Bovis Homes Reviews

[AlexMarriott]

You are correct, we did not get the home professionally inspected (first time buyers and perhaps naive i know)
We didn't exchange within the 28 days and they were not pushy in the slightest. We reserved the property in early October and they all but told us that they were not concerned by the 28 day exchange period, we eventually exchanged on 3rd Dec.
Yes it was Bovis recommended (going against all advice, I am aware. Had we had a bad experience with them then I would be annoyed with myself, but as it happened it was a pleasant experience).

The development is small (compared to the large 3500 home development taking place 5 miles away) and is almost complete (we were final phase, all houses have actually been built)

I will reserve full judgement until a few months, but at present I have no cause to complain.

We have no intention of filling in the questionnaire after 6 weeks.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

All house builders, Bovis included, should be aware that specifying particular firm of solicitors is against the Consumer Code for Home Builders (Requirement 2.5)

New home buyers should NEVER EVER use any solicitor insisted, suggested or recommended by the house builder or the sales advisor. The reasons should be obvious.

At least you have had a rare, relatively lucky escape this time.

 

[Nickyboy]

First post for me.

I am yet again going through issues with Bovis. For the second winter running my roof has leaked due to lack of lead (or something like this).

I have water damage in three seperate areas of my house for three seperate reasons.

1. The roof is leaking again!
2. The water cylinder has another issue and leaks through my ceiling
3. I think the shower basin or waste pipe leaks as it has come through to my kitchen.
4. Numerous other issues and minor snags.

I'm at a loss as what to do. We are in contact with them again.

 

[Nickyboy]

I have all the current pictures of the damage and will copy them on an email to Bovis.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

"At a loss to know what to do"???

Well you should be writing to Bovis and copying the letters to the NHBC.
If Bovis do not fix the leaks etc then the NHBC must appoint someone to do this.

You could check if where the basin waste and cylinder leaks are coming from yourself but leave it to a plumber to fix it.

Alternatively you can carry on and sprinkle some magic pixie dust in those areas and hope the problems will go away or that Bovis will come and fix the leaks. Both are equally unlikely in my opinion!

Finally, your house insurance will NOT cover you for loss or damage caused as a result of a lack of maintenance or faliure to carry out repairs.
After nearly two years, if you have a timber frame home you could have other more serious issues caused by those leaks.

 

[Nickyboy]

I have written to Bovis and am awaiting a response.

Trouble with repairs is that I think I need to go under the floor boards to see and I am far from qualified to know what to do. I have an NHBC inspector visiting soon to look at the roof and I will ask about the other points as well.

Can I ask why NHBC should appoint someone to fix the leaks?

FYI I have been in my house 3.5 years now.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

The NHBC must appoint A Another to fix the issues if Bovis continue to fail to do so.
bearing in mind how long you have had the home the NHBC will only cover structural issues from years 3 to 10.
However, any unresolved issues and problems notified to the builder (in writing) within the first two years, but not fixed will also be covered.

I expect the NHBC will say the roof leak has been caused by storm damage so it is not covered by the warranty!

 

[Nickyboy]

I sincerely hope not.

Thanks for your help thus far.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

No problem, I hope you and the NHBC can get this resolved.

 

[Nickyboy]

I'll post back developments.

 

[beckyw]

Bought a property from Bovis in September off plan. Building was supposed to start January, ready for completion 31/07/2014.
As first time buyers we are doing the Help to buy scheme, so my solicitor wanted clarification from Bovis that completion would be 31/07/2014 as an application has to be done 6 months prior, we were then told completion was any time in between June - September - even though my paperwork states a clear date, they then denied writing this on my paperwork!?

I proceeded to have a look on the Bovis website where I was shocked to see they have completed changed the plan to our house and plot! The dimensions, layout and design of our house had completely changed. We paid £6,000 extra to have the biggest garden out of most of the plots, and have now discovered they have cut away most of our garden and added a lovely alleyway at the back! Meaning it is infact now one of the smallest. They also wont tell us the dimensions, layout or what the house will even look like as 'no-one' knows. Surely this is just not acceptable!!

