Bovis Homes Reviews

New Build Inspections

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Calling all BOVIS new home owners.

Please make a post and tell the World what you think of your BOVIS new home.

We already know that despite being Britain's 8th largest house builder (by volume) building 2,045 new homes last year, they won just 5 NHBC quality awards.
Over the period 2006-2011 they have won a grand total of just 23 awards - averaging less than 4 each year.

In comparison, Crest built 25% FEWER homes, yet received twice the number of NHBC quality awards Bovis won.
Miller did even better, again building 25% FEWER homes but winning FIVE TIMES more NHBC quality awards than BOVIS.

Despite this, there are few recent posts about Bovis homes on here which is surprising.

So come on all you Bovis owners tell us about your Bovis Homes experieces.
Especially as they have managed to go from just 'two stars' in 2006 to the maximum 'five stars' this year in the HBF star rating scheme.
 

green123

New Member
We Bought a house from bovis November 2010, we had a few minor problems which were sorted by customer care. This year April 2012, all the rain we had we noticed the ceiling had been leaking, my husband went into the roof and noticed we had a number of leaks in the roof and the outside walls remained saturated !! Cut a long story short, it was investigated and after a number of calls/emails we found that there were a number of serious problems. No lead flashing around the chimneys, weeping holes are blocked, coping stones haven't been cemented correctly, goes on ..... Bovis tried to make out there wasn't a problem, we eventually took photos of the roof, the pictures were terrible they couldn't make out there wasn't a problem. Now in July we have scaffolding all around our house, been told it will be up for about a month!! They are about to start the work in a few days time and say they are going to do more than they should to make sure everything is done correctly. Just wished it had been done right in the first place. I have two small kids who cant play in the back garden due to it being to dangerous, we cant get full access in our garage and cannot get the car on the drive. I will never buy a bovis home again. Its terrible.
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
At least Bovis are putting it right for you - just inside the two year NHBC limit too!
And August would be my choice for the potentially driest month to do the work too.

From what you have said it would appear that the trades that built your house didnt know how it was supposed to be weather-proofed and Bovis' Site manager either didn't know as well or didn't care to check it.
Hope it all gets fixed properly this time.
If you suffer too much for too long write to BOVIS CEO and claim compensation.
 

Ninja750

New Member
Only just found this site which is a pity as I bought a Bovis home in 2008 brand new in Stowmarket (Gipping View) and all I can say is that I had problem after problem within the two years snagging list.
Thereafter the house has settled down but still really not finished as I got fed up witrh contractors keep coming back to work on my house. Can you remember a song called the 'Gas Man Cometh' well that was exactly what I got and it all started from cracked monocouche render when I moved in........blimey what a to do to get this repaired, re-painted etc etc. I think it was undertaken by a company called Simcot who are obviously contractors to Bovis to undertake snagging which cannot be undertaken by the customer care team.....it went on and on and guess what the main crack is still there and in the meantime they painted the windows, the hedges, broke garage tiles, destroyed the stone facias of the window cills and so on and so forth...it must have cost Bovis thousands and in the end I just said look leave it and I will do it myself.
The customer care team in house were brilliant and could not be faulted but in the end they were just putting right the problems that should not have been in the house anyway because it was not finished correctly before handover. I will never buy a Bovis house again they are absolutely terrible in my view.
Four years on I still live on a building site, roads and paths not finished, mud on roads from continual digger movements and lumping and banging at 7.30 in the morning including Saturdays. We have complained to Tom Moore the Build Director but they could not care less about the residents and we just get back some meaningless e-mail.
Buyers be very aware about Bovis.........they cannot finish a house and they cannot fibnish an estate....they certainly do not build communities......just poor quality boxes!!!! To be continued.......
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Monocoucher is a self-coloured render.
It should NEVER be painted!
My guess is that it was painted to save having to hack off re render the whole wall elevation as it is impossible to get an exact colour match.
There is a reason for the cracking (usually missing, inadequate, or wrongly positioned movement joints in the blockwork)and unless this was addresssed it will re crack given time.

Four years seems to be a long time to wait for the roads and footpaths to be finished.
I expect the recession and the slow down in build rate are to blame.
But then again why are they working on Saturday mornings?

It may surprise you to learn that BOVIS are rated 5 stars by the HBF Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2012.
To get "5 stars"; over 90% of home buyers (who actually complete the survey) must say they are happy with their home and would recommend Bovis to a friend!
Oh.......... what should we believe?
 

Ninja750

New Member
Hi
Many thanks for the response.
Yes I agree that Monocouche should Never be painted........but we are dealing with BOVIS and their well dare I say it incompetant tradesmen.....our render was put on in June so I presume it was not waterd down in the full sunlight as per Webber instructions and of course it dried too quickly and the cracking started. When we moved in in October the cracking was there and mainly extending from the openings where of course there is a cloth type material to protect the render against the blockwork. Webber in their guide to monocouche state that the whole house should be covered with this webbing not just around the openings. So the cracks were repaired and then a painter came along and painted the house on only those walls which had been repaired and left a) walls that resembled a chess board and b) two walls were a different colur to the other two walls so the house looked a complete mess.....and so the Simcot repair saga then started in order to repair the repair....absolute nightmare!!!!
Never complete a Bovis survey when they send it to you.....from memory we received one the week after we moved in....but of course if you complete it then you will never be aware of all the problems that are developing. LEAVE IT for a good three to six months and then complete it....it will look a lot different to one completed a week after moving in cos you will have found the leeks, the shoddy workmanship and even that your house is so damn drafty yet is rated as an A property....don't make me laugh!!!!
 

