Over a third of new homes are not completed on time.
Despite buyers being pressured into tight completion deadlines, only 64% of homes were built on time, according to a New Homes Review ‘NHR Annual Report 2019.’
Whilst this may seem like an unreasonable number of building delays, the figure has improved from 59% of homes built on time in 2017 and 63% in 2018.
The quality and condition of new build homes was also a concern to come out of the report with 89% of respondents experiencing snags or defects.
This has led to a third of new build homeowners viewing their home as representing poor value for money. Customer satisfaction was also on the decline in 2019, falling from 69% a year earlier.
The overall satisfaction for the new build buying process, which spans from pre to after sale satisfaction increased marginally from 69% in 2018 to 69.5% last year.
Kate Hughes at the NHR said:
“It is pleasing to note that there are small improvements across a range of measures, though it remains frustrating that on-time completions and customer satisfaction levels are still some way short of where they ideally should be.
“Another telling statistic is the number of customers who believe their structural warranty is important, and the high numbers of people who claim to be knowledgeable about what is covered. Buyers are well informed of what they should expect from a new-build home.
“It is interesting to see is that while buyers are reporting generally better service and standards, a third of customers remain unconvinced that they are getting value for money. This also reflects the high expectations buyers of new homes have, and shows that builders and developers still have some way to go to meeting those expectations.”
Paula Higgins, Chief Executive of Homeowners Alliance, said:
“The fact that only two-thirds of new homes are completed on time is disappointing and brings into question the view that buying new build is hassle free. Developers need to stop over-promising and be more realistic about their timelines, and communicate this to customers. Homebuyers should not be out of pocket when faced with unnecessary delays.
“Otherwise, this survey is clearly a step in the right direction. We should remember that it isn’t just about reporting, however, but about seeing real improvement in the service their customers receive. It is only months later – when the customer has unpacked and the snags have been dealt with – that they can reflect on the full experience of buying, moving and owning a newly built home.”
