The Home Builders Federation has published its latest annual report on customer satisfaction in the new homes industry, and announced new rankings for member housebuilders based on the results.
The thorough survey asked buyers of new homes over the 2017/18 period a set of questions about how pleased they were with the housebuilder they purchased from, covering customer service, build quality, design and the condistion of the home when moving in.
Housebuilders are rated according to the response to the question about recommending their builder to a friend, with those over 90% achieving 5-star status. This year 88% of buyers said they would, up 1% on the previous year. 85% were pleased with the information provided to them about their home, 86% were happy with the overall quality of their home and 82% satisfied with the sales process. Over 90% said they would buy a new build again.
Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF, said: “The survey proves conclusively that the people who buy and live in new build homes are overwhelmingly happy with their purchase. There has been a huge focus on quality and service across the industry and this is reflected by successive annual improvements across all question areas.
“The intense focus on quality and service, allied to a huge recruitment and training campaign has enabled builders to further raise standards whilst increasing output. New build buyers already have far more protection than second hand buyers with the security of a consumer code and ten year warranty.
“The vast majority of customers are already happy with the service and quality of their home, but the industry is determined to deliver even higher levels in the years to come. The industry is committed to further increases in protection and redress and is working with a range of stakeholders on how an ombudsman can be introduced.”
Housebuilders themselves have been pleased to see the level of customer satisfaction the report shows this year.
Daniel Williamson, head of sales for Bellway South London, said: “Retaining our 5-star status is a matter of immense pride for us, as it shows that Bellway truly is a name you can trust. We build homes that families want to live and grow in, for many years to come.
“We know that we build a reliable yet beautiful home, but we’re not expecting people to take our word for it. We’d like to invite everyone to visit their nearest Bellway development and see exactly why we’ve been rated a f5-star builder, for themselves.”
CALA Homes has scored an average of more than 93% in the survey over the past 10 years and retains its 5-star rating. Kevin Whitaker, the housebuilder’s CEO, said: “The HBF Customer Satisfaction survey is extremely important to us as the positive feedback comes directly from the people who buy our homes. We are very proud to once again be awarded the maximum five star rating, a validation of the exceptional experience and product we offer our customers.
“Being a five-star homebuilder requires the commitment of the whole CALA team, from the board room to construction site, including our suppliers and subcontractors. This accolade is testament to the passion and hard work the team delivers day in, day out to create the high-quality homes that purchasers expect from CALA.”
Another top-rated bousebuilder is Miller Homes, which has achieved five stars in seven of the last eight years. Chris Endsor, chief executive of Miller Homes, said: “We understand that buying a new home is a significant financial and emotional commitment which is why we put our customers at the heart of everything we do.
“Our teams work incredibly hard to deliver on our promise to provide our customers with the best possible experience and receiving this recognition is testament to their commitment of achieving that day in and day out.”
Joanne Casey, managing director at Mactaggart & Mickel’s Homes England division, said: “We know that buying a new home is a hugely important decision and we pride ourselves on making the entire process as smooth and as enjoyable as possible for our customers. We are immensely pleased to maintain our 5-star rating, because it reflects what our customers think about us before, during and after their purchase. We strive to provide the highest standards of customer care, attention and quality and this award is a reflection of the commitment of all colleagues – everyone takes pride in delivering each and every home that we build.”
Amelia Sellek, group head of customer service for Hill, commented: “We’re delighted to again be announced as a 5-star housebuilder. The standard set is extremely high and achieving this status is the culmination of a group-wide effort. It has shown that our hard work in the customer service team has paid off and it’s such a rewarding feeling.”
John Tonkiss, CEO for McCarthy and Stone, said: “Five-star service is an integral part of our culture and we are continually striving to improve, with an absolute commitment to delivering the very best products and services for our customers. We are therefore delighted to receive this Five Star award from the HBF for an unprecedented 14th year in a row.”
Here are the full results from the HBF Customer Satisfaction Survey 2017/18:
