Since 2004 the residents of the Redrow Poets Wood housing development in Streetly have been fighting to get their new homes brought up to standard. Some of the homes have been knocked down and rebuilt but the problems persist.
One resident of the estate, Veronica Fitzgerald, exchanged at the beginning of 2004 but had to wait two years to move in while Redrow rebuilt the property.
The NHBC has received more that 20 complaints from residents of the estate with faults including loose tiles, dodgy light fittings and flooding.
You can read more about the story here.
We are in the process of buying a Redrow home in the South West. We are very skeptical about it. Every time we have visited their office we were informed of extra hidden costs that we were not made aware of at the time of paying our reservation fee. We had a look at the house and noticed a few defects and poor quality of work. The site manager has assured us that this is not the finished product and everything will be fixed before we move in. He also said that they will send us a decorator a month after we move in for touch ups. We don’t feel that we can trust them. Any advice for us please?
Hi Zenia, these problems are not uncommmon and it is not just Redrow, but that is hardly a defence. You want all the defects fixed before you move in, you need to manage the whole snagging process by keeping immaculate records and always confirm any verbal promises in writing and ideally ensure that there is someone to witness such promises. CC everything to the head office, site managers can change frequently.
how far can redrow be pushed with their incentives? So far they have offered 5%. Has anyone got more?
Hi Frank, it really depends on whether you are prepared to walk away and whether they have other buyers interested. The builders in general are often more likely to throw in extras like flooring, turf etc rather than discounts. The problem is these are often poor quality.
hello i bought a redrow home in norden rochdale !!!! everything was ok a few snags here and there which got sorted at first sighed the snagging list book after 4 months not a problem!!! but when thing start 2 go wrong after that you have no bloody chance….. they won’t finish the fences off at the back of my house and others still haven’t fixed the door and haven’t finish some of the rubbish pointing and 2 top it all off some of the neighbours and i can’t get a bloody tv or sky reception and they won’t do anything to sort it out… and when i asked redrow when i bought the house that we have heard that the telly reception is poor or not working they said it was fine!!! what a loads off fibbers i can live with the crap finishing in the house but not live for 9 months with rubbish signal AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I too have purchased a property in Norden, Rochdale. I Have been thoroughly displeased with redrow throughout the whole process. As mentioned above there have been hidden charges and numerous defects including the no tv / sky. I have been living there 5 days, my shower wasnt plumbed in correctly and have been having cold showers. they told me i had to contact the manufacturer!!! whats he going to do other than tell me Redrow have done a Sh!t job at connecting it to the wall! absolutely useless if you have a problem post completion, as long as they have your money they are happy and dont care about anything else!
Anyone thinking about buying a leasehold property from Redrow should ask them which company will be handling the management and maintenance of the development. In the past Redrow have handed these responsibilities to Solitaire/Peverel Property Management. DO NOT buy a property if it is in any way connected to Solitaire/Peverel Property Management – you will save yourself a lot of anguish and a lot of money.
my wife and i bought our new redrow home back in july 09, the snagging list was fairly large we were given a month to identify all snaggs,which to be fair were sorted out very quickly,such as windows and doors not working properly, carpets not fitted correctly,light fittings not working, gas hobs not working, finding holes in plastering,etc..etc
but 6 months down the line we are still finding faults over xmas our boiler stopped working we were told that there was debris in the pipes which jammed the pump, then we had a minor flood just last week appears that our shower basin was not sealed correctly also that it was not installed correctly, so we had water pouring through to the kitchen through light fitting, the ceiling now looks awefull, yes we contacted the site personnel which do assure me that the work will be carried out properly but i am still with out a shower this week and still have dirty great screws all over my ceiling .
i am now getting very angry with all this! surely it should’nt be like this when you buy your first new house it’s bloody crazy.
and we were told we were going to get electric secruity gates when we viewed the site before we bought the house now they say it’s not happening ? you should see the abortion that they have put in it’s place NOT HAPPY
Ironically Redrow rang last nite to see if we would like to go on live TV and tell the world how “wonderfull our experience is with Redrow”
good job my wife answered the phone.
the houses look nice but i’m afraid the poor workmenship lets it down and i’m not the only one with similler stories
Regards
GUTTED
Hi Gutted
Won’t bore you with details here as it will take up too much space, but your not alone with suffering Redrow’s poor workmanship and and lack of customer service.
But to point you in the right direction Redrow do not like bad publicity so the direct approach is the best way. If they still have a site sales office then take photo’s of your problems paste them on cardboard park your car outside the office and display the photo’s in the window espescialy at weekends when the punters come along.
You wil be surprised how quickly Redrow will take some notice, it worked for us have a look at our blog site http://redrowphotoalbum.blogspot.com.
