Why are Britain’s new homes built so badly?

The Guardian Disillusioned Buyers In March 2017, an article by Julie Kollewe in The Guardian compared UK construction standards to those abroad – and talked to buyers deeply disillusioned by their experiences. More than half of buyers of newly built homes in England were reported to have had major problems. With various reports since then indicating that the situation may not have improved much, if at all, it seems appropriate to revisit this article at the start of the New Year. Dream Home … or Nightmare Weak mortar, faulty drainage, unfinished fittings … for many buyers of newly built properties in Britain, their dream home quickly turns into a nightmare. It emerged that residents had to move out of a recently completed Manchester apartment block, Islington Wharf Mews, because it breaks fire safety rules. Not Unusual But their tale of woe is far from unusual. More than half of buyers of new-build homes in England have had major problems with construction, unfinished fittings and faults with utilities, according to housing charity Shelter. The government even branded the housing market “broken” in its housing white paper Bovis’ £7m for Repairs Bovis Homes, one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, recently had to set aside £7m to repair poorly built new homes sold to customers, and its interim boss publicly apologised to customers. Customer Satisfaction Ratings The Home Builders Federation and the National House Building Council (NHBC) carry out an annual customer satisfaction survey in which most companies score four or five stars. However, at that time Bovis had slipped to three stars from a top rating five years earlier, while Persimmon, which owns the upmarket Charles Church brand, had also seen its rating dip to three stars. The latest scores are likely to be published by early April.