Positive stories - Persimmon New builds ANY at all?

capybara80 · 2023-04-02T06:32:37+00:00

My house is on the market and I'm looking at buying a new build as I can't keep up with the maintenance on my 1970s semi. The house is always cold even with heating on and it's just been one thing after another to fix. Yes, it's money but it's also finding workmen to do things which is a nightmare. So.....I looked at Bellway homes in the area yesterday. 1 is a bit small for us, 2 are a good size but a bit above budget. On the same estate there are Lovell, St Modwen and persimmon. St Mods have one which is a possibility but not seen yet. Persimmon have some off plan but don't have a show home but better sizes and more within my budget. I'm new to new builds so... Would you buy off plan without seeing one in the flesh? Would you/ have you bought with Persimmon ( do tell)? Anyone bought with Lovell, St Mods or Bellway and what was your experience? From what I've read, it depends a lot on the site manager and the area. I've tried to look for reviews on this site but all the facebook groups are closed to people actually living there and can't find anything apart from some google reveiews for the Bellway ones which are mostly good.

RobinRobinMouse · 02/04/2023 07:36

About 15 years ago our first apartment was Persimmons. Actually apart from a few small snags which they sorted quickly we didn't have any problems at all. I would definitely find out where the nearest show homes of the ones you are interested in are as you need to see them to get a full idea of the space I feel. I would be happy to buy off plan if they will let you, though I think you need to be 'proceedable' before they let you reserve. Most new build estates also have a small maintenance fee so make sure you factor that into your budget.

Original poster

capybara80 · 02/04/2023 07:41

Thank you Robin, Is the maintenance fee the same as the estate charge? I have them quoted here on the Bellway ones. I'm guessing that's yearly right?

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magneticmoon · 02/04/2023 07:44

There are some horror stories in the south. I've heard people say good things about some in the Midlands, so think it depends where you are.

myheartmyhead · 02/04/2023 07:45

I live in a persimmon new build (or it was 6 years ago)
Never again
Snagging lost never completed, cracks in the wall on the 3rd floor. Had to come back and put in the fire safety stuff into the walls as they 'forgot' when building the house.
Main bathroom shower was fitted incorrectly, leaked through the living room ceiling, 16 weeks to repair.
The OUTSIDE of the family bathroom has black mould on the wall.
Opposite me, they've had to have their windows refitted as done wrong.

Original poster

capybara80 · 02/04/2023 07:51

myheartmyhead · 02/04/2023 07:45

I live in a persimmon new build (or it was 6 years ago)
Never again
Snagging lost never completed, cracks in the wall on the 3rd floor. Had to come back and put in the fire safety stuff into the walls as they 'forgot' when building the house.
Main bathroom shower was fitted incorrectly, leaked through the living room ceiling, 16 weeks to repair.
The OUTSIDE of the family bathroom has black mould on the wall.
Opposite me, they've had to have their windows refitted as done wrong.

That's what scares me. I don't think I could deal with the stress.

I'm in South Wales.

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OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 02/04/2023 07:54

I would say 95% of the "new home nightmare" stories I see in media are Persimmon. Have a Google and see what people are dealing with. Yes people are more likely to review poor workmanship than praising them but I have honestly never seen anyone praising Persimmon at all. That to me means I would steer clear!

Has any of the development been finished and people moved in? If so go and knock on their door and ask what they think. Be very polite and I am sure you would get am honest review.

MissyB1 · 02/04/2023 07:56

Instead of a brand new build why not look for one that’s 5-10 years old, new enough to be economical to run, but hopefully will have had the new build issues sorted out.

Original poster

capybara80 · 02/04/2023 07:56

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 02/04/2023 07:54

I would say 95% of the "new home nightmare" stories I see in media are Persimmon. Have a Google and see what people are dealing with. Yes people are more likely to review poor workmanship than praising them but I have honestly never seen anyone praising Persimmon at all. That to me means I would steer clear!

Has any of the development been finished and people moved in? If so go and knock on their door and ask what they think. Be very polite and I am sure you would get am honest review.

Yes, lots have move in. It's been going a few years. I might try that if it doesn't seem too rude.

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Original poster

capybara80 · 02/04/2023 07:58

MissyB1 · 02/04/2023 07:56

Instead of a brand new build why not look for one that’s 5-10 years old, new enough to be economical to run, but hopefully will have had the new build issues sorted out.

....I have looked into this but I need to try and get the Equity Loan which only applies to new builds (ongoing in Wales and open to STB).
Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to afford much on the open market which doesn't need maintenance like this place.