All the best
Redowsufferer
I am currently having to persue redrow through the courts because of the pure lack of customer service and horrific workmanship and pure lies which come from the directors right down to site agents i would not trust a word redrow say as most of the time its a fob off, all i can say is when my time comes i will be exploiting them for what they are they have caused myself and my family very much distress, my advice always double check your house has all the certificates they say it has: say no more; good luck everyone because you will need it with this company.
Hi Lynn,
I would be interested to know more about the process you have been through taking Redrow to court. The problem is many have done it before, but they sign gagging orders preventing them from telling others how to do it successfully.
Tony
Hi Tony
I bought my Redrow home on Renfrews Riverside Point site (Scotland) and had 1 problem to another the main problem being a large gap between the roof and the external wall back and front, i asked the site agent why this was his reply was dont worry the gap will close, i took his word then one night the loft hatch blew down and both myself and husband began to worry something didnt seem right, so i called redrow again and was told not to worry they sent the construction director to me who looked at the gap and said he couldnt say why it was so big and he would have to check tolerance levels. One week later he told me they would put a plate round the house and issue me with a letter of comfort VERY STRANGE I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NEW HOUSE I WAS IN so i deceided to call the council whom issue habitatation on the houses and to my alarm i was told my home that cost £175000 had NO habitation certificate the council said not to worry he would come out and look at my home and issue one but to my alarm the council REFUSED to pass it because the gap was EXCESSIVE NOT WIND OR WATER TIGHT, Redrows response was that the house did have a certificate even although the council had no record of it redrow said they would plate the gap which to me is a patch up job and i never bought my house looking different from everyone elses, we started persueing them a year ago and its still going the next court date is due soon its a long hard stressfull process but i am determined not to let them away with the lies and upset they have caused my family, if they put a gagging order on me it will have to be well worth my while and a hell of a good offer say no more, please see a list of a few other faults that are wrong with my home which have been confirmed in writing threw nhbc windows faulty paint work, air vents in property most of them back to front swelling of the bathroom wall due to flooding when the waste pipe gave way redrow maintain this was not there fault another claim small claims court the list is endless , Redrow also maintain my lawyer is at fault for my home not having habatation but the lawyers work on word of mouth and its very strange how there was another 3 homes on my estate that never had certificates so somethings wrong somewhere i just want what i paid for and all this pain and upset to stop i will never buy a new build again its your worse nitemare, hope this fills you in abit watch this space and the papers : lynn
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for sharing this, so you are using the small claims process for each set of defects?
Tony
Hi tony ,
We are using the small claims for the the flood due to defective work and the sheriff court for the other the small claims only settle claims under £5,000 .
Lynn
Hi Lynn and Tony
I found your comments interesting. We have exchanged on a Persimmons property and had the inspection last week. I took a snagging inspector along and we found that the house had a large gap between the roof and the external brickwork front and back. The builder had also cut the top row of bricks in half with what looks to be an angle grinder. They have done it very unevenly. We have asked why they have cut the bricks in half in the first place because that is really not normal and why there is a big gap. They fobbed us off with an excuse that the house needed to settle. However, the gap is huge and if it settles that much, there will be something seriously wrong! We are due to complete on Friday and want some written confirmation from Persimmons that this will be rectified. However, they are saying that it has its certificate so the NHBC think it is fine. We haven’t seen the certificate – so I have asked our solicitor to confirm that they have seen it to avoid your troubles. Nonetheless, we are not convinced that it is safe to have such a large gap. To try and galvanise Persimmons into action we are considering witholding some of the completion monies to cover the cost of the repairs. However, we are worried that they will not hand over the keys on Friday if we do this. I would like to try to agree something in writing with Persimmons before completion to avoid (if possible) a lengthy battle. Like Lynn, we are paying a lot of moner for the house and we are not going to let Persimmons get away with it.
Your comments would be welcome.
Thanks
Charlotte
Hi charlotte your house will not settle if its such a large gap i do no that they are aloud a small gap to allow for settlement but if you think it looks large chances are it is, they used the nhbc trick on me bec ause all that happens with nhbc is they would come out and look at and advise the builder to plate it very unsightly and just masking the problem if i were you i would speak to persimmon and tell them you are not happy and will be withholding the money if the gaps within tolerance they should be able to seal it if not they will pack it with a black foam material which can just be taken out and leaves a hole, please do not be fobed of with nhbc thing as they just passn the complaints back to the builder to sort as they please and it is to the lowest uncostly standard possible,Remember if something dosent look right chances are its not and in my experience the builder will say and do anything to get your money then the fighting starts its very distressing please dont make the same mistake as me i trusted there word and its now costing me thousands i would get a second opion from a surveyor.
please let me know how you go
lynn
Excuse some of the missed words lynn
Hi charlotte ,
Forgot to say my home was a redrow home not persimmon most comments ive heard on persimmon have been very good as my friend has one but better to double check everything if your unsure.
lynn
Hi there,
Sorry to hear about the problems you have all experienced. Thought I’d share mine…
Briefly, I bought a new build mid 2008, first home, what I thought was my dream home…I am unsure if I can name the developer if I’m starting court proceedings against them? (It’s not Redrow).
