House and Son reviews

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Steve, Alex and the rest of the team were amazing at selling our house. They were able to get it on the market really quickly and found multiple potential buyers within the first few weeks of viewings. They were able to give expert advice so we made the right decision with which offer to go for and then they went above and beyond to ensure the sale went ahead. They worked tirelessly to help resolve an issue raised by solicitors during the sale process, which we couldn't have sorted without their experience, knowledge and involvement. We would recommend them to anyone looking to sale, especially those in leasehold properties. I've never before encountered such genuine and helpful estate agents. My grandparents also used them earlier this year and had the same experience. 10/10 would highly recommend.

Cameron · 20 March 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If I could zero rating I would after buying & selling 10 different properties in separate parts of the country I have never experienced such poor communication & service at the point of offer it’s obvious in their grand position they have completely forgotten the essence of customer service and the importance of making a life decision buying a family home means to people. After 2 viewings of a property listed for 450k and agonising over making a decision to proceed we submitted a formal offer Friday afternoon and were told we would hear back very shortly, Saturday arrives no phone call, no update, so we phone office and are told no one in sales is available only letting staff, message was left for the sales team advising we had made an offer the day before and obviously keen to find out what had happened, another few hours pass no phone call, we call again to be told sales staff now have our message but instead of calling us back have left office again, no comment, no update, when we ask will we get a call back today the dismissive rude lady said she didn’t know maybe we would end of day but not sure, so in our position with 5 week old baby excited about the house we were looking to buy are now left hanging while at the same time the vendor paying this agent is probably being treated much the same, I always take Google review ratings with a pinch of salt but I can see exactly why they only have a 3.2 rating, finally third time of trying Saturday we finally spoke to Steve in sales at 3.30pm when we increased our offer again, Monday morning arrives and we are asked if we want to raise our offer once again as the last one has not been accepted, at this point as we did on Friday we continued to ask what figure is the vendor looking for never once were we given any guidance. Finally after being the only formal offer on the table for 3 days and still negotiating in our mind we are told Monday afternoon by e-mail a new offer had suddenly been accepted without phoning or speaking to ourselves at any point explaining there was a new person interested and asking did we want to put one a final offer in, no help, no support at all completely shocking behaviour. Not the best or enjoyable having to write this but it’s the precise reason estate agents are regarded in such low esteem and this one certainly fits the stereotypeNegativeResponsiveness, Professionalism

TA · 24 August 2021

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

As a landlord I just wanted to thank all of the House & Son team for the professional and effective support that they have provided me over the last 7 years. I have found them to be particularly effective in resolving maintenance issues regarding my property in a timely manner and proactively liaising with the tenant regarding extensions of tenancy agreements. I just wanted to say a particular thank you to Alli Enticott who in one afternoon provided me with urgent information for my Tenancy Questionnaire which I required as part of my pending property sale. A big thank you. Patrick HealyPositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Patrick · 24 August 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

If I could zero rating I would after buying & selling 10 different properties in separate parts of the country I have never experienced such poor communication & service at the point of offer it’s obvious in their grand position they have completely forgotten the essence of customer service and the importance of making a life decision buying a family home means to people. After 2 viewings of a property listed for 450k and agonising over making a decision to proceed we submitted a formal offer Friday afternoon and were told we would hear back very shortly, Saturday arrives no phone call, no update, so we phone office and are told no one in sales is available only letting staff, message was left for the sales team advising we had made an offer the day before and obviously keen to find out what had happened, another few hours pass no phone call, we call again to be told sales staff now have our message but instead of calling us back have left office again, no comment, no update, when we ask will we get a call back today the dismissive rude lady said she didn’t know maybe we would end of day but not sure, so in our position with 5 week old baby excited about the house we were looking to buy are now left hanging while at the same time the vendor paying this agent is probably being treated much the same, I always take Google review ratings with a pinch of salt but I can see exactly why they only have a 3.2 rating, finally third time of trying Saturday we finally spoke to Steve in sales at 3.30pm when we increased our offer again, Monday morning arrives and we are asked if we want to raise our offer once again as the last one has not been accepted, at this point as we did on Friday we continued to ask what figure is the vendor looking for never once were we given any guidance. Finally after being the only formal offer on the table for 3 days and still negotiating in our mind we are told Monday afternoon by e-mail a new offer had suddenly been accepted without phoning or speaking to ourselves at any point explaining there was a new person interested and asking did we want to put one a final offer in, no help, no support at all completely shocking behaviour. Not the best or enjoyable having to write this but it’s the precise reason estate agents are regarded in such low esteem and this one certainly fits the stereotype

