What consumers thought about… The Housing Forum

Base: All respondents (9,913 in 2003, 10,015 in Key 2001 and 10,283 in 2000) Source: MORI Very Fairly Neither/nor Fairly Very No opinion satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied National Customer Satisfaction Survey 2003 Designed by Lillington Green 0118 927Designed by Lillington 2474 Green 0118

…the quality of the home …the service from their housebuilder New Home Owners Survey

The 2003 National Customer Satisfaction Survey is the third survey conducted among owners of newly built homes; Overall satisfaction with quality Overall satisfaction with service Q15 Taking everything into account, overall, how satisfied or Q2 Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with previous surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2000. Commissioned independently by the Housing Forum – Constructing dissatisfied are you with the quality of your home? the service provided by your housebuilder, taking into Excellence and sponsored by the DTI and ODPM, the survey is designed to provide an analysis of the trends of customer 83 12 account the service both before and after you moved in? satisfaction within the private house building industry over the last three years and form a guide to advise consumers of the 2003 40 43 6 7 5 * +71 65 26 above average performers in the industry this year. In conjunction with the survey results the Housing Forum has produced 87 8 2003 24 41 10 14 12 * +39 2001 43 44 5 5 3 * +79 70 21 a consumer guidance leaflet, What you need to check when buying a newly built property – 10 top tips on key 87 8 2001 27 43 9 12 9 * +49 2000 45 42 4 5 3 * +79 69 23 issues to consider. + Net satisfied - % 2000 27 42 8 14 9 * +46 + and finish Net good - % Q16a How good or poor would you rate the quality of the Condition on moving in day Key findings Attitudes towards all aspects of the compared with 84% in 2001 and construction and finish? Q3b How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the condition of home asked about – construction and 81% in 2000) However, satisfaction 73 17 your home on moving in day? Overall finish, fixtures and fittings, design and with the overall service provided in 2003 31 42 10 11 6 * +56 appearance of the development, dealing with these problems remains 77 13 71 25 In general, more recent change in 2001 34 43 9 9 4 * +64 2003 34 37 5 12 13 * +46 findings is apparent than was seen external design and appearance of the positive (51% satisfied), and only 78 14 75 20 between the first two surveys, with home, use of internal space and slightly lower than previously (53% 2000 36 42 8 9 5 * +64 2001 37 38 5 10 9 * +55 75 20 satisfaction levels slightly lower parking space along with sound versus 54% in 2000). Net good + % - 2000 36 39 5 11 9 * +55 this year. proofing – are all positive. Although + Value for money Net good - % these scores are generally lower than Owner Attitudes The star ratings allocated in the Q21 Taking everything into account, overall, do you think that After sales service previously, and despite properties Attitudes towards newly built homes Housebuilder Rating Table show that the price you paid for this property represents good or poor Q3d How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the service after becoming more expensive, rating of are very positive, although owners are while the ratings for some value for money? value for money is unchanged. generally less positive about their you moved in? housebuilders remain unchanged, particular housebuilder. For example, 82 8 56 36 there has been some movement with 2003 37 45 8 6 21* +74 2003 23 33 7 18 18 1* +74 Service Provided by Housebuilders almost all owners are pleased about 82 9 more now getting higher star ratings 60 33 Nearly two-thirds (65%) are satisfied buying the home they did (88%), and 2001 33 49 9 9 21* +73 2001 23 37 7 17 16 1* +73 than previously, particularly on overall 78 14 with the service from their a majority (55%) would want another 59 34 36 47 7 6 21 satisfaction with the housebuilder and 2000 * +75 2000 24 35 6 18 16 1 * +75 housebuilder. Following trends newly built one if they were to move + the condition of the home on moving Net good - % + towards satisfaction with the home, again. However, fewer agree than Net satisfied - % in day. More also get higher ratings on this finding is lower than in both 2001 disagree that they would want to buy recommendation of the housebuilder and 2000. another home from the same and overall satisfaction with the housebuilder (29% versus 41%). Rating and Ranking Quandrant quality of the home. Satisfaction with the service provided Rating and Ranking Quandrant Similarly, while attitudes are

% External design and appearance of home by housebuilders tends to decline over - + 95 When comparing findings for the favourable towards the design of 46 Helpfulness/efficiency of staff successive stages of the purchase Use of internal space % Condition on moving day - 85 + housebuilding industry between newly built homes, they are less Design/appearance of development 36 Reliability/accuracy of communication process, although in all cases the 75 Value for money surveys, due to the large sample sizes positive about the build quality majority remain positive. Views are 65 Quality of fixtures/fittings 26 (over 10,000 respondents), only small compared with old ones (46% and Meeting deadlines/finishing home on time most favourable during the buying 55 Sound proofing Quality of construction/finish 16 differences are required to indicate a 22% agree respectively). Parking space Service dealing with defects/snags process, lower on moving-in day, and 45 significant change (between +0.8 and Rating: Net positive 6 least positive towards the after-sales Although more people would +1.4 percentage points).

0 5 1015202530354045505560 Rating: Net positive 0 5 1015202530354045505560 service. Ratings of staff follow the recommend their housebuilder than

Base: All owners of newly built homes (9,913) Source: MORI Ranking: % Important Base: All owners of newly built homes (9,913) Source: MORI Ranking: % Important same pattern, with those responsible would be critical of them (with a Quality of the Home for sales higher rated than customer positive net recommend balance of Over four in five (83%) are satisfied care or after-sales staff. +10), this level of recommendation is Would consumers… recommend their housebuilder with their new home -a little lower than previously (+20 in 2001 lower than 2001 and 2000 (87% Experience of defects and/or snags in Q25 Which of these comes closest to describing how you would speak about your housebuilder? and +21 in 2000). in both years). the home has increased (90% 46 36 2003 17 29 18 20 16 +10 49 29 2001 18 31 21 17 12 +20 52 31 2000 20 32 17 18 13 +21 + Net satisfied - % See inside for the Housebuilders’ Rating Table. The Housebuilders Rating Table and the consumer Key guidance leaflet can be accessed at The Housing Recommend without Recommend if asked Neutral Critical if asked Critical without being Forum website – www.thehousingforum.org.uk being asked asked

HFCE-LG-O104-v.1 Results for the 2001 survey were published in February 2002 and included owners who bought their home between 1 April 2000 and 30 June 2001, results for the Innovation Best Practice Productivity 2000 survey were published at the end of February 2001 and include owners who bought their home between 1 January 1999 and 31 March 2000. For more information about the national customer satisfaction survey results please contact The Housing Forum on 020 7691 0220 National Customer Satisfaction Survey 2003 – Housebuilder Rating Table

Key Above industry average Industry average Below industry average

Statistically at 95% confidence level ★★★ ★★ ★ Less than 95% confidence level ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ✩

Ratings based on a telephone survey with a representative sample of owners of newly built homes selected from databases supplied by NHBC and Zurich. Fieldwork conducted between 15th October and 12th November 2003

Sample size Quality of Home Service from Housebuilder

Overall Construction Value for Likelihood of Overall Condition on After-sales satisfaction and finish money recommending satisfaction moving in day service housebuilder

600 Barratt Homes ★★★★★★★ 600 Homes ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ 125 Ben Bailey Homes ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★★ ✩✩✩ ★★★ ✩✩✩ 186 Berkeley Group ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★ 238 Bett Homes ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ★★ ✩✩ ✩✩ ★ 321 ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 458 Bovis Homes ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ✩✩ 603 ★ ★★★★★★★★★★★ 76 Cala ✩✩✩ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 84 ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ★★ ✩✩ 170 ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 75 Croudace ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 65 David McLean Homes ✩✩✩★★★★ 600 David Wilson Homes ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ 215 Fairclough Homes ★★ ★★ ★★ ✩✩✩ ★★★ ★★ ★★ 202 Fairview New Homes ★★★★★✩✩★★ 603 ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 103 Haslam Homes ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩✩ 95 Jelson ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 71 Jones Homes ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★★ ★★★ ✩✩ ★★★ 232 Kier Residential ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★ ✩✩ ✩✩ ★ 105 Linden ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★★ 96 Lovell ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ 193 McCarthy & Stone ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 396 ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ 186 Morris Homes ✩✩✩✩★★★★ 113 North Country Homes1 ✩★★✩★★✩ 658 Persimmon Homes ★★ ✩✩ ✩✩ ★ ★★ ★★ ★ 601 Redrow Homes ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ 45 Rialto Homes ✩★★★★★★ 87 Shepherd Homes ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ★★ ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ 278 Stewart Milne ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★ ✩✩✩ ✩✩ 30 Swan Hill ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ 77 Tulloch Homes ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ✩✩ ✩✩ ✩ 68 Ward Homes ★★★ ✩✩✩ ✩✩✩ ★★★ ★★★ ✩✩✩ ★★★ 600 Homes ★★★★★★★★ 604 Wilcon Homes2 ★★★★★★★★

1 Now part of Country & Metropolitan Plc © This table is the copyright of . It must not be altered without the permission of Constructing Excellence. 2 Now Wilson Connolly part of