Shortly after completion (during Oct 08 to Feb 09) I noticed damp patches around the ceiling and wall junctions in various rooms of the property. All were reported to the site manager and head office and of course in exchange I was given pathetic excuses such as excess rain water. I was assured that remedial work had been undertaken on the roof and that I would have no further problems.
In February 2009 I started to notice tiny black beetles in every room of the property. It started off as a few in each room but this got progressively worse…by the beginning of March my property was suffering from a full blown infestation which had affected every single room. The beetles were dropping through the light fittings, dropping out of the plug sockets and had infested all my furniture; bed, sofa, carpets, rugs, cupboards, etc. It was a living nightmare and was totally out of my control. Environmental Health paid me a visit and the beetles were identified as plaster beetles.
I was told that plaster beetles thrive in any building where there is a water leak, poor ventilation or other sources of moisture that permit the development of molds inside walls or other voids. I was told by EH to check my loft for damp….
I vacated my property immediately, leaving everything behind. I was put in a hotel for a few weeks by the developer….. however, this was something I really had to fight for.
I appointed a Chartered Surveyor to visit my property who sure enough found many, many faults on the roof and also in the loft area (vents blocked, insufficient number of vents, tears in the roof material, pools of water, mould on the timber from old leaks, as well as thousands of plaster beetles crawling in the insulation in the loft. All has been documented in an Expert Witness report.
The developer (who say they are not liable for the infestation as a consequence of the defective property) paid thousands of pounds for a heat treatment company to carry out a ‘thermal disinfection’ on my property in an attempt to eradicate the infestation and dry my property out, however, the heat treatment proved to be too intense and my kitchen cupboard units bowed and melted, my laminate floor buckled, walls cracked, tiles cracked and all my brand new furniture cracked and melted. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the treatment proved to be pointless as the beetles survived the treatment. They also survived a spray treatment a few weeks later.
I have filed a claim with the NHBC. They have been no use whatsoever. They refused to sign off the property in 2009 due to all the defects on the roof and in the loft…..but how was it passed in the first place in order to be sold to me in 2008?? I have asked this on many occasions but they will not give me an answer. The NHBC said that all the property needed was extra vents in the loft area. This was done by the developer, however, the problems still remain and are getting worse.
It’s now been just shy of a year since I had to move out. The developer ended my stay at the hotel after only 6 weeks and I had to seek alternative accomodation which I am having to pay for on top of my mortgage on the property and council tax! The infestation is still in the property and the damp/condensation patches are still appearing in various rooms of the property and are getting increasingly worse…. And the NHBC say that no further work needs to be undertaken!
I am at my wits end but I refuse to give up. I cannot wait for the day till I can name and shame the developer and would love the opportunity to do this on national T.V. From the very beginning of my ordeal I started a photographic diary as well as a written diary. I would encourage anyone else to do the same as my solicitor has said it is invaluable as everything must be backed up with evidence.
I am a 25 year old woman who has saved since I was 17 for a deposit for my first home. I have had to deal with bullish builders, site managers and construction directors who have all patronised me and fobbed me off with excuses and lies. I am disgusted at how they have spoken to me and how they have treated me and am saddened to read that others are going through the same battle with other developers. They have ruined my experience of my buying my first home. I never thought that buying a brand new home would bring so much stress and upset.
Miss JC.
Hi jc I really feel for you that is just awfull all i can say is dont give up your fight ive been going threw my process for over a year as it takes a long time and many times ive felt like giving up ive suffered ill health and many sleepless nights thinking how this could possibly be happening but always remember justice will be done in the end and just take one day at a time and dont be bullyied into anything that dosent seem right, good luck ,
lynn
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for your reply. I too became ill because of my experience which made everything so much more difficult. But you’re right, you’ve just got to take one day at a time. Hopefully as you say, justice will be done in the end.
I cannot believe all the problems people have experienced on here. I want to know how on earth the NHBC pass all these properties when they clearly are not fit to be signed off.
Good luck to you too and thanks again for your reply 🙂
Hi Lynn, Miss JC and Charlotte,
Redrow – we are also in a real problem home of a certain style built by Redrow.
The problems are the same with all the other owners of the same style and we are looking for answers.
Redrow are saying that it was passed by the council, so they are not at fault, as they built to the plans submitted.
I have been fighting for over a year now and the NHBC take so long to rectify a problem that it is almost worst than the builder.
I have to wonder that if you are not a builder or surveyor, how would you know what a defect is or what to look for, thus making the NHBC policy pretty questionable.