Surely Bovis arent allowed to do this? We purchased the house off of the plot we choose, and the layout, dimensions and features from the paperwork they showed us.

I have made a complaint to head office, but that was as much use as using a chocolate tea pot! We are now thinking of cancelling our sale but we are worried we will lose our reservation fee.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

A completion on 31 July would appear to be very strange.
Bovis Homes' year-end date is 30 June so you would think that all logic would dictate that this would be the required completion date, whether your home is 100% finished or not!

Under the Consumer Code for Home Builders (you were given a copy weren't you? - it is a requirement of the code!) you should be "given reliable and realistic information about when construction of the Home may be finished, the date of Legal Completion, and the date for handover of the Home." Requirement 3.2.
Generally the guidance says: 
Before completing the foundations and ground floor – give the
calendar quarter when the Home is likely to be ready.
When the roof is completed and the building weatherproof –
give the month when the Home is likely to be ready.
When the Home is decorated and main services are
connected – say what week the Home is likely to be ready.

Bovis cannot change the design or specification of your home without informing you.
This is also a Consumer Code requirement 3.1b
"Changes you make to the Home’s design or construction
After Contract Exchange, if there is a change to the design,
construction or materials to be used in the Home that would
significantly and substantially alter its size, appearance or value,
you should formally consult the Home Buyer and get their
agreement."

My advice would be to CANCEL THE SALE.
You cannot believe a word this company is telling you and it would appear they cannot be trusted.
You would be effectively buying a new home, not knowing what you will end up with.
This IS unacceptable and Bovis have breached the requirements of the Consumer Code in many respects.
Under the Code you are entitled to have your reservation fee returned in full.
If Bovis refuse to return your reservation fee, tell them you will be making a claim using the Consumer Code Adjudication Scheme.
If you make a claim using the Codes adjudication scheme, you can also recover the cost of the application £120) and £250 for inconvenience and any other additional expenses you have incurred such as legal fees, searches, surveyors valuations etc.

 

[beckyw]

I wasnt given anything, just a piece of paper saying we have paid a £500 reservation fee, and detailing what plot number we are.

Thanks for your advice.

Getting quite concerned now regarding Bovis! Guess the house hunt continues..

 

[NewHomeExpert]

Clause 1.2 of the Consumer Code for Home Builders states:
Requirement
The Home Builder must display the Code and give, without
charge, a copy to customers who ask for it and to all Home
Buyers who reserve a Home.
The Home Builder should also inform their customers that
further guidance is available and how they can get this.

So they should have given you a copy on Reservation! yet another breach!
If they can't get these basics right, I wouldn't trust them to build my home!

Download your copy of the Consumer Code here

Did you read my PM?

 

[Nickyboy]

Well the roof isn't going to be fixed as the fix will cost less than £1347 to fix according to the NHBC.

Bovis are now asking for three years' worth of service certificates for my cylinder leak to be able to assist me further.

 

[NewHomeExpert]

It is highly likely that your copper cylinder has a leak due to the copper corroding/oxidising, especially as most house builders use the cheapest )thinnest copper) they can get! Whether it was regularly 'serviced' would have made absolutely no difference.

As for the roof repairs being less than the NHBC "minimum claim value" of £1,347, I suggest you get some other quotes.
It does show that buying a new home, even with a warranty policy, does not mean you are covered for every eventuality.
So much for "piece of mind" and the NHBC being there to help new home owners!

As for Bovis, typical of housebuilders, they will come up with anything, to get out of doing anything, about any problem with the new homes they build.
Anyone considering buying a new home from BOVIS HOMES may like to consider their level of "service" and "care".

 

[Mattj]

Hi,

After being in my property for nearly 8 months now i've still got on going snagging issues that Bovis Homes has had since we moved in. I'm very unhappy with the way there customer care works. They have no way to log calls... they never return calls. Is this just me ? I've been dealing with an area manager then he left now i deal with Craig, He has been very frustrating. I've lost count on how many times he says that he will call me back in 30 minutes and just doesn't.

