Peabody New Homes Braintree reviews

★★★★★ 4/5

Trustpilot

Our experience with the purchasing process…

Our experience with the scaling process was overall positive, although it did become stressful at times due to unexpected delays. Throughout the entire journey, Ilona stood out for her professionalism, clarity, and reliability. She consistently provided all relevant information well in advance, helping us stay prepared even when timelines shifted.

MK · 11 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

We have recently moved in to our new…

We have recently moved in to our new flat at the folium. From the onset, the team at Catalyst was supportive and informative, initially by Ellis and Emmanuel, and later by Stefan.We are particularly grateful for their kindness and professional transparency. It made a big difference at the beginning of the process where we had so many questions. And it was greatly appreciated at the handover stage where it could have been a very stressful experience if it wasn't for Stefan and the sales team.

Carlos · 16 September 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Have recently got keys to our home at…

Have recently got keys to our home at the folium, My experience here is more of the experience with the buying process and not the living experience as we are yet to move in.Stefan has been a fantastic friend. I don't even consider him as " marketing person " now. Especially for us as first time buyers, Stefan made sure he was handholding us all the way and even now when we're about to move in. He's watching how things are with us. All in all Stefan's help along the way has been priceless. HIs transparency in communications and explanation about the process was very helpful to us and always answered all of our questions patiently

Mahendra · 11 September 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Thank you!

I bought a flat through Catalyst (The Switch). From day one, Katie was brilliant. As a first time buyer, I had so many questions and she was helpful and quick to answer - no question was too small or silly. I encountered some frustration with Catalyst's recommended solicitors but this is in no way Catalyst's fault and Katie was always supportive in keeping me informed and doing her best to get contracts exchanged and the purchase completed. I've now moved in to a beautiful home and I'm so grateful for her help.

Charlotte · 10 September 2022

★★★★★ 3/5

Trustpilot

I have lived in my property for 11…

I have lived in my property for 11 years and the past few years Peabody have taken charge. Since the end of last year I have been trying to sell the property, however I was never given the updated lease when my ex husband left the home, of which I need to start the selling process. Over the past 3 months I have spoken to numerous people at Peabody who have given completely different answers from the solicitor should of given it to me or yes we can send it but you have to pay, to simply telling me they have opened a case and then closed it with nothing being done.

Jennifer · 23 March 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Thank you Rachel!

I am very delighted with the service from Rachel and Katie in the sales team. They advised and supported me every step, making the process smooth and pleasant. There was a bit of delay in the exchange of contracts due to paperwork, but Rachel truly went the extra mile and kept following up to expedite the sale. Many thanks to her, I was able to move in on time. I could not recommend enough using Rachel and Katie as partners to work with in a future property purchase.

Merve · 25 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

We have been waiting for ages for the…

We have been waiting for ages for the completion of this project and to finally move to our new home. I have to say that it was worth it. I was satisfied with the communications I had with the sales team, very efficient and available to help any time of the day, they also were really caring when we moved and asked if we needed any help. Stefan was the star of the show as he gave us our keys, always very helpful and tries to find a solution for any issues we have raised with him.

Layla · 20 August 2022

★★★★★ 4/5

Trustpilot

Excellent service from Emerson and Tracey

We are delighted with the service from Emerson and Tracey in the sales team. They are very proactive at answering the questions, and we had a lot of questions since we are first-time buyers. There was a bit of delay in the exchange of contracts due to a document not being sent on time from the Peabody head office. Emerson kept following up to try to expedite our sale. I could not recommend enough using Emerson and Tracey as partners to work with in a future property purchase.

Lorraine · 16 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Stefan has been an excellent…

Stefan has been an excellent representative for Catalyst. He is calm in the face of the stress of buying a new home and is reassuring as possible. He will not lead you on with false promises, and instead tried to realistically manage your expectations which is a better approach in the long run. He will fight on your behalf when you have problems and will do his best to work with your personal circumstances. The aftercare is a bit of a black hole though - you cannot talk with the aftercare team directly and instead need to either hassle customer services or your sales rep - neither of whom can do anything to help other than forward your query on.