I have provided Redrow with several opportunities to help with our home and wasted 17 annual leave days so far to be at the house for work to be carried out, that I was considering legal action through the small claims court for every snag or for the full property amount through the Sheriff court. Can you offer some advice or can we get together and put a stronger case infront of a court ?
Regards,
Hi Livid.
NHBC do not check all properties on any one site they do random sample checks during construction.
These checks are only as good as the person doing them which makes you wonder how skilled these people are.
The NHBC are not an independant organisation they are funded by the building industry and therefore can be very bias towards their paymasters.
The rule of thumb here is not to trust that the NHBC will sort problems out anything with a satisfactory result for the punter who has paid the money your far better off with the direct action approach.
Cheers
Redrowsuffrer
Thanks again for your replies. I have found the NHBC to be adequate in their approach. After I filed a claim with the NHBC, they visited my property for an inspection and subsequently issued me with a report. Their report stated that the build was in breach of their Technical Requirements and therefore work was needed to be undertaken.
I also have a Chartered Surveyors report which states that the build is in breach of Building Regulations, NHBC Technical Requirements & British and European Standards. It has taken the NHBC a very long time to get the builder to carry out the work that they (NHBC) deemed necessary.
The NHBC are now happy with the work that has been carried out, even though the problems in my property still remain. My Chartered Surveyor (which has cost me a small fortune up to now) has said that the work that has been carried out is not sufficient to remedy the whole problem.
Like I said in my previous posts it is now in the hands of a solicitor. I am stuck with a property that will no doubt have gone down in value due to all the problems it has encountered and I cannot live there because of the ongoing problems which have rendered it uninhabitable. It is so very, very unfair.
Hi all,
The NHBC are only there to try and help you to get the builder to fix any problems which is good , but the problem is they can not tell the builder how to repair things only advise to a certain standard so in my case the builder wants to repair my problem to a very low standard and if you do not accept this you have no one to turn to as NHBC can no longer help you,the builders know this and always have the upper hand and use the remark but we will fix it but to there standards which are the standards that cost the least,
Ben it is very hard to try and persue the builders threw the courts as they seem to have everything covered in small print,my advice is to speak to a solicitor in my case my home does not have a certificate of habitation from the council so its a breach of contract but the builder still insists on fighting on instead of doing the right thing by us and moving us out this hell hole, it is also very costly and a long stressfull process going to court, you should try going to the papers 1st that could be enough.
good luck to everyone sometimes i wonder how this can be happening to so many people we have more rights if you buy a can of beans and take them back.
lynn
This might be of interest: http://forum.snagging.org/snagging-requests-help/1369-tv-programme-looking-problem-homes.html
Lyn,
I have attached my neighbours e-mail below who also did not have a habitation certificate when moving in. His wife and him are interested to talk if you have the time, as they are also now pursuing court action based on the above.
Ben,
I have removed the email address as I wasn’t sure whether your neighbour would want that published. I can relay messages – tonynewhomeblogs.co.uk
Firstly OMG, thought this was only my issue and my neighbours!!
We have recently bought a house on Jennetts Park in Berkshire and we have had numerous problems with it.
We have had to get all the plumbing redone in the house, so much so we no longer allow the original plumbing company in.
We have also had the stories from Redrow maintenance saying it problems in the house are shrinkage and needs to be expected, in addition they say not to turn heating up too much in the winter (when it was the coldest in living memory).
There are also problems still with our boiler of which customer service (non)helpdesk are trying to wriggle out of continuously asking for us to get pressure readings. Unacceptable and they are not commiting to fixing it. These are only touching the top of the problems….fence gaps, brick pillar on driveway totally loose, shower tray knackered, leaking toilet and knackered flush, doors dont shut, cracks all over the walls.
Our adjoining neighbour has also had massive problems, his floor in the bathroom has totally dropped over a cm and redrow tell him it is due to shrinkage. No its not. When the house was built the plans were not properly followed and they had not connected the joists properly, so they dropped.
Redrow assured us ours is fine, Im not so sure, so we are both calling NHBC for a full investigation.
So overall, we love the area and our own house together, just the builders and plumbers are complete muppets!
We will keep you posted in our next addition!!
Ilf
i bought a shit house,,,, oh sorry a redrow house the walkham type and come winter realised it was warmer outside. they wasted two years of my time and the house was still freezing cold. i just hope all at redrow involved in my uninsulated house dia a painfull death. i am now seperated and live in a bed sit. lets kill redrow. they are crooks and there are less deserved people in jail than they life wasting wankers
I bought a redrow home which had no insulation, which i found out in the winter.They still put up a fight and now im seperated and house is still freezing 3 yrs on. NHBC were no good either, they must have got some money to keep quiet. people are in jail for less. dont buy a Redrow home
I purchased a redrow home in oct 2010, only the other day Feb 20th 2011 did they complete my parking space. Now this might not seem major but fact I had my first baby in oct so we had to walk him over 200yards just to get him into the car. As a result I have had to pay for a change in my and my partners insurance policys which isnt really my fault – as we used to have are parking set on insurance to in a drive way. I contacted Suzanne Irons eastern sales director, she replied saying sorry for the hassle I;ve experiened but we wont help to pay towards the cost of insurance and she said that it was due to other third parties as to why it was so delays.