Ninja750

New Member
Yes honestly building work has been going on adjacent to my property for four years and today I am driving through heavy mud while a dumper and digger try to flattedn a garden on an almost completed property.
Honestly, the roads are not complete wityh the final layer of tarmac and pavements adjacent to my property are exactly the same yet we have builders banging around near to our property on a Saturday morning from 7.30 and have also seen one or two of them working on a Sunday.....but the houses never get finished. Just before writing this my neighbour has just e-mailed Tom Moore again to ask why the roads are such a state outside our property to be caked with mud which is absolutely disgusting....we await a reply in the next few days.
The properties near my propert should have been finished by summer but they choose to build a bit here....not finish it, start another house somewhere else, not finish it and then come back and do a bit more and so on and so forth.....there is no excuse for this as we are only talking three detached houses, some garages and a one bed house above the garages.........but in the meantime CREST who are also building nearby have finished far more houses, landscaped them and people have moved in!!!!!
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Hi
Never complete a Bovis survey when they send it to you.....from memory we received one the week after we moved in....but of course if you complete it then you will never be aware of all the problems that are developing. LEAVE IT for a good three to six months and then complete it....it will look a lot different to one completed a week after moving in cos you will have found the leeks, the shoddy workmanship and even that your house is so damn drafty yet is rated as an A property....don't make me laugh!!!!

The HBF Customer Satisfaction Survey is supposed to be sent out by the NHBC directly to the new home owner (not the builder) 8 weeks after legal completion.
If this is the survey you mention, it really does call the results and Star Rating into question, especially if some house builders are deliberately sending it out a few days after completion when as you say, you may not be aware of all the defects in your home and certainly will not have experienced the house builder's customer care service.
I think that even the official 8 weeks after first moving in is a bit quick, but hey, the builders want the best chance of a positive response dont they!
I agree with you, keep the surveys and dont complete them for at least SIX MONTHS.
Then we will see how many house builders remain 5-star rated!

I think your survey may have been an 'in-house' survey by the individual builder.
These are only of use to the builder.
Any prospective buyer would be wise to ignore all claims from these surveys.
The results can be manipulated by the builder, no matter who alegedly "independantly audits" the results!
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Yes honestly building work has been going on adjacent to my property for four years and today I am driving through heavy mud while a dumper and digger try to flattedn a garden on an almost completed property.
Honestly, the roads are not complete wityh the final layer of tarmac and pavements adjacent to my property are exactly the same yet we have builders banging around near to our property on a Saturday morning from 7.30 and have also seen one or two of them working on a Sunday.....but the houses never get finished. Just before writing this my neighbour has just e-mailed Tom Moore again to ask why the roads are such a state outside our property to be caked with mud which is absolutely disgusting....we await a reply in the next few days.
The properties near my propert should have been finished by summer but they choose to build a bit here....not finish it, start another house somewhere else, not finish it and then come back and do a bit more and so on and so forth.....there is no excuse for this as we are only talking three detached houses, some garages and a one bed house above the garages.........but in the meantime CREST who are also building nearby have finished far more houses, landscaped them and people have moved in!!!!!

What I think is happening here is that a particular house is reserved and then work re starts on it.
Then there are problems with getting a mortgage or something else and another house is reserved so everyone works on that one instead.
What you say is a classic indication that the homes are not selling.
No house builder wants to sit on unfinshed building stock, unless of course they dont have a buyer and have little confidnece in getting a buyer anytime soon.

AND they wont sell at all if the estate roads are caked in mud, especially at weekends!
Write to the MD and Sales Director about this issue.
They will force the site manager to start caring a bit more or will get someone else who does care!
 

Steve C

New Member
Hi Guys,

I’m in the later stages of a home purchase on a Bovis development in Droitwich Spa, we complete on the 17th of December.
The buying experience thus far from Bovis has been nothing short of excellent to outstanding :) I will keep you posted more when we move in.
I have nothing but the highest confidence from what I’ve already seen
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
I hope you are not disappointed.
Bovis financial year-end is 31 December so your new home may well be rushed and full of defects when you move in.
It will also have been built in the wettest weather and may crack quite a bit when it dries out too.

Dont forget to come back and tell us how your home is and remember dont fill in the customer satisfaction survey until you have been in for at least 6 months as your opinion may well change!
 

Steve C

New Member
I hope you are not disappointed.
Bovis financial year-end is 31 December so your new home may well be rushed and full of defects when you move in.
It will also have been built in the wettest weather and may crack quite a bit when it dries out too.

Dont forget to come back and tell us how your home is and remember dont fill in the customer satisfaction survey until you have been in for at least 6 months as your opinion may well change!