James · 10 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

This is my review after 1 year and half since my purchase

So this is my review after a year and half , there are few things I'd like to draw your attention to : 1- As soon as you purchase any proerty , catalyst housing will be your property manager and these reviews are no longer related as they are only their sales review. the actual reviews by residents can be found at different trust pilot link called "Catalyst Housing Limited" . Please search the phrase "Catalyst Housing Limited" and you will see the actual reviews of residents. (links are not allowed in trust pilot so I had to remove it) 2- My own experience , I was told that proeprty has 1 year warranty so I hired property snagging specialists and sent the report a month before one year warranty ends and I got ignored. There are few issues that I can definitely fix it by myself but remember they dont fix anything after key exchange. 3- I had one visitor from Catalyst called Simon who was rude and impolit. He and his team also did few damages like stripping screws on the balcony floors (where I reported a possible subsidence (the frame was slightly bend) and I wasnt able to show them to others . I assume there were some cracks under the wooden floor they didnt want me to see. 4- still dealing with blood test as one of their workers (during the covid lock down) came with injured hand and his blood was all over the door. Im afraid I wasnt aware of that and unintentionally touched that. Still doing exams on blood transmitable deases . I raised this to Catalyst but I got ignored and during lockdown they said go to your GP! seems to me that catalyst does not care about customer's health and saftey. 5- there are fundemental design issues and typical low quality buit everywhere. like house was advertised with gas smart meter but gas meters must be within 15 meters of electricty meter . they didnt care. so there is smart meter but it doenst work. or doors are all hiting to the floor as they are installed incorrectly (and cannot be fixed) . flooring issues and others ones are so common that even sales says they dont fix it. 6- when I got the property , the developer forgot to do internet cabling and it took me 9 months for openreach to instal infrastructure to be able to get internet. Electricity meter was registered to another flat and in7- didnt have electricty for 7 days at the begining and I truested them and signed off the key exchange (I think her name was fatima) and took over the flat with no electricty. Also I still dont know where safty switches are or where I can cut off water as she didnt explain it to me. I asked them multiple times and they ignored. and believe me , when I say they ignore , they really do , I even sent an email to their CEO and nothing happens. so this is intentional and mandated by their magement. However I have to give them the credit for their floor plans are good and you wont find more practical and well designed flats anywhere else but , there is a big but. The construction is done by a company called Higgins partnership (which I recommend to avoid at all cost) . My advice to other new home buyers is to 1- check the property management service reviews and not just the sales review. (The link is above) 2- check who is the actual builder. my experience recommends to avoid buying from any development built by Higgins . 3- Have the property check by specialist before the key exchange . thats the only time you can get things done and never trust what sales promises . They disappear right after the key exchange.4- never rely or trust on things like warranty by NHBC. 5- check the area very carefully. mine is next to hostpial and NHS employees cannot smoke in hospital so all come to residential area and smoke (sometime drink too for team gathering etc ) But on this matter Catalyst has been very helpful to put no smoking signs and to some extend it has resolved the issue . 6- do not use conveyancer that developer recommends. I did listen and used New Homes Law and I think still my property has not been registered. they are rude , arrogance and unforteuaternly the do not have the required skills at all. so research and find your conveyancer . Developers usually recommend the ones who pays them . Many thanks,Mehdi P.S : soon you will be seeing a reply from catalyst that they are very sorry and will escalate the issue. I have done it before (three times ) , nothing happens so dont blielve that. you can see my previous reviews too :)Update the reply below : I'm not in contact regarding those issues above !!! Don't lie please .last time I sent an email couple of month ago to the CEO and hasn't received any response!!Update 2: so you said you have been advised that I'm in touch with catalyst, and then ask me for my contact? You know those two are contradictory to each other ! So if the issues are being worked you have my contact right ? I have tried this before and testing something tested is wrong