I wasnt even told the parking would be delayed into the DAY i moved in, and they told me it would be 2 weeks, then 2 months and then it turned out to be 5 months.
Be careful if you are buying a redrow home, they are rushed like mad and they are happy to move you in whilst its still being worked on. I havent been able to have one day lay in as the builders are right outside drilling slabs etc.
Please dont be fooled by their sales staff as they are just trying to get themselves some commision.
Does anyone have any updates on the above stories? I am currently considering purchasing a redrow home at Jennetts park in Berkshire, but these stories are making me think again…
Thanks!!
Do not do it!
No matter what you think after reading this, please do not make the same mistake 1000’s of others have.
Call me if you like
I would also like an update or other experiences,I am considering purchasing a Redrow home in Devon.
Hi sarah
I would never recommend a new build to any one I have had so many problems with mine purchased 2 years ago from Keepmoat builders, these problems were not just the snagging jobs I have over a 100 photos and if you go on flickr I put a few on there but they are not the worse ones,well I hope you can see them because I’m a computer user and a pensioner so not sure really if people can view them, hope so. Please don’t make the same mistake as lots of us have buy one a good a few years older
Sarah,
I stumbled upon this post while trying to find some information on how to fix problems in my Redrow home. I bought my Redrow house last year, left a reservation fee around october 2011, which was due for completion around late Dec 2011 but i had always gave them the all the time they needed to finish the house. The keys were handed over in mid-late Jan 2012. Despite me giving them as much time as they needed and made this a point at the very beginning and they knew that it was no rush as long as the house is ready, near completion, things were far from satisfactory:- Brush marks all over the walls, sockets not straight, loose floor fittings, dirty mastic, scratched windows, doors not closing properly the list goes on they assured that things arent finished. However, when i collected my keys things werent that much different, I can accept these as snags but just got the feelng that the house was rushed!
Never mind those things…. onto faults that are of more concern, none of the windows/cut out were straight, uneven walls, squeaky/cracking noises on floors/ceilings, noisey walls (when you walk by them). They came back to fix some floor noises and cut the floors up and make it uneven , you tell them of it, then they say you shouldnt be able to feel that, fill it with some glue and say its sorted but it isnt, as a result you can feel how uneven it is when you walk across it! They tried to attent to other areas like windows and plastering works but this took many attempts and i still ahve this problem today! Funny thing was they sent this guy round who admitted to me he is not a plasterer by trade but was plastering areas of my house which looked worse after he finished! They sent a plumber round to fix some issues with my boiler but he sat there in confusion and asked me what the problem was at that point i asked him to leave and get breifed!
The cracking noises in walls\floors and ceiling is caused when someone walks upstairs and you can hear it below, it was found they had to screw the ceiling up to the joists! Guess what? that only fixed a little bit in the kitchen ceiling but wouldnt say its acceptable, they tried to do the same thing in the living room but has had no difference.
I wasnt happy about this and made them aware and then they sent this old man round with the customer service and sit team. He was the so called ‘Construction Director’ he basically came in all guns blazing and werent fixing my problems! Onefunny thing I should let you know is that i had this window bay area which does not conform with NHBC standards i pointed this out. He said that he does not see it a problem and isnt going to fix it, despite the fact that I showed him how it does not comply with NHBC standards which he so clearly stated that they build to! In regards to the floor noises etc he said he has seen worse and this isnt actually that bad.
It was made clear that they werent fixing anything and that I would have to contact the NHBC.
So Sarah, my advice is please dont buy a house from these guys, they are very unprofessional and make you feel as if you are at fault and a nuisance for asking them to recitfy problems they clearly caused!
Hi I forgot to mention that I also found out that the NHBC are not an independent company they are funded by the builders & local authorities, thats why Keepmoat always say they will take it to resolution the BUILDERS use them as a safety net, I’ve had the NHBC twice and both times it was the builders who requested them to come, “I WONDER WHY”!!
Valerie Turner
Thats right Valerie! i recently found this out too. Although I am yet to call out the NHBC, as the way I see it is, once you call them out and they rule in the builders favor thats pretty much all hopes gone.
Hi all
I am shocked at the number of people suffering, how can these companies/so called builders get away with this, I worked and saved hard all my life so that when I retired I could down size and have a low maintenance house and be nice and warm in winter, WHAT A BIG MISTAKE.
