1/5
TrustpilotUnreliable completion timelines and poor communication regarding build progress
I am writing to share our recent experience with Bovis Homes regarding our property purchase.
Trusted Agent profile · Cambridgeshire
Bovis Homes East Midlands Cambridgeshire reviews
★★★★★
488 reviews across 2 platforms
Off Field End, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2GE
Bovis Homes East Midlands's office in Cambridgeshire, at Off Field End, is rated 2.2 out of 5 across 488 reviews on two platforms, including 8 Google reviews rated 4.1.
Reviews
Every review we hold for the Cambridgeshire office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
Trustpilot5/5
TrustpilotGreat experience so far
Our experiences with Bovis so far have been great (and happily nothing like in a lot of these reviews!). We bought off-plan in 2020 and were pleasantly surprised with how painless the process was. Sales reps were friendly, communication was good, and the paperwork was all completed in a timely manner. We were encouraged to look around the property as it was being built and all our questions were answered. We were also offered a great service in terms of choosing options for the kitchen/bathrooms etc.After we moved in we were encouraged to report any snags (and we paid for an independent snagging survey ourselves to make sure we didn’t miss anything). There were a few minor problems such as a hole in the wall behind a radiator, doors not closing properly etc. Which were all dealt with promptly when flagged. We had a major issue with a leaking boiler, but when we spoke to the office someone came to look on the same day.We were a little hesitant to buy at first after reading about all the horror stories, but can honestly say that we’ve had a great experience with Bovis almost a year down the line. All the sales reps we’ve come into contact with have been friendly and helpful and any problems have been dealt with to our satisfaction. We also absolutely love our new home and are really happy with it so far.
1/5
TrustpilotAppalling PreSales Service
A recent experience in East Hanney, Oxfordshire on their Silk Mill development confirms what the majority of reviews suggest on here. Their arrogance to the point of being rude was clearly demonstrated by two of their sales team, Mark & Paula who are clearly in the wrong job! They really couldn’t be bothered to leave their Shrivenham located office to attend a viewing and even when one of them did she was about as helpful as a bucket full of holes! If that is the kind of pre sales service that one can obtain then what would the after sales be like? We have owned two Bovis Homes previously and are shocked at how this company has lost the plot! Customer service is non existent and even their Sales Manager George has no idea of what is really happening! Best avoid Bovis alias Vistry altogether!PS the day that we attended the Police were there investigating a Burglary! If you are thinking of buying here or Bovis anywhere then think again!
1/5
TrustpilotWorst company I have ever dealt with
Worst company I have ever dealt with. Were keen to charge me reservation fee and a week later called to say transaction needs to be completed within 6 weeks. That was impossible given I was in a chain and due to stamp duty holiday, banks were overworked. And even before the 6 weeks were over, they decided to cancel the booking without any notice. It cost me £450 in evaluation fee and 6 months in, I am still waiting for my reservation fee refund. Keep telling me it will be refunded on the day when I call.
4/5
TrustpilotNew Bovis Home
We got our new home in October and have been very happy with the service received from Bovis, especially Ozi looking after us on site. As with all new homes there have been a few teething troubles but that is to be expected and they have be rectified swiftly with us being kept informed of progress. We are loving the house and the area and looking forward to the weather improving to get out in the garden... not sure Bovis can bring the sunshine but sure they'd try....
1/5
TrustpilotAWFULLY POOR QUALITY HOMES
Decided to rent a Bovis new build ex showhome.All I can say is... thank god I didn’t buy one!!The build quality of this place is beyond awful.I’ve lived in flats, terraced houses, multi occupant houses and all kinds of places throughout my life. I’m well travelled and have slept in tents in the middle of the jungle... so I’m far from being the precious, fussy kind!However... living in this house that I pay £1600pcm for is one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. Firstly, I might as well live with the neighbours because I can hear their toilet habits, every footstep, every conversation, the dog barking... you name it. The cheap floors are shared across multiple houses so simple footsteps end up sounded like all day long drum and bass sessions. There is next to NO sound insulation and joists are shared too.I have no objection to hearing neighbours occasionally but this is RIDICULOUS... On top of that, the boiler and shower systems are the cheapest they could find. Having a hot bath or a decent shower is almost impossible. Everything breaks or doesn’t work including gas hobs, electrical wiring, doors, locks. It’s just cheap, flimsy crap with zero love or attention to detail involved in anything.And these con artists have the audacity to charge £400k plus for this little box with walls made from plaster of Paris. The UK housing market is absolutely destroyed and is playing a big part in destroying our country. Companies like Bovis are simply profiting from the desperation for housing and building soulless, poor quality piles of trash that will negatively effect the wellbeing of the occupant... because... well... they can get away with it!We’re not spending a few quid on second hand TV meant to last a few years... this is usually the biggest life investment someone will make and saps the majority of their life’s hard earned money whether buying or renting.When will the government step in on this?Enough is enough.