Mehdi · 6 August 2022

★★★★★ 2/5

Trustpilot

Very poor communication

I am currently buying a property from Catalyst. The communication about the property has been extremely poor, with emails and telephone calls ignored. I exchanged contracts in March of this year and the move in date has been moved three times now, and is currently January/ February next year, approximately 9 months after the original proposed move in date which was April of this year. There have been no contractors on the site for the last couple of months with no proper explanation as to why construction has stopped, despite the company already having my money for the deposit. There has been at best irregular communication throughout the whole process so far. Very poor customer service, makes me wonder what the property will be like when finished and how easy it will be to get things repaired / snagging done once we are in - does not fill me with confidence or hope.

Fi · 2 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Personal and caring Sevice

We had a very caring and professional experience with the catalyst sales team. They did everything they could to push the completion and have kept us well informed through out the process. Special shout out to Stefan who was there from the day We put thd holding fee down right to a year later standing there with a bottle of bubbles and our keys ! It’s been a long journey with bumps and nerves but we got there and over the moon. I have already highly recommended catalyst to many others struggling to buy in the area of london they call home. It’s a great system

Kate · 31 July 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

A+ for Laura and Charli at Newman Place

I have just reserved a property at Newman Place and would like to mention that Laura Shellard and Charli Parsons have been absolutely fantastic to deal with. Special thanks to Laura for accommodating me for several viewings over the past months whilst taking ages to make up my mind! Communication and efficiency have been A+, all my questions immediately addressed, and they are in their own league in the market dealing with customers. Thank you for being genuine, and for caring about my journey. Looking forward to the next steps in the process.

Foulkes · 27 July 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Fantastic engagement with everyone involved

Emerson and Brogan were fantastic at all stages through the process. Brogan was extremely helpful in my initial inquiries, giving me all the information I was asking for. When she wasn't able to answer immediately, she was always able to find the answer. Emerson was friendly and personable, and always accommodating. Emerson was truly helping me purchase a home, and not simply selling me a floor plan. He was able to help negotiate the final details and ultimately led to a purchase.The great experience has extended to the 'new home' team as as well, where both Nike and Ema have extremely helpful in smoothing over the little snags and sorting out any problems that inevitably happen when you move in.

Matt · 24 July 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Emerson was a joy to work with

Emerson was a joy to work with. He showed great personal care in helping us choose a flat that would work for our needs, and followed up with diligence throughout the acquisition. We never felt pressured nor a disturbance to him despite the many questions we asked. He helped us feel secure about our decision. After the sale, Emerson continues to assist us with our questions and concerns, ensuring that we are happy with our flat. We are truly grateful for his service. Great thanks to Steven too!

Io · 24 July 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

We would not have a home, if not for Ilona, Peabody!

We have just moved into 'The Crosse', SE1.The journey to get here has been difficult, to say the least. The one shining guiding star that's been constant throughout was Ilona, our sales manager from Peabody. We would not have a home without her!Peabody (and other SO housing associations) are designed to make the process pain-free for people with alternate income streams, credit road bumps, or where age, health, and life choices are not mainstream/conventional. Peabody understands we are all unique and on different journeys so are able to accommodate us as best as they can. Here, Ilona is a superstar - she was patient, firm, professional, friendly and always there to cheer us on as we went from one broker to another trying to get a mortgage.Finally, after months of patience, encouragement, and a few last-minute delays (unexpected), we got the keys and moved in. The feeling of entering your new home is indescribable, and Peabody was there every step of the way willing to make this happen for us. Note: There is a difference between 'affordable' homes and 'making homes affordable'. This is the latter - the prices are similar to private ownership and rent is sort of subsidised (but not really by much). To make this scheme fly, the homes ought really to be discounted and rent counted towards mortgage repayments. But hey ho, perhaps a review of these schemes by some impartial commission would arrive at the same/similar conclusion? Peabody if you are listening I am happy to spend time evangelising your services (at trade shows, for free!) or come have a chat to help you iron out all the wrinkles and make the scheme even more brilliant. Also, I can help you negotiate head leases with the developer to get a better deal for SO tenants! Ask me how :)

Harvey · 15 July 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Supportive sales team throughout our shared ownership journey

I would like to say a big thank you to the Peabody New Homes sales team, especially Rosie, Ilona and Tasnia. They have been consistently helpful, supportive, and responsive throughout our shared ownership purchase.

