Dozens of housebuilders get highest quality ranking

Thirty-six housebuilders have been rated as five-star according to the latest national customer satisfaction survey following an industry-wide drive to improve quality, a big increase in the 21 that achieved the ranking last year.

The latest satisfaction survey, commissioned by the Home Builders’ Federation (HBF) and the National House Building Council, also registered an increase to 89% in the number of recent buyers who would recommend their builder to a friend, up from 87% last year.

The latest survey results showed listed housebuilders including Crest Nicholson and Countryside returning to a five-star level, alongside privately owned firms such as Morris Homes and developing housing associations Gentoo and Orbit.

Housebuilders Barratt, Bellway and Redrow retained their five-star rankings, while Taylor Wimpey was one of a small number to drop down from five to four stars.

The improved satisfaction scores come after growing controversy over the poor quality of some new builds, with Persimmon and Bovis – now Vistry – in particular affected in recent years by widespread concerns over the quality of homes.

Persimmon, which last year started a major quality drive after admitting to systemic safety failings in the firestopping installed in its timber frame homes, was one of three firms to improve from scoring just three stars to getting a four-star ranking. Affordable housebuilders Lovell and Keepmoat also moved from a three- to four-star ranking, leaving just two out the 49 builders – Kier and Lagan – this year rated at three stars.

The finding that 89% of buyers would recommend their builder to a friend represents the third successive year of improvement in the headline figure, which fell as low as 84% in the wake of the rapid expansion in output following the financial crisis.

The HBF said the score represented “the huge industry focus on build quality and customer service over recent years”.

However, the survey found significant problems remain, particularly around build quality. It found 12% of homebuyers were dissatisfied with the quality of their house when they moved in, equivalent to nearly 20,000 homebuyers at the current rate of construction. Moreover, 97% of buyers reported snagging issues, with two out of five finding more than 10 individual problems.

Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF, said the overall increase in customer satisfaction levels reflected the “huge” amount of work going on to improve quality. He said: “We have now seen three successive years of improved scores, underlining the industry’s determination to get it right for its customers. Whilst builders are now delivering levels of satisfaction that compare with any other product or sector there is still more to do. The industry is totally committed to helping put in place a New Homes Ombudsman service that will provide further reassurance and confidence for the buyers of new homes.”