1/5
TrustpilotBovis and Plumbing - or lack of!!!
I recently purchased a Bovis house which was built around 2002. Just one elderly couple that had lived here before me. The boiler was the original so I had it replaced as it wasn't working well. That was the beginning of everything going horribly wrong. Pipe connectors started popping and leaks appearing everywhere. My plumber was shocked at the bad workmanship and how cheap, inadequate connectors had been used. I only moved in two months ago and already he has had to replace around 6, each one creating nasty leaks leaving stains all over ceilings, walls etc. The worst scenario was last night when what I thought was dreadful rain outside turned out to be flood water pouring through the ceiling in the living room and cloakroom. Dashed down to find myself in 2ins of water in the hallway, kitchen and sodden carpet in the living room. Yet again another connector had burst!! As a recently widowed lady in her 60s this has not been a good start to my new home! I am terrified of going to bed, or coming in if I've been out in case there is another leak. Speaking to some of the neighbours here, it seems that they have had similar scenarios over the last 18 years. One gentleman and his wife had only been living here for two weeks after it was built and Bovis had to put them up in a hotel due to burst pipes in their new house!! This is completely and utterly disgraceful and I fail to see how a company like this is allowed to get away with such shocking and disgusting treatment of the general public for whom they are very grateful for all the money they take off them!!! Surely this should not be allowed to continue?? All the reviews I have read on here, the majority of them seem to feel the same way that I do. Time they should be made accountable!!! Doesn't matter what the age of the property is, if they were built properly there shouldn't be these awful problems. Also saying these disgusting problems aren't just to their new builds - buyers beware!!
5/5
TrustpilotMy boiler broke over the weekend due to…
My boiler broke over the weekend due to a small leak which left our house frozen during a snow and ice filled weekend of weather, this was coupled with being left without hot water. After being recently given the sad news of a very unexpected and life limiting medical diagnosis, the last thing I needed was a broken boiler in a 3 month old property. However the team on duty on the Bovis emergency call centre were absolutely fantastic. The supervisor Rosie was amazing and went above and beyond to help me and my family get some help. She literally called construction directors to get things resolved after the o call plumber from a third party company couldn’t fix the problem due to the manufacturer warranty. Rosie helped out so much. The third party company Barkwell Plumbing, Oakhampton also need a mention as they were brilliant! Their engineer (Mason) provided his own electrical heaters to cover until the weekend was over. Mean while their guy in the office on duty (Josh) was on the case and made sure the job was immediately passed over to the manufacturer (on a Saturday during lockdown!!!) and BAXI immediately started a follow up. BAXI’s customer services were BRILLIANT and instantly tasked an absolutely amazing engineer who provided a friendly, on time and professional service.This combined service of Bovis Homes, Barkwell and BAXI has re-installed my faith that there are genuine people and companies out there who will go above and beyond to help. Thank you all.
1/5
TrustpilotRefused as a buyer with no explanation and no right of reply
Refused as a buyer with no explanation and no right of reply.
5/5
TrustpilotFantastic Experience
Our experience with Bovis has been nothing but positive from start to finish. Having moved from another new build property the difference in build quality and customer service really is night and day! Since completing the on site staff have been excellent, snags were checked within a week and resolved quickly, help is always on hand and builders are very friendly, always saying hi, have smiles on their faces and take a genuine interest in our lives. I wanted to say a special thanks to Scott the deputy general manager at Honeyvale Gardens. Every member of staff we experienced along the way has been fantastic, but Scott really goes above and beyond, he could not do enough for us and has turned our experience from a good one to great one. He is a huge credit to Bovis.I would absolutely recommend Bovis to anybody looking for a new house. We are over the moon with ours and the service we received along the way.
5/5
TrustpilotAMAZING experience at the Willowdene development in Bristol
I am shocked at the amount of bad reviews on here because our experience with Bovis has been nothing short of perfect from start to finish. Since completing, the customer care we have received has been 10/10. The site managers are always knocking on the door to check we’re ok and settled and Chris, the assistant site manager for our site, made sure we were booked in for a snag walk around straight away so that we can highlight anything we’ve noticed since living here. Snags we have noticed so far have been extremely minimal and the overall finish of the property is to an extremely high standard. Our site is the one on Charlton Hayes, Bristol in the willowdene part of the development and I can honestly hand on heart recommend a bovis home here to anyone who wants to buy top quality new build, with excellent aftercare and customer service throughout. Our completion day was excellent, smooth as anything and that’s all thanks to the site team here (Big