I HAVE BEEN HERE 2 YEARS NOW AND BOTH WINTERS I HAVE BEEN FREEZING THERE ARE GAPS IN THE FRONT DOOR “WHEN CLOSED & LOCKED and the rain is still getting in, SAME WITH PATIO DOORS AND WINDOW VENTS, I’ll not bore you with any more of my problems but I will let you know how things turn out my Solicitor has threatened court procedures, So So glad I took out higher house and contents Insurance.
They threatened me with court last year because I sat outside the sales office with banners & photo’s stopping every one that was showing interest in their new builds most of them were absolutely shocked at the photo’s and drove away honking their horns and grateful for the warning .
Thanks for the update Valerie. Hope it all turns out well for you. For anyone else who is having issues please share your experiences here. Maybe we can bring a stronger case against them and help each other. Thanks
Hi
I used to think that surely the Government should help us and put a stop to all those Builders cutting corners and using cheap materials, but it’s the Government that are pushing the builders to build more houses at affordable prices, so who can we turn to.
Hi
Just having another RANT over the builders and to let you know how things are going, well where do I start, my builders have offered to pay me off , but the amount they want me to accept, is Unacceptable, I would have to spend it on all the jobs that they are unable to fix, this would mean New Patio doors, New front door and drainage put in at the front door entrance to stop rain from getting in, Creaking floors & stairs,Cracks and so on. ALL THE THINGS I HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR WHEN I BOUGHT THIS NEW HOUSE oh by the way I can still turn to the N H B C !!! What are your thoughts on that, “I know mine but I better not say”. So I guess the fighting with these Builders goes on. I’l be in touch.
I’m buying a leasehold apartment from Redrow as an investment and they are getting extremely pushy about exchange and completion. I’ve explained to them a number of times over the last couple of weeks that my solicitor still has queries over the contract and is waiting for a response from their solicitor but still they push. They even resorted to calling my wife while i was away on business and implying with her that I was happy to proceed. Our apartment of nearly ready but the development we are buying on is nowhere near completion, so it almost leaves me thinking they need the cash flow to help the completion of the remaining apartments. I’m very tempted to walk away and write off the cash spent so far.
Walk away from it.
The small amount of money you have spent so far is nothing compared to what you are about to go through.
Hey Valerie,
thanks for the update. They are a complete joke, you should take their offer in writing and send it off for media attention (watchdog, newpapers maybe?). Just curious have you had any contact with NHBC before regarding your issues?
Hi Hacked Off,
I think you made it quite clear and should stick to it!
As this is for investment which I am assuming you’ll rent out to someone at some stage. Can you imagine if there are defects that the tenants arent happy with? As the land lord its your responsblity to make sure issues are rectified which will likely mean the builders taking their time but most annoyingly sorting nothing out and even making things worse! If the tenant is unahppy, then they have every right to complain to you and in some case may ask for compensation to put up with the hassles.
Redrow customer service? not even too sure if they should be calling themselves that to be honest. Hope all goes well for you and good luck with it all. Keep us posted.
We bought our first Redrow home on Kingsmead Northwich which was built to a great standard.We then moved away and when returned decided to buy another Redrow home as we were pleased with the frst one.We were in a bit of a rush to buy and so perhaps did not scrutinise the house as well as we should have(to our mistake).The house was 2 years old when we bought and ever since we have kept spending money getting things put right.After a 7 year problem with ridge tiles they have just been put right.All the gutters leaked which we have had to replace.On removing the downstairs toilet and partition found the stairs were supported by a piece of 3 x 2 wedged under stairs and nailed to breeze block,also underneath the toilet was a 2ft gap (no foundation) under the house base which is on a corner supporting a bearing wall.There’s 3/4 inch of silicone around most of the windows and patio doors.Non of the walls/door frames are straight.Lots of chipped bricks in house build.Pointing diabolical.On removing skirting boards found all door frames letting in cold air.windows not shutting properly causing drafts.Lots of creaking on all of upstairs floors bedrooms and landing due to partion walls being nailed not screwed.On conversation with redrow I was told I bought the house second hand and to go to NHBC.NHBC unfortunately do not cover diabolical workmanship.
Hi All
I have had the NHBC out twice they come along with one of the builders Structural Engineers and always side with what the builders say
I would like to know why the NHBC can’t attend without the builders being there,they are after all an INDEPENDENT CO,!! for me to take this further my Solicitor wants another Survey/report done, who will pay for this? because I just can not afford to pay for any more.
At the moment I’m waiting for a Company to come and investigate the drainage problem to front of house as the rain keeps coming in this should be done under my Insurance.
Yes I’m thinking of taking the money the builders offered, but very upset with having to sign a confidentiality form. I will let you know what happens. My house was built by a co, called KEEPMOAT. Valerie.
Hi
I am planning to buy a redrow house in compton Wolverhampton. Any advice?