When i looked at the property 2 weeks before we where due to move in i asked if i could snag the house. They said no it has to be done after you move in. I was very surprised. I pointed out major issues that needed to be resolved before i moved in, wrong flooring down, patchy paint all over the house, cracked bath, any many more things. I moved in and snagged the property given them 6 pages of issues that needed resolving. They had the list for 2 months and didn't get anything done ! The site manager even said " he didn't build this house so didn't want to fix it " i was amazed that he even said that to me. 5 months later once i had phone the main manager of customer care many times they started to work on the list.

They where in my property for 3 weeks solid and made more issues then they fixed. They had to re paint my kitchen ceiling 4 times as they kept using the wrong paint so left it patchy. We had three different contractor decorator companies in to fix issues as there work was to such a poor standard. i still have mud where my garden should be and all they tell me is this is a sales issue and then bounce it around from one department to another this issue has been going on for 8 months now.

When i look at the contract from my solicitors it says that all snagging will be done in a reasonable time once they have the snagging list. Are they in breach of contract as i would say 8 months isn't a reasonable time, 2-3 months would be to long in my mind.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[MikeJenvey]

Duplicate post.

 

[MikeJenvey]

Well, we have lived in our Bovis home near Cambridge for about 9 years.

Here are the major faults we have had to deal with:

• Sewage from upstairs toilet leaking into study as stack pipe hadn't been sealed/tested into floor "cap." Money compensation + floor tiled to match hallway (previously carpeted). See photo.
• Driveway constructed from sub-standard materials & laid very unevenly. Money compensation to have driveway block-paved.
• Separate annex building - waste water from roof - drain pipes set into ground only, NOT connnected to drains. Money compensation to get ground by side of annex block-paved. See photo.
• Currently seeking compensation for having to have chemical DPC installed - original DPC set too far back on bricks = damp risen on wall. Below NHBC minimum claim value.

1,3, & 4 = breach of building regulations.

Incidentally, for #2, there were at least another 11 residents with a similar claim about poor quality driveways.

 

[MikeJenvey]

Hi,

After being in my property for nearly 8 months now i've still got on going snagging issues that Bovis Homes has had since we moved in. I'm very unhappy with the way there customer care works. They have no way to log calls... they never return calls. Is this just me ? I've been dealing with an area manager then he left now i deal with Craig, He has been very frustrating. I've lost count on how many times he says that he will call me back in 30 minutes and just doesn't.

When i looked at the property 2 weeks before we where due to move in i asked if i could snag the house. They said no it has to be done after you move in. I was very surprised. I pointed out major issues that needed to be resolved before i moved in, wrong flooring down, patchy paint all over the house, cracked bath, any many more things. I moved in and snagged the property given them 6 pages of issues that needed resolving. They had the list for 2 months and didn't get anything done ! The site manager even said " he didn't build this house so didn't want to fix it " i was amazed that he even said that to me. 5 months later once i had phone the main manager of customer care many times they started to work on the list.

They where in my property for 3 weeks solid and made more issues then they fixed. They had to re paint my kitchen ceiling 4 times as they kept using the wrong paint so left it patchy. We had three different contractor decorator companies in to fix issues as there work was to such a poor standard. i still have mud where my garden should be and all they tell me is this is a sales issue and then bounce it around from one department to another this issue has been going on for 8 months now.

When i look at the contract from my solicitors it says that all snagging will be done in a reasonable time once they have the snagging list. Are they in breach of contract as i would say 8 months isn't a reasonable time, 2-3 months would be to long in my mind.

Thanks,
Matt

Ludicrous - 8 months??!! That is far too long a timescale to be considered reasonable. Write to them (copy to the local Customer Care Director) to say that they have a fixed timescale to put everything right - I suggest 4 weeks. State that for every week over that date, you will claim £100 for inconvenience, protracted timescale, stress & inability to live in your home as expected. Furthermore, state that you wish compensation for each month that this has dragged on, I would start at £200 per month & negotiate accordingly. If they refuse to consider compensation, threaten them with, & if necessary, file a claim under Money Claims On Line (the newer version of Small Claims Court) - you need to register first.