AC7 · 11 January 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I initially thought they we're a great letting agency considering some others in Bournemouth that are just sub par. I lived in one of their properties they managed for just under five years . In that time there was only ever one complaint towards me directly and that was just a misunderstanding thinking it was my flat that was playing loud music at night. The owner of the flat even reduced my rent when I was going to move out to find something cheaper. I was a good tenant. So when I after so many years of living in "my home" gave notice to move as I was moving to a new city, thought it would be a simple process. I was wrong. Since I moved out, they have puffed up charges against me to try to take my ENTIRE deposit (with outrageous charges of maintenance when they hire a third party to come and inspect the flat every 3 months so where did all of these massive charges come from?) Not only that. they quoted me a price as I needed to stay an extra two days before the movers came, and are now tripling it to where for two days amounts to over £200. Their check out manager Claire Leach, is exactly her last name...a LEECH. HOrrible woman with horrible customer service. She hides behind stating she is only doing her job but has zero explanations for the absurd charges on a £1200 deposit that they are trying to take the full amount of. She and the owner are claiming that I did not leave the flat the way it was given to me. That is a little hard when someone has lived there for half a decade and the cheap paint they used to paint the walls to hide the original paint colour can be wiped off with a soft sponge and water. I do not recommend them (at least the one in christchurch road) as they are actual thieves. They try to turn you into a horrible tenant (funny as i was a tenant for 5 years) and then refuse to help or give any definitive answers when trying to see how they are coming up with their numbers. UPDATE 20/11/20: It's been a year since it happened. I took these thieves to TDS refusing to accept their charges and was awarded all but under £500 back of my original deposit. Do not let them swindle you either, take them to TDS and make sure if you go with this agency to get paperwork of their regular inspections they tend to do and take pictures/videos of everything.

Arstian · 12 December 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I initially thought they we're a great letting agency considering some others in Bournemouth that are just sub par. I lived in one of their properties they managed for just under five years . In that time there was only ever one complaint towards me directly and that was just a misunderstanding thinking it was my flat that was playing loud music at night. The owner of the flat even reduced my rent when I was going to move out to find something cheaper. I was a good tenant. So when I after so many years of living in "my home" gave notice to move as I was moving to a new city, thought it would be a simple process. I was wrong. Since I moved out, they have puffed up charges against me to try to take my ENTIRE deposit (with outrageous charges of maintenance when they hire a third party to come and inspect the flat every 3 months so where did all of these massive charges come from?) Not only that. they quoted me a price as I needed to stay an extra two days before the movers came, and are now tripling it to where for two days amounts to over £200. Their check out manager Claire Leach, is exactly her last name...a LEECH. HOrrible woman with horrible customer service. She hides behind stating she is only doing her job but has zero explanations for the absurd charges on a £1200 deposit that they are trying to take the full amount of. She and the owner are claiming that I did not leave the flat the way it was given to me. That is a little hard when someone has lived there for half a decade and the cheap paint they used to paint the walls to hide the original paint colour can be wiped off with a soft sponge and water. I do not recommend them (at least the one in christchurch road) as they are actual thieves. They try to turn you into a horrible tenant (funny as i was a tenant for 5 years) and then refuse to help or give any definitive answers when trying to see how they are coming up with their numbers. UPDATE 20/11/20: It's been a year since it happened. I took these thieves to TDS refusing to accept their charges and was awarded all but under £500 back of my original deposit. Do not let them swindle you either, take them to TDS and make sure if you go with this agency to get paperwork of their regular inspections they tend to do and take pictures/videos of everything.

