Redrow Experiences

[VimtoQueen90]

We're considering buying a Redrow New Build (particularly an Oxford style plot) as they seem to be slightly cheaper than other 4 beds in the area we like.

Does anyone have any experiences they can share of buying from Redrow/experience of buying whilst in a chain/dealing with the sales staff? Overall reviews from the first phase they built 2019 seem quite positive but it's all slightly nerve-wracking

Any insights much appreciated!

Redrow are one of the better builders with the houses generally being well designed, spacious, well built with good development layouts. They are not thrown up and a 12-month build time is the norm which can lead to issues for some when you have a year between E&C.
A lot depends on your site manager, a conscientious one will keep the trades in check and ensure good quality while a poor one could lead to quality issues.
Redrow themselves are a hateful company to deal with and the sales team will spin you any lie to ensure a sale. The customer service teams are little better but when the rectification teams arrive, they are a breath of fresh air and go out of their way to sort out any niggles.

@Nourishinghandcream Thanks so much! Yes it seems to be the sales team we're a bit concerned about. We have a feeling they've been a bit untruthful in which plots are actually available to try and push us into buying plots we're not interested with a more upcoming due date so they don't have to sell them built. Concerning us a bit about the whole process of buying and exchanging with them whilst in a chain!

Facebook group “Don’t buy Redrow”.
A quick nosey says it all.

The trouble with the "don't buy" FB groups (there are many covering everything from houses, cars, phones, washing machines etc) is that they are populated by people who have had a poor experience so you are getting a single point of view.
The people who are genuinely happy with their purchase are usually the silent majority.

I would check out the Facebook page the previous poster refers too.

I have a few friends with Redrow houses, a couple of them in Oxfords. The lack of an internal door to the garage is the big issue which they all regret. Also, the layout of the kitchen diner doesn't work if you prefer more of a demarcation between the two areas.

My friends generally had good experiences with the quality of the properties, but it really does depend on whether you luck out with a good site manager.

Redrow standards used to be good but allegedly have slipped recently - perhaps since the Barratt takeover. Recent New Build Snagging rating video here:

@InveterateWineDrinker yes! We wanted the integral door and it was a big pull for us and was possible as an extra but have been told that no Oxfords on that site will have integral doors which is disappointing. Starting to question it all now!

@XVGN thank you, will watch!

@VimtoQueen90 We never liked the Oxford but were seriously considering a Welwyn when it emerged Redrow wanted something like an extra £1k for an internal door to the garage which just left a sour taste on a house that was already £380k.

It would be a complete dealbreaker for us. We bought from a different builder, which included internal garage doors in the price because that's both sensible and normal, and use the garage extensively for day-to day pantry-type storage. We also have a large fridge and freezer in there. I go into the garage multiple times a day, and often three or four times just during the cooking of a meal.

@InveterateWineDrinker This is exactly it, we didn't understand why the door was even an extra rather than just including it. Also like the Welwyn but it's over 600k which is just totally out of budget! How long ago did you buy yours? Are you happy with the builder you went with?

We bought in 2017. The development site originally had just Redrow and we were trapped in a spiral of waiting for a Welwyn plot to be released and simultaneously pulling our hair out with the Redrow sales people, who weren't great.

Then, on one of our deflating visits to the sales office we noticed that a second builder had appeared on the site - Bloor Homes. After nine months of dancing around with Redrow we bought from Bloor and have never looked back. We found Bloor's designs and plots were both cheaper and worked better for us, and the customisations and upgrades were noticeably cheaper too - things like extra sockets, granite work surfaces, chrome instead of white towel rails.

Compared to the Welwyn we lost that sizeable living area in the kitchen diner and had to settle for a single garage, but the fourth bedroom we ended up with is a genuine double, we've got a second en-suite as well as a separate shower in the family bathroom, the hallway and landing are genuinely usuable spaces in their own rights, and we saved £45k or thereabouts. We're also about 300 yards further west, which put us out of one outstanding school's catchment area and perilously close to the edge of another.

@InveterateWineDrinker This seems to be similar to our situation! We were told the plot we're interested in would be released in Jan for a September completion and have now been advised that it's a November completion but 2 plots next door have been reserved?! Something just seems a bit off.
A family member bought new with Bloor homes and I was so impressed with the quality! I'm glad it was the right decision for you! We're based in Wales and I'm not sure they build here 😫
We love the upstairs of the Oxford cos it seems like you can fit a double in the 4th bedroom but it's the downstairs we're not sure about as ideally we would have liked a separate living space off the kitchen like the Welwyn offers. There's not much else on the market around us as anything 4 bed is so much more expensive than the Oxford!

@VimtoQueen90 We got around not having that living space by building a conservatory at the back. Just an idea.

There are some Bloor homes not far from us and they look lovely. The one we would have wanted was too expensive though. Redrow don’t seem to deviate from the few house styles they’ve been building for quite a while.