Hansol · 20 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Big thank you to Tegan - Superb customer service

I had a few queries with the Peabody Team and eventually managed to speak with Tegan. Wow! an outstanding customer service. Tegan was so helpful and attentive and managed to find the answers to all my questions. She was respectful, understanding, kind and exceptionally professional and helpful. I am very grateful to Tegan and her tenacity to find all the right answers in one call. Many thanks.

Behnam · 23 August 2023

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Newman Place, Oxfordshire.

I have applied for a shared ownership flat in a Catalyst property and I hope to be moving in soon. Laura and Charli (both sales executives at Newman Place) have been great throughout the process. They are both very helpful and patient - their assistance has helped for the process to be smooth and their gave me good advice. So far my experience with Catalyst and Hopefield Grange is excellent. The flat looks great and I can't wait to move in. I would recommend them. Thanks

Alex · 26 May 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Thank you Emerson!

We were very fortunate to have Emerson Souza assist us when buying our home at Maiden Court. Emerson is extremely professional, dedicate, attentive and helpful; he always answered all our questions very clearly and quickly, providing advice and making the process very smooth. All of this always with patience and a smile. Emerson made a difference and without him I am sure we wouldn't have bought our flat. 5 stars are definitely not enough for him.

Pedro · 5 November 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

We’ve had a great experience with this…

We’ve had a great experience with this company purchasing our first home with them! Thanks to Charli who was our point of contact throughout the process. She’s kept us highly informed and up to date over the months and always happy to answer any questions - quickly and efficiently! We look forward to getting our keys tomorrow!!

Natasha · 27 March 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Right first time wit Peabody 😁

First company actually on my way that knew what they talking about before Peabody we were dealing with 2-3 different companies and confusion they were bringing to our home search was unbearable

Tomasz · 2 July 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Charli & Laura a big thank you 🙏🏽 for…

Charli & Laura a big thank you 🙏🏽 for everything you’ve done from initial enquiries to after sales. Both the sales reps in my opinion have gone that extra step to make sure the whole process went smoothly. I’m coming up to my first month in my new flat and apart from a few snags I couldn’t be happier. And personally I think I’ve got one of the best views on this development, thank you Laura. Mel

Mel · 30 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Stay away from Catalyst.

I purchased a Shared Ownership property in August 2020. Upon completion and handover I faced many problems including a new build home being covered in dust (no clean) - blocked bathroom sink, cosmetic damage including scratches to floorboards and wardrobe mirror in master bedroom, incorrect fitted pendant lights, spotlights popping out sporadically, leaking kitchen sink as part was fitted incorrectly and heating working sporadically, some of these issues have been rectified, whilst some are still ongoing - but the most recent and severe issue was a leak in the bathroom, the bathroom was flooded and caused damage to tiling, skirting board and the floors under the tiling - I called Catalyst, who said they would not send a plumber as although I have lived in the property for under 2 years the warranty expired in July 2021. I was advised they would provide a water drop so that I would be able to flush the toilet, drink and cook. This was later refused by the duty manager, I submitted a complaint on the website on 01/01/2022 as per the Catalyst procedure and never heard back from Catalyst apart from to say the complaint would be dealt with by someone called Nida, who in turn never contacted me once. I have called and left several messages since my original complaint on 01/01/2022 and have never heard back even though I had requested the complaint be escalated to a a manager.I have had to face cost of repairs myself and was left without water for 3 days - a huge water bill I have had to pay for myself (as the leak was initially reported in September 2021 with the major leak/flooding happening on 01/01/2022). The customer experience with Catalyst is extremely poor and I would recommend avoiding purchasing a property through Catalyst at all costs.

Nisha · 24 March 2022