Bellway Homes

[Daaaavvveee]

It might be a different office to where you live but we always have the biggest list of customer care items from Bovis Homes South West, I think they try to rush the houses too fast and end up missing things or just doing them wrong.

Oh, we only have 4 things left.....

2 colours of patio slabs were used (They don't see this as an issue)
1 window wont close without force
Ill fitting bedroom door
same again but the bathroom door.

Plus the finish they left us with was terrible, floors were dirty etc.

 

[balky12]

I live on an estate where Bellway were building and Bloor. I have a Bloor house and all their homes were sold relatively quickly. Bellway still trying to sell theirs but in fairness they are still building some.

I preferred the Bloor homes. Weren't without problems but they seemed to remedy them pretty quickly.

 

[sparkymark75]

The quality of new homes seems to be very location specific and comes down to the site manager and the sub-contractors used. I've recently moved into a new build Barratt home and can't really fault it. The issues I've had (all have been fixed) were; flawed lounge carpet (carpet replaced), some doors needing planed as the house settled, scratches/dents in the uPVC window frames (fixed by plastic surgeon), leaking toilet, internal door handle failing (handle replaced), drain covers not sitting flush (re-fitted).

Houses are complex hand built products, mistakes can occur, it's how they deal with them that can set builders apart. And I have to say Barratt have been okay for me.

 

[wifigeek]

The quality of new homes seems to be very location specific and comes down to the site manager and the sub-contractors used. I've recently moved into a new build Barratt home and can't really fault it. The issues I've had (all have been fixed) were; flawed lounge carpet (carpet replaced), some doors needing planed as the house settled, scratches/dents in the uPVC window frames (fixed by plastic surgeon), leaking toilet, internal door handle failing (handle replaced), drain covers not sitting flush (re-fitted).

Houses are complex hand built products, mistakes can occur, it's how they deal with them that can set builders apart. And I have to say Barratt have been okay for me.

I don't disagree. In my experience some bellway new build estates are good. But it doesn't help when you end up with one which the site manager didn't do their job properly. Getting stuff remediated in those circumstances is very difficult.

E.g my brickwork is rediculously bad in various places with big chips, cracks in render etc etc. Bellway don't seem too keen to fix it correctly.

My back door was so bad and full of debris that you couldn't stick a garden fork in it at the top half. Instead of replacing all the ground they only did the bit that was within 5m of the house resulting in two different soil makeups between the top and bottom of garden.

Could get my whole hand under a straight edge when laid out on concrete subfloor.

Had other things too like bodged fire protection. These are not really the typical snags you would find in a new build. Major defects comes to mind.

Fix one thing and cause another problem also seems to be the norm. Or 'quick fixes'. Don't seem to want to spend the time or money to do things right. Bare minimum they can get away with!

 

[jpaul]

is there any web-site with a consolidated list of NHBC abuses, like the Wilson one I mentioned, with insulation being short-changed.

....David Wilson Homes circumvent the usual requirement for a U-value of 0.45W/sq.m/deg C through the walls by using the ‘trade-off’ method of calculation rather than the usual elemental approach

Going into the builder with a checklist of past abuses, to make sure your new build would not be similarly constructed would seem 'prudent'

 

[Rhohm]

I empathise with anyone who buys a new bellway home as I am currently an electrician on a bellways site and have been for a few years now.

I would love to see anyone who is buying a new home from bellway have a look at their house before it is finished to see the state of the build quality and workman ship that goes in to them, quality is definitely not the word I would choose to describe.

As for the nhbc, I can say from experience, the inspectors I have delt with miss or ignore a lot, most of the houses I have seen regularly breach regulations in some way, particularly having separation between electrical cables and gas pipes of not less than 25 milimeters and are often ran over the top of one another.

Floor joists having 4 inch duct holes cut in them far to close to the edge support point or cantilever support point which is against the manufacturers specifications.

Cosmetic issues are usually covered up with 2 pack and filler like the skirting not being mitred at all and just butted up, bad mitres on the back moulds of door frames covered with filler and paint.

Windows with very large scratches in them left for when people move in.

Cooker switches placed in cupboards instead of bench height close to the actual cooker which again is against regulation even the nhbc pass this which is against their own rules.

I could go on and on, the houses I have seen them churn out are thrown together and rushed to the point of stupidity, they are only interested in knocking them up as soon as possible and getting your money, I would advise anyone thinking of buying one not to, it is possible you may get one on a site where every one has taken pride in their work and it is of a high standard (if this is you I really wouldn't bother putting the lottery on as your luck has been used up) but if you don't best of luck as your going to need it.