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Cupcakequeen75 · 02/04/2023 09:03

In our experience, if the developer has not yet got a show home on site they will point you towards one of their similar developments where you can see the house types, build quality, general development layout etc. May mean travelling and of course is not the same as seeing your own development but it is better than nothing.

HippyDays · 02/04/2023 09:13

Would you buy off plan without seeing one in the flesh?
No I would drive as far as I had to in order to see a show house.

Would you/ have you bought with Persimmon ( do tell)?
I have not and I would not (because of family and friends experiences of having done so). Also various tradespeople always seem to shake their head at mention of Persimmon.

Anyone bought with Lovell, St Mods or Bellway and what was your experience?
Bellway: it was fine.

Original poster

capybara80 · 02/04/2023 09:17

Thank you, I think I'm going to forget Permisson tbh. All I hear are awful stories and I don't live in an upmarket area which would make them probably worse.

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user143777534 · 02/04/2023 10:26

I’m currently buying off plan. I insisted on viewing a house of the same style on another development to get a good sense of the space.

House is now built and will be ready to move in soon, but I have found out the plot is much more sloping that we were led to believe. I’m not sure this would have been apparent even if we had been able to view the actual plot before the build because it’s to do with how they have dug out the levels.

Also be aware when buying off plan that you won’t really get a good idea of views, or how overlooked you are. You can use your imagination to visualise it, but I won’t be the same as when it is all built.

AintNobodyHateMeBetter · 02/04/2023 11:10

I bought with Persimmon over 15 years ago.

The snag list was quite long, simple things hadn't been done right correctly, such as the window locking mechanism.

The big issues we had shortly after moving in were: Massive leak from the loft that came down into our bedroom. Was quickly resolved however - somebody came out Out of Hours straightaway.

Leaking shower. Again was rectified quite quickly.

As somebody who works in the industry their material and build is cheap and not the best quality.

You have to pay for all the basics - flooring, lawn, basic garden lighting. A lot of other developers provide this as part of the build.

The maintenance company they hired were absolutely horrendous. Us residents had to band together to overhaul the maintenance company to a different one. I moved out of my development but 10 years later I've seen that the children's playground has still not been done on the development and the development looks scruffy and unkempt.

Thecatisboss · 02/04/2023 11:16

We went to look at a newbuild Persimmon about 5 years ago. The quality of the show home was shocking which put us off. Apparently the fascias and guttering have needed work on a few as they were faulty.

Bluevelvetsofa · 02/04/2023 13:59

Locally and I think more nationally too, Persimmon are not well thought of. We’ve had three new build houses and there are a number of developers I wouldn’t touch.

Having seen some small developments, with local builders, I’d be tempted by them, because if they’re only building a small number, they need to do a good job and get good reviews. Volume builders less so.

We look for developers that have a high spec and include flooring, white goods and turfed gardens as standard. No point looking at a show home and finding out that you need to add on another £15.000 to get the spec that’s there. Our developer provided German kitchens, good quality tiling, splashback, Amtico flooring, plants in the front garden and turf in the back. The fixtures and fittings are good too, with good quality internal doors. Carpets are less good quality, but we’re replacing those as and when.

INamechangedForThisMadness · 02/04/2023 14:49

Ours is ok. 10+ years old now. Definitely a "starter" home with 3 bathrooms and nowhere to put a wardrobe. They did forget to do some thing about fire safety in the adjoining lofts, but came back after about 9 years to fix it.

It's a house. It's cheap (we needed cheap). It works. It hasn't blown away. If you want high quality you probably want another builder.

sidsta · 30/11/2023 07:04

Hi, me and my wife moved into our persimmon home in south wales August this year. Trivial snags and I was really picky, what I did find was fixed right away (missing screw cover on light switch for example). Build quality and finish is exceptional and the site team have been outstanding. Buying new build in my opinion has nothing to do with which company you choose, it’s all down to the trades and site team you have. They couldn’t do enough for us.

Dangerouspersimmon · 23/12/2023 11:51

Hi I bought one in South Wales and it's awful, and doesn't comply with building regulations. They lie to try and do fixes cheaply that still don't comply. And when you want it done to regulations and guidance documents they accuse you of being argumentative.
The site is called St Michael's Grove, based in Llanharan. Avoid at all costs

Midasta · 13/06/2025 08:42

sidsta · 30/11/2023 07:04

Hi, me and my wife moved into our persimmon home in south wales August this year. Trivial snags and I was really picky, what I did find was fixed right away (missing screw cover on light switch for example). Build quality and finish is exceptional and the site team have been outstanding. Buying new build in my opinion has nothing to do with which company you choose, it’s all down to the trades and site team you have. They couldn’t do enough for us.

Hi, which site was this?