Sita
HI All
Just thought I would let you know that I’m still having issues with my new house and still fighting keepmoat, I found out last Aug 2012, that they changed my PLANS as if I didn’t have enough problems with poor workmanship, I was given an access path via my neighbours house,this is the only access to my rear garden, any way it turns out that it was also on my neighbours PLANS too but it’s Registered in my name,my neighbours had known this for about 16 Month’s but were told not to tell me!!! I think you will know what happened, the builders had a meeting at the neighbours house,I know the date because I baby sat for them WHILE THEY DISCUSSED MY PROPERTY & WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO, Trouble was my neighbours a German couple couldn’t keep quiet kept on telling me and my other neighbour what they owned & what we owned even to the point of coming out and measuring our plots,chalking all over the blocked paving “WE OWN THIS”, in the I couldn’t take any more of their childish behaviour and told them I was going to see my Solicitor THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES TOLD US EVERY THING, THEY WERE SO SCARED, They knew their secret was going to be revealed. So I now have Boundary problems ALL THANKS TO KEEPMOAT THE BUILDERS.
Please don’t buy from redrow I did and it’s a nightmare the list keeps getting longer and they don’t stick to what they say and to be honest don’t trust them, they are only interested in getting you in there nice new home and nothing else, your on your own
Hi Paul
I understand how you feel it’s absolutely disgraceful the way us new home owners are treated, the builders have taken your money” basically for rubbish in return”, I and many others are all in the same situation, so I feel for you, I would say to any one thinking of buying a new home DON’T, NOT WORTH THE HASSLE, I purchased mine from KEEPMOAT HOMES, nearly 3 years of hell.
Valerie Turner
In the process of buying a Redrow home in Plymouth…Vision development. Absolute nightmare……with hindsight would never buy from them again and we haven’t even moved in! Feel free to call me 07944091130
@Paul,
I’m also a victim of a Redrow new home purchase. I stupidly got persuaded by a crafty sales assistant to buy one off plan – and the exhibition home she used as a demo was nothing like the real thing.
In the end I brought a small shoe box, rabbit hutch, yet a paid a premium price. Now I’m stuck in this house as no one is willing to pay the same to buy it off me – I lost money big time. I know how you feel.
Paul/Valerie I fully understand as we are having a nightmare as well! We have a list of 150 defects and Redrow are not interested and 9 months on they still haven’t put things right and we are heading for NHBC inspections and legal options. I would never recomend anyone to buy from these Cowboy builders and experience the heartache they cause. Once they have your money they just want to fob you off so you go away. New buyers…..BEWARE!!
Hi All, I didn’t buy mine from redrow, purchased mine from Keepmoat Homes, used to be called Frank Haslam Milam they still use the name & others, But some one set up a page on face book called “keepmoat beware” we all need to get together name & shame all these so called builders. I have been 4 years fighting these builders they don’t care who they rob and have no consideration for me as a pensioner and used all my savings on Surveyors reports, been 4 Solicitors from one company who I will not mention yet, they just kept changing them so that the case got more confusing, I have had to get another one now from a different company through my house insurance, I am exhausted going over and over the same story, looks like I’ll be 70 before this is case is over, but will never give up. So keep at guy’s and good luck keep in touch the more surpport we all have the better. SO PLEASE ALL YOU PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A NEW HOUSE DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY & CERTAINLY DO NOT TRUST THESE SALES PEOPLE THEY ARE ONLY IN IT FOR THEIR COMMISSION,once you part with your money and sign documents they DO NOT WANT TO KNOW.
I have to laugh some times I go on their fb site and their this elderly couple in an advert ” this couple are false” can’t mention names.!!!
Dont buy from redrow as I said my ones still going on I have now got NHBC in as well now because redrow really don’t give a dam about you and please don’t trust the managment company’s as well if there like the one we have there over priced rubbish and I bet some where there something to do with redrow or a friend of a friend the whole situation stinks but what do you do with out spending loads of money to take these people to court, you get no support where ever you go I have tried everywhere but keep getting no where because redrow are so big
Hi Paul
The problem is getting through the system, I’m the same tried everything and still at it, the main thing is not to give up that’s what they want you to do just keep at it, and good luck.
Valerie
Imaginative Designs, Build quality, here’s a good one… Customer Service….. Oh yes…Customer Care!
Redrow Homes Ltd…… yep they have all this.
Switches behind doors, hot bedrooms and cold bathrooms….. Thats imaginative…… Ignore your e-mails… even the polite ones they care all right…. As soon as they have your money you can forget whatever you were promised, they just don’t care! Protesting on the main road followed by an estate survey… Bet £50 i’m not the only one! Be Warned!
I’m going to stand outside the sales office with a banner..’Before you buy a home here Talk to me’ See how that works….lots of cars going by!
If that doesn’t work i’m going door knocking and speak to the neighbors…..Won’t give up. Redrow Homes Ltd don’t even have the decency to reply to Polite e-mails…. see how they respond to the above.