Best advice I can give anyone who is moving in to a bellway home and has any snagging make your self the biggest pain you can as that is the only way I have seen anyone get results from bellway in any sort of timely fashion.

 

[HangTime]

One question I have, is why are older homes of higher quality, wouldn't estates built by large firms in the 80s and 90s also have been thrown up shoddily to maximise profit? I accept that snagging will already have been done but presumably they would have still used cheap materials, lots of issues hiding underneath the surface that aren't visible / were never snagged?

In other words - why did standards used to be higher?

 

[photoshop]

One question I have, is why are older homes of higher quality, wouldn't estates built by large firms in the 80s and 90s also have been thrown up shoddily to maximise profit? I accept that snagging will already have been done but presumably they would have still used cheap materials, lots of issues hiding underneath the surface that aren't visible / were never snagged?

In other words - why did standards used to be higher?

Standards use to be higher because you had more skilled and better skilled workers.

Plus, now everything is about shareholders and maximising profits. You can't keep giving back to shareholders year on year without cutting corners.

 

[hornetstinger]

Any new homes that have interior walls made of brick, not rice paper?

 

[Rhohm]

I've spoken to several people who have been with company's like bellway for 30+ years who say they used to be a really good company with a high standard of quality expected but once the managers and directors started switching company's they ruined it.

The tradesmen also used to be on better prices than they are now so things are more rushed trying to make the same amount of money as they once did, so inevitably corners get cut and unfortunately they one ones who seem to do a good job are the older lads on site who are used to a certain standard, but they usually end up with the site manager on their back telling then to hurry up or giving then a list of jobs for a day that really should be done over a week.

 

[HangTime]

Standards use to be higher because you had more skilled and better skilled workers.

Plus, now everything is about shareholders and maximising profits. You can't keep giving back to shareholders year on year without cutting corners.

The first point sounds plausible but I'm still not totally sold on the second. Why wouldn't a large firm in the 80s or 90s be wanting to maximise profits? Especially if you look at the slump in the early-mid 90s; surely there must have been even more cost-cutting necessary given the bargain-basement sale prices of property compared to to today. Even adjusting for inflation, an average property today sells for more than double what it did back then. I appreciate they may have higher overheads now but even so I don't really get how they used to build superior houses at knock-down prices.

 

[ci_newman]

I would imagine that it's simply a case of time. All of the shoddy building work from past years has been rectified during redecorating / refreshes. Most home are redecorated every 5-10 years, and any "broken" or poorly designed issues are probably rectified at this stage.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Any new homes that have interior walls made of brick, not rice paper?

I would say your basic house builders, Persimmon, Barratt/David Wilson, Bovis etc are more of the same really. Just a lottery of whether you get a decent site agent so the site is not a ****show.

 

[HangTime]

^^I get that for the more cosmetic decoration but stuff like interior walls, piping/electric tucked away behind walls etc probably isn't changed that often especially in relatively new houses that are laid out with more modern living in mind. I accept that older housing stock is likely to have been reworked to some extent but there must be a lot of 90s stock around that hasn't had structural work done.

 

[glenimp617]

We bought a bellway home in 2008 and we certainly won't be in another. The site we are on was shared with bloor homes. They are much nicer.
Not just us, but pretty much everyone we spoke to around the development says the same thing. It was great for a few years, but then the poor workmanship and materials starts to show through.

Put it like this, EVERY SINGLE water pipe in the walls bangs and rattles. This is beyond annoying. Nothing short of digging into the walls to put lagging around all the pipes will fix it. That means all the bathrooms and ensuites will need re-plastering and tiling. The floors creak, middle landing and both sets of stairs. The windows catch and pull when opening and closing. The taps are on their way out and need changing. The kitchen tap blew off last year covering the ceiling in water. Speaking of which, both main bathroom toilets have leaked over the years. You could say we are on first name terms with the local plumber.

Kitchen is a cheap symphony one. The hinges are shot, the plastic covering over the wood is pealing away.....I really want to rip it out and put in a new one. Actually, I want to sell the house and move.

To get our house back to the standard it was when it bought it would cost us around £10k I reckon.

 

[Shadowness]

Interesting points on new builds.

I bought a new Bovis house 4 years ago, as my first house. Generally I've had no issues at all, maybe I'm lucky, but I've not heard of horror stories when chatting to others in the estate.

We're currently in the process of upsizing, and considering another new build (Bovis again by coincidence) or an existing property. It's a touch decision, there's pros and cons of each.

