BELLWAY HOMES DO NOT BUY

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BELLWAY HOMES - DO NOT PURCHASE A HOUSE FROM THIS BUILDER - UPDATE

I thought I would share a few photo's of issues I had / have with my new build.
Other issues heating system not installed correctly heating on constantly for 7 days until they realised the valves were fitted the wrong way around
Different shades of tiles in the ensuite, tiles also have lips on. Their was a bulge in my cloakroom wall under the sink, the pipe work stuck out and the plasterboard was fitted over, it's now been fixed, skirting boards are not straight, concrete was left in the drain outside my garage, block paving is absolutely shocking and a huge socket that is not centred which is called a media plug. it looks hideous. Subfloor still an issue. Spotlights in kitchen look uneven and they won't change. I've managed to source an electrician who is moving them for £20, you pay £255k for a house and they won't move 3 spotlights.
it's probably because I have given them a 1 for the quality of the house. i wonder if I had given them a 5 would this have changed the outcome 🤔

All I hear is it's within tolerance what the hell!! why is this not put to buyers when they reserve? explain to them that if you have scratches on window panes and you stand back so many metres and you cannot see them then this is acceptable, tiles with lips on them and not straight this is acceptable if it's within the tolerance again, skirting boards on angles again. why are we paying a premium for a forever new built home for this to be allowed. I should not have to get all my tiles fitted again at my own expense because I am not happy with how these have been fitted. I am awaiting for the tiler to come back to me on what is within tolerance and what is actually being repaired.

LABC have been out to my home but I'm not holding my break, someone on my last post stated they are all for the builders. I will see what the report states and make judgement then.

I have spoken to my MP and awaiting what avenue we will go down

what issues have you had with a new build property and would you ever buy another one again?

please share just so home buyers are aware what actually can happen when they move into a new build home. When you reserve a property please think long and hard about the above issues I have had. I'm not saying everyone goes through this but if I stop one person / couple from making a massive mistake then I have done something right.

thank you in advance and for sharing 😊

I do believe that. I have had my eyes wide open and it's my last time I will ever buy a new build

Ensuite has 3 different shades, skirting boards are not straight throughout house and block paving is awful

That should not be the case. You pay a premium for a new build and they are just not up to standards. Something needs to change to protect the buyer... we should not just make do

You are one of the lucky one's. It's heart rendering and they just don't care. You pay so much for a house to be let down massively

Bellway are known for being shocking!

I'm in a new build house, though it's almost 13 years old now, and have had no problems with it at all.

I agree. We've been in our Bellway home for 7 years and had a few minor snags which were rectified. They even changed our garden fence when I realised they were using better quality on the houses built after ours and I complained.
I'm sorry to hear you've had such a hard time OP

I personally think it's since covid and my site had about 9 different site managers. What hurts the most Bellway have not accepted that my house was below standard. I give them a 1 they are not a 5 builder

No the reason why lenders can appear to be unwilling to consider new builds is down to saturation and the level of risk they want to accept. For example if an estate has 250 new builds Nationwide will only want to mortgage 50 of those. They don't want to take on too many houses per estate - the risk needs to be spread. Which is why they can appear to be unwilling but really it's just risk based.

I've had new builds before and my last house was a Bellway home hence why I went for a second one but so disappointed

I honestly think it's down to site managers I had been told the last few houses on my site the trades where just left to come and go. No one watching over the contractors. I have had loads of issues heating system would not turn off over 7 days, a friend suggested the valves where installed incorrectly... Bellway eventually realised that they had. Nearly every window pane needs replacing all have scratches on them, garage personnel door had no frame around the inside. The subfloor is uneven and just had Karndean fitted, light switch not wired up correctly, spotlights not lined up correctly on top of other things.... it should never have been handed over. Completion day house was filthy, I had to clean the house top to bottom. Bellway won't acknowledge they have done anything wrong that's why I have posted this on here as well as all over Linkedin

I just feel its not acceptable to hand over a new build with all the issues I have had. I can only go by my own experience and to make buyers think twice if they are going to go down this avenue.

So I have brought from a 100 year old house to a new build but brought from a small builder last time. We had a snag report and couldn’t be happier. These larger estates I wouldn’t be keen on.

That tilling is shocking!

I know you’re upset and want different answers to your last thread, but I’m afraid my answer would be the same.

Get a professional snagger report.

Follow the complaints and escalation process.

And (for anyone else who might find themselves in this position) don’t give away all your leverage by giving them a one-star review in anger before they had a chance to fix it.

That is such a shame to hear that. What happened to having pride in your workmanship. Surely theses guys would not accept this if it was them buying a new build

@Frenchyq25 the stress you must have gone through. These builders just have no idea the mental health they are causing their customers

What is it you're not happy with in regards to the block paving?

Have you paid for a professional to conduct an inspection and report? Because I follow some on SM & I’ve seen fake air bricks on properties, wall insulation missing between bricks, issues in the loft space with things not being done correctly. Bannisters installed not square. Everything you mentioned (excl heating) is ‘cosmetic’ - infuriating, wrong and should be corrected, but cosmetic. But my concern would be that if what you found is to the untrained eye, what’s lurking underneath that you don’t know about.

Nonsense. A brick build will last far longer than 50 years.

I wish I had checked reviews prior to purchasing. Yes not the best builders now and nowhere a 5*

They got a 1* because of the quality of this house, managers and MD attitudes which has made me feel even worse. I paid cash for this house and I will do everything in my power to make homeowners aware what houses these builders are handing over. If I stop one person to think hard about going down the new build route I will be happy. I have also got LABC involved as well as my local MP. this is just not acceptable. Builders hit home how quality if paramount but I did not get quality and I feel really upset of the journey I have had from reservation to now

We looked into a new built but we weren't impressed. They are soulless rabbit hutches with no room to extend or you eat into the postage stamp sized garden. We joined various Facebook groups and seeing so many issues people have had,we decided to buy a 1950s house.

I would never buy on new build on a large estate. They are building one near us that we walk past regularly with the dog. The houses are priced at over £800k for a 3 bed (SE) and the builders are just chucking them up. I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole.

Mostly people who can only buy with shared ownership so people that can't get on the property ladder any other way.

It does depend on what your budget is. Lots of buyers buy on vast new build estates and get carried away with the look of the Show Flat not really recognising that they dont live like this (and there are no wardrobes in the bedroom and cut down sized sofas!).

There are lots of issues with older houses too. Patched up by sellers awful DIY. Problems just left to hopefully sort themselves out which they never do. I work in property and when selling my parents house it wasnt in a good state. A lot of old people are not capable of sorting out issues themselves so the doors are just shut. When I cleared the house I realised just what Mum had been hiding. The heating system was hanging by a thread. Rads not working in one room. Water being either very hot or stone cold. They got used to it and I found they had been having a flannel wash for at least 2 years!

Sorry to derail slightly but I have brought both new builds and older houses. If I had my time again depending on where I was looking I would go for a new build on a very small development with a small company builder. In parts of London though I would almost be forced to look at an older house as there are less new build developments i.e Chiswick or Barnes.