Steve
Go to there website and slag them off and if we all keep doing this then maybe some one will listen also go on face book and twitter there con artists And there management company’s the same there ripping people off
Would never buy a house from this company again seven years later
they still cant do a repair properly redrow homes what a joke would tell anyone never buy of them people should list to all the facebook and twitter feeds stay away from them.
We bought our home from Redrow in March 2013. Their so called 2 year warranty is rubbish as is their customer service. You give them the snagging list and it takes 2 years to get anything done. Every time we contact customer service, ha,ha, they want you to send in photos to see if the problem is justified. Our driveway (tarmac) is not even 16 months old yet it is breaking up and cracks & weeds appearing around the 2 drain covers but they say it’s our fault for turning the wheels on the driveway! The entrance road to the development which was finished 16 months ago is still not surfaced and it’s the only entrance to the estate so every person living here has to cope with this. Some of them for 3 years and are now sick of it. They are Cowboys and have no morals or consideration as to the stress they create.
I feel for you guys, and can see where your coming from we are being bullied by Redrow who are developing next door to us, they are trying to cause us as much grief as possible. Having watched some of there dodgy methods over the fence I don’t doubt that they really are bad news.
Redrow Homes. Same here in Devonport, Redrow Vision. Do you know the houses arn’t bad but built to a price. They don’t care, I mean they don’t care untill you do what I did twice….. Stand outside their sales office / show home, with a plackard. They fall over backwards to get you satisfied then. Customer / after sales service is the worst I’ve ever experianced. Buyer beware or call me first 07944091130. Steve
I have lived in redrow home not for three years coming up to four and believe me there Cowboys and totally ripping people off but the government don’t listen I have contact mp aftermp and houseing minister and nothing’s still being done there ripping people off and no one is doing anything REDROW threatened me with cort if I said anything more on Twitter and face book so I had to stop telling people what there like
We are considering a new home from Redrow new development in and these comments really got us worried. We were waiting for over 3 years for the development to start… I hope you guys just had a bad luck and hope most homes are to a good standard? I will do more research though.
I have been considering buying a Redrow house – they look lovely in the brochure but all their reps say something different – from the price of the houses to the reservation procedure (3 months down the line I’m told my house has to be sold STC before they accept a reservation. Initially I was just advised to get a valuation. Also, from their list of upgrades, it would appear that no floor covering comes as standard! When I emailed them to clarify this – no reply (3rd email sent today.) I am seriously having a rethink as I could buy a perfectly good ‘pre-owned’ house of similar type for approx £30,000 less than Redrow’s £215,000+ for 2 bed mid terrace SW UK. I would be grateful for advice/comments.
It seems that Redrow continue not to learn the lessons from all of the people who have written the above blogs. We moved into a property in September 2014, after over 80 visits redrow still haven’t fixed the issues. We have lodged complains with the ASA, trading standards and NHBC so far because they have mis-sold their properties on their literature. We have received emails from their managing director and chief executive which prove they have no respect for their customers and no desire to resolve the issues. We have again been let down tonight as having taken yet another day off work they have confirmed they and their supplier will not be coming. Redrow don’t care, they take your money and run. BUYER STILL BEWARE
Is anyone else suffering with a lack of information about possible completion dates as a result of the new policy introduced by Redrow earlier this year? Basically they have instructed all staff not to talk about completion dates with buyers. A new team of ‘quality control’ staff have been introduced in an effort to reduce snagging to a minimum and it will be on the say so of this team when the house is released.i.e. giving you two weeks in which to complete! This is hardly fair on buyers especially those who have had to go into rented accomodation.
Redrow are still ripping off customers to this day.
They have very poor customer service and are not interested in fixing snags.
One of their staff an apparant award winner Vince Price who is a project manager who I met needs to learn how to speak politely to customers.
In the end I told him to leave my house, this guy will get karma.
Do not buy from Redrow they are Cowboys using cheap contractors who aren’t fully skilled which means you get lots of propels once you move in.
I looked into buying a house on the Redrow development outside Salisbury (old MOD UK Land Forces site, where I used to work) The rep said the 2 bed terraced houses would likely be £200,000 – certainly no more than £205,000 – which I could just about afford. They had already sold the 1st phase at £195,000. They apparently sell the first group of houses at a low price to entice buyers – then hike the prices up. They had said I needed a valuation on my property, which I duly obtained. A couple of months later, when the 2 bed houses were due to be released, they said that my property would have to be sold STC before I could be considered – then they put the price up to £215,000 which would have wiped out every penny of my savings. I also discovered that flooring, wardrobe doors and finishing the garden were not included! The house would probably end up costing over £220,000. I abandoned the idea and bought an ex local authority semi on the edge of Bournemouth for £180,000 so was able to have a new bathroom, kitchen improvements, windows and decoration plus landscaped garden. Numerous negative reviews re Redrow confirmed my decision not to deal with this company.