We've seen a Bovis new build that's due for completion by Christmas (as in it would be ready to move in by.....), but I'm worried that it will be rushed to get it completed by their year end (Dec). But then again, if they have some plots left, they will be itching to get rid of them, so there may be some deals to be had.

 

[glenimp617]

I empathise with anyone who buys a new bellway home as I am currently an electrician on a bellways site and have been for a few years now.

I would love to see anyone who is buying a new home from bellway have a look at their house before it is finished to see the state of the build quality and workman ship that goes in to them, quality is definitely not the word I would choose to describe.

As for the nhbc, I can say from experience, the inspectors I have delt with miss or ignore a lot, most of the houses I have seen regularly breach regulations in some way, particularly having separation between electrical cables and gas pipes of not less than 25 milimeters and are often ran over the top of one another.

Floor joists having 4 inch duct holes cut in them far to close to the edge support point or cantilever support point which is against the manufacturers specifications.

Cosmetic issues are usually covered up with 2 pack and filler like the skirting not being mitred at all and just butted up, bad mitres on the back moulds of door frames covered with filler and paint.

Windows with very large scratches in them left for when people move in.

Cooker switches placed in cupboards instead of bench height close to the actual cooker which again is against regulation even the nhbc pass this which is against their own rules.

I could go on and on, the houses I have seen them churn out are thrown together and rushed to the point of stupidity, they are only interested in knocking them up as soon as possible and getting your money, I would advise anyone thinking of buying one not to, it is possible you may get one on a site where every one has taken pride in their work and it is of a high standard (if this is you I really wouldn't bother putting the lottery on as your luck has been used up) but if you don't best of luck as your going to need it.

Best advice I can give anyone who is moving in to a bellway home and has any snagging make your self the biggest pain you can as that is the only way I have seen anyone get results from bellway in any sort of timely fashion.

You must have been to our house by the sounds of things. Can't even turn our main water supply off as the tap is sat right at the bottom of the cupboard. Guess that's another hole which needs drilling.

 

[Daaaavvveee]

Interesting points on new builds.

I bought a new Bovis house 4 years ago, as my first house. Generally I've had no issues at all, maybe I'm lucky, but I've not heard of horror stories when chatting to others in the estate.

We're currently in the process of upsizing, and considering another new build (Bovis again by coincidence) or an existing property. It's a touch decision, there's pros and cons of each.

We've seen a Bovis new build that's due for completion by Christmas (as in it would be ready to move in by.....), but I'm worried that it will be rushed to get it completed by their year end (Dec). But then again, if they have some plots left, they will be itching to get rid of them, so there may be some deals to be had.

We moved in to a Bovis home, December 2015. Absolut mess.

Before you commit to buy another, check out the "Bovis Homes Victims Group" on Facebook, get some real world reviews from people on the site you are buying from. We would never buy another, even know it takes over 3 weeks to get replys to any emails, and they fob you off when you call them.
They have recently started passing lots of people over to the Customer Care team now, without the customers even signing off as they are still waiting on major snags to be completed etc.

 

[Shadowness]

The process was a mess? Or the house when completed?

I'll see if I can find out about the site itself, to see whether generally it looks like a good one or not.

Did you manage to get any deal with purchasing around Christmas time?

 

[Daaaavvveee]

The process was a mess? Or the house when completed?

I'll see if I can find out about the site itself, to see whether generally it looks like a good one or not.

Did you manage to get any deal with purchasing around Christmas time?

From initial viewing to handing over the money was painless and the sales lady was amazing.....

Then we were left in a filthy house on the 23rd December 2015!, missing random internal doors, window vents, downstairs toilet, broken tiles, half a turfed garden, faulty electrics going into garage, main drain out the house blocked with lumps of wood. That's a small snapshot, and we are still having issues getting them to complete the snagging list.
There was literally nothing we could do, we were on holiday and got back on the 22nd, gave them the 2 extra days after completion(21st December) for them to "Make sure the house was perfect for the move in day". We turned up in the van to the above.
Site manager had already left for xmas, and the assistant site manager said we would get sorted in the new year. They then sacked loads of site staff in the new year so no jobs were started until around March.

It is always a constant battle with their customer care also, I believe they must have no system to log calls/complaints, as you have to explain every issue every time you ask for an update

----

In regards to incentives, they paid the stamp duty (Which we actually paid, they just reduce the house cost, solicitor didn't pick this up, so we just had a £450ish refund from Stamp duty people)
All floors & Turf.
I think we had the upgraded kitchen also.