I will let you know how things are, and I am aware that it’s Bovis year end.
The house has progressed quite nicely and IMO has not been rushed.
I’ve already been in a couple of times & final inspection is the 15th & I will be armed with your very own guide & snagging list :cool:
I am aware of the pitfalls of new build, but I wanted a blank canvas so to Speak…
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Do you mean my free snagging checklist on brand new homes?

If you are moving in on the 17th and inspecting on the 15th there is no chance any snagging rectification will be done before you move in.
Under CML, all new homes have to be "finished" at least 2 weeks before you complete and move in.
So that being the case your home should be ready for an inspection about now!
My advice would be to go and check it out this weekend.
I would also advise you get it professionally inspected too.
Standard lists are a good guide and better than nothing, but you still need to know where to look and what to check if suspicions are raised IMO.

"Blank canvas" is one of the few advantages of new homes often trumpeted by NHMB, HBF and house builders themselves.
But they don't mention the blank rear garden, the absent front garden or the health concerns!
 

Steve C

New Member
Going in this Saturday, front & rear gardens are landscaped, turf & shed to rear (8x6) Turf & plants to front….
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
If it is not 100% completed when you are there on 8th then it will have been a rushed home I am affraid.

You are getting completed gardens and a garden shed?
Is your new home social housing?
 

Steve C

New Member
If it is not 100% completed when you are there on 8th then it will have been a rushed home I am affraid.

You are getting completed gardens and a garden shed?
Is your new home social housing?

It's not social housing, It was offered as part of a sales incentive, along with floor tiles to all wet areas carpets & a bathroom shower (classed as an extra when you have on suite) I'm quite pleased with the overall specification.........
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
It's not social housing, It was offered as part of a sales incentive, along with floor tiles to all wet areas carpets & a bathroom shower (classed as an extra when you have on suite) I'm quite pleased with the overall specification.........

It is good to get something "extra" but you should be mindful that all sales advisiors have "negotiables" that they can give to convewrt interest into a reservation.
These are worth at least 5% of the listed price often much more, depending on the time of year, whether it is a stock plot etc.
Turfiing a rear garden and supplying a small shed is hardly going to amount to much.
Most builders include ceramic floor tiling in kitchens as standard and this is often included in bathrooms too.
Carpets are usual "incentive" but these tend to be very poor quality with thin underlay if you even get that. (most offer thin foamed-back carpet!)
A shower in the bathroom is quite good offer provided it is a separate addition. (you must have a large bathroom!).
If it is just shower mixer bath taps, again it cost the builder little to do this.

Some buyers just negotiate the maximum cash discount and have a smaller mortgage.
 

tc63uk

New Member
From personal experience I would have to recommend avoiding Bovis. I expect any new build to need snagging, but I also expect to have a roof that lasts more than one winter. Several ridge tiles on my roof have fallen off every winter since we bought the house in 2004 and every year (until now) Bovis have arrange a "repair". I was assured last year that the whole roof was checked and that we should have no more problems. Last night five ridge tiles fell off! I have a three-story house and previously one actually destroyed a neighbours windscreen and damaged his car roof. The impact of these tiles could easily kill someone. I can only surmise that Bovis are struggling as this year the repsonse to my annual telephone call was a repeated "call the NHBC" despite my urgent concerns over life and limb. In discussion with the recommended roofing firm it also appears that this issue with ridge tiles is a known problem and that current NHBC standards insist on them being cemented AND screwed in place. So why haven't Bovis done this previously???? I'm awaiting a response to my emails, but I will have to get this fixed urgently. I worry about the effect of falling tiles even if Bovis don't.
 

tc63uk

New Member
Stop press! Had response to emails: "contact NHBC"! They have simply repeated what their "customer service" advisor said on the phone. Bovis have washed their hand of the shoddy workmanship and recurrent risk of falling tiles. AVOID THIS COMPANY!
 

NewHomeExpert

Well-Known Member
Whilst normally Bovis' attitude "call the NHBC" would be correct after 8 years, the fact that you have had this problem and reported it in writing (you did report in writing didnt you!) there is a record of the defect within the two year period and unless the tiles have stayed fitted for two years since, the defect has not been resolved in my opinion and Bovis are still on the hook.
You are quite right that someone could be killed and you, as the home owner, would be liable, especailly as you know there is a history or tiles flaling off.
In fact your home insurer may not cover you against a claim as they may say "you have failed to maintain your home"

Whoever is responsible, you must get a local contractor to remove all the ridge tiles and bed them properly as per manufactuer;s instrauctions.
You can then send the bill to Bovis.
After all their roofing contractor does not appear to be up to the job!

The NHBC standards state that end ridge tiles should be mechanically fixed and should not fall off.

c) ridges and hips
Ridge and hip tiles are bedded in mortar or mechanically fixed using a proprietary dry ridge fixing system following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The method shown in the design should always be used.
Where bedded in mortar the following tiles should also be nailed:
bonnet hip tiles
end ridge tiles
ridge tiles over separating walls
mono-pitch ridge tiles.
 
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