Arstian · 25 November 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Go somewhere else! My boyfriend and me have rent a flat with House and Son last September and we left the flat in May. In 8 months of tennancy we had a long list of problems. I will only mention the biggest. I want to start saying it has been clear to us that they don't have knowledge about their properties, they are not aware about how their properties work. First big problem, the heating hasn't worked for 4 months. It took so long to be fixed - we sent emails, called hundres of time, we went to the agency, we involved the landlord , then we decided to follow the complaint process and eventually in February they fixed it. Exactly, we spent the entire winter with the heating system out of service!! After the massive issue with the heating, we had the boiler, for the hot water, broken twice in one month. The washing machine didn't properly work (we could use only one program and it was at 40 degrees - everyone knows that not all the clothes can be washed at 40 degrees, for house and son it was more than enough). After 6 months when finally the landlord came aware about it, it has been replaced. The carpet has been left from the tenants before of us, so filfthy that we decided to buy a Dyson hoover as the hoover provided was a joke. Just to let you know, we always paid 900 pounds per month (bills excluded - the appartment was advertised as a luxury appartment...). I could list many others problems (regarding the shower, the mould..) which took ages for House and Son to fix, but now I want to mention the check out. I have read many misadventures about it on the reviews below and I can confirm that doing the check out with Claire is absolutely a nightmare. It has been a rip off! Be really really careful!! We had been charged for almost 500 pounds by Claire, then the landlord put down a little bit the amount - in the end, we paid 314 pounds. To give you an example, so you can avoid it happens to you too, we have been charged for the bath panel which was already broken when we entered. In the invetory, the panel is covered by a bath rough, so we couldn't proof it was already broken - such a dishonest way to work. Another example is about being charged for professional cleaning when the house was given to us with a disgusting kitchen sink condition which took half bottle of bleach to bring it to a decent condition. So basically with the check out we had to improve the quality of the flat. My boyfriend and I, before this experience, have rent many others places and we always received back the entire deposit and if a problem was raised to the agency, the service received was completely different. Unfortunately, the tenants comfort is not their priority and at support of this, I can say that Claire told me exactly these words during my visit at House and Son. I was shocked - this happened in January when the heating problem was still not fixed. After that talk, me and my boyfriend decided to open a complaint and we received a letter from the Director who took the distance from what Claire stated and we got the heating fixed. In conclusion, it has been a horrible experience, which caused a lot of stress, wasted time and bad feelings.

Chiara · 12 March 2020

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I needed a flat prior to me starting work with a weeks notice, and House and Sons were able to find me a spacious, affordable and nicely finished flat (Christchurch Road) AND get me moved in within the week. Even when I made mistakes in the referencing, they still prioritised my tenancy paperwork to get me settled in time to starting work. Nick Baker and Renata Skalik have been incredibly helpful in getting me comfortable in my new flat, and have been friendly and pleasant throughout the process. They provided and processed my paperwork very efficiently and have helped me with any issues that I encountered. I've not encountered the same issues with House and Sons that I faced during my student years, where correspondence was infrequent and my concerns were never taken seriously. It's a breath of fresh air to be dealing with estate agents who actually care.

Oliver · 12 March 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

No wonder they have 2.3 🤔 on their total rate, I would give zero if I could . very poor service and they have no commitments to their own word, I have called them several times and left a message regarding to the broken toilet only to be ignored, after having it fixed ,I have given there staff Ryan £230 receipt for the replaced toilet and he accepted it and two weeks later he rejected it as it has done without the landlord authorization, what would you expect me to do when you ignore my calls MR House and son ? Where do you want me to go when I want to use the toilet ? I would not recommend them to anyone and I will share my experience to everyone , there are many state agents better than them and rate higher as I would advise any tenant to look for the reviews before take a property from the state agency and avoid taking property from house and son estate agency

Bashar · 13 March 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

poor management company

poor management company. Does not take leaseholders' concerns seriously. Arncott Hall, for example, had terrible tenants rented out by House and Son. There are terrible noise issues at such places like Arncott Hall, and House and Son do nothing

David · 9 January 2026

★★★★★ 3/5

Trustpilot

Unable to deal with the unexpected, a bit too confident

They are fine to deal with the everyday life of a landlord/tenant. However, a new situation makes them panic and withdraw not only to what they already know (right or wrong), but also to become blind to any other views. My situation was unusual, and their mismanagement caused me to lose about 500£. I complained, and they chose only the parts that were suitable to their version of reality. They are not members of the Property Ombudsman, and the company that regulates them is substandard professional.

Maddy · 27 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

House & Son undertook valuation and negotiation in order for me to extend the lease on an existing property and I found them to be very professional. In particular, Annie was clearly very knowledgeable in this area and was able to provide excellent advice and clear options for me. I was very happy with the outcome and the whole process was completed much quicker than I had anticipated. Would happily recommend to anyone.

Simon · 24 June 2020

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

House & Son Lettings have been looking after a property of ours,the Condition is as good as new when we bought it 12yrs ago,I know this is due to them doing Inspections throughout the year,always letting us know of any unforeseen problem & arranging for it to be sorted out,House & Son go beyond the call of duty for the landlord also the tenants, Staff cannot do enough for us. Highly recommend as a letting Agent.

Peter · 25 June 2018

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Everything was easy and quick from viewing to moving in and now moving out . No major issues happened but they were quick to deal with any complaint or if anything needed fixing. Everyone was friendly and nice. Nick was great to deal with. The property is well managed and taken care of. I would recommend them.PositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism

Perla · 24 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I bought my first property through House & Son. I dealt with Steve, Simon and Alex from the Lansdowne sales team, who were very friendly, helpful and approachable. …

Lindsay · 22 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Great service from beginning to end with Sharon and her team. Professional documents at every stage including an important letter appraising the house, produced and delivered on the same day that Sharon came to see it. Excellent communication throughout the process. Quickly found several buyers who offered on the house through diligence and use of all marketing methods. Would recommend to anyone selling in the Bournemouth area.

