the right to buy scheme years ago.

“It was their pride and joy and the most amazing childhood home for me and my sibling.”

She added: “Sadly dad passed away in 2023 and exactly a year later mum passed.

“We are now faced with watching their, and our, loving home sit empty for the foreseeable.

“We aren’t in a position to be landlords and we had lots of interest for viewings even though it wasn’t mortgageable but they never turned up.

“I can only imagine they researched Raac and had second thoughts.

“I feel so guilty that I always said I would handle the estate and uphold all their wishes, but will never sell the house so have let them down.”

Trapped by Raac after death of a loved one

The Whitfield family is not alone in being forced to face the Raac crisis after losing a loved one.

Our Trapped by Raac campaign began with the story of Arlene Jeffrey who discovered her mum’s Menzieshill flat contained the defective concrete after her death on Christmas Day last year.

Arlene’s mum had also bought her property through the right to buy scheme.

Like the Whitfield family, she doesn’t know what to do and fears the flat will become a financial burden she can ill afford.

Dundee City Council announced that next month they will begin a £500,000 pilot scheme on five vacant Raac properties in the city, reinforcing the roofs but not removing the concrete.

The proposed fix has been criticised by campaigners as a short term solution.