Jennifer · 12 March 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

We went through a viewing and into the office to sign up for the property and yet only on the day we moved in were we made to sign a form that included an “exit fee” despite it being past 1st June when the new law had come into place. We still weren’t told about it in person but had no choice but to sign otherwise we couldn’t move in. However at the end of the tenancy, despite us having forms and emails mentioning it, they denied this exit fee and removed it only after a negative review was left and citizens advice were contacted. On checkout they tried to take an excessive amount out of our deposit despite us having left the flat spotless. Once we disputed this they then tried to add new charges for something that was already damaged when we moved in and it said it on the inventory that it was damaged, then stalled us getting our deposit back by saying they were waiting for a new quote. We did manage to get the money back a bit more fairly in the end but feel that so much time was wasted and stress caused when it could have been fair in the first place. Definitely dispute as much as possible, it felt like random figures were being thrown around just to try and get what they could from us. Worst experience I’ve had trying to get a deposit back. Avoid.

Jess · 14 August 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Terrible service and communication. Booked a property viewing and the estate agent never showed up. No cancellation, no phone call, nothing. I was left waiting outside the property with no update. Completely unprofessional and a waste of time. Would not recommend based on this experience.

Mini · 3 August 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

House and son Bournemouth branch are Very unhelpful and Untrustworthy. I've dealt with house and son for about a year now and they don't give proper warning when they change or about to take belongings they just do it. Never find them open on time but tented to find them closeed 1 hour or half hour before they are ment to shut. I would suggest not going with house and son. House and son are lazy and unproductive don't seem to go out of thier way to sort communal areas or intercom systems. Been waiting for our intercom system to be sorted for 7 to 8 months now and still a on going problem. I Would of thought they send someone going round to each estagensts or flats to check for themselves.

Mel'Tankjr' · 12 March 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Excuse after excuse for not doing repairs and maintenance in the property. Very high fees and try to blame the tenant for poor decor when in fact the poor decor was stated on inventory! Beware! Currently in an email war trying to get repairs and maintenance carried out. Council are now involved as House and Son think its acceptable to leave tenants without hot water/ heating for 5 days and a blocked sink for 2 weeks. Update! So tenants are now going through an horrendous time trying to get all their deposit back. Someone else has mentioned a certain persons name in their review and we are dealing with the same person. She is rude and unprofessional and thinks she can use scare tactics by threatening to take the matter to the TDS. Well, we have started the dispute with TDS ourselves and are waiting for the verdict. Will update once verdict is received but until then, BEWARE, especially if you are a student!

Louise · 13 March 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Easiest flat purchase I've ever made. Friendly, informative, priceless knowledge of the local market. Nick is a great choice for local investment opportunities and I'm looking forward to using these agents again.

Paul · 13 March 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Dealing with House and Son after dealing with larger national estate agent chains was like a "breath of fresh air". I had been trying to sell a property in the Eastcliff, Bournemouth with minimal success. Having changed decor/ price the only thing left to do was to change the Estate Agent. I did this and I could not be more delighted. From the moment I met the team I knew that working with House and Son would be a pleasure and most importantly achieve the objective I was after - selling a property for a fair price in a difficult market. Their knowledge/ experience and dedication to me and my buyer were second to none. I would thoroughly recommend you engage House and Son to represent you in the Sale of a Property (and indeed i think if you are a buyer you would appreciate their knowledge and experience as well.)

Camilla · 13 March 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I have brought 4 properties this year through House & Son and received a fantastic service from the following support team there (Jane, Gemma, Steve and Nick). All of whom have been very knowledgeable, pleasant and responsive to all my inquiries on many matters such as costs, legals, ROI, location and investments. Throughout purchasing these and other properties I have realised just how good this team are when I compare on other estate agents that I have purchased properties over the years. A solid professional team throughout the purchasing life cycle. Well done. I will not hesitate in returning back shortly for more purchases & assistance.

X · 25 August 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Dishonest Agency

I used this agency to rent a flat. But when it came to returning my deposit House and Son Lettings attempted to keep as much of it as they could by charging me for things that were wrong with the flat before I moved in!! I looked at Google reviews and could see in the one stars that other people have had this same horrible experience! Unfairly keeping a big part of a tenant's deposit is totally dishonest! I would advise not to use this untrustworthy agency for renting a flat.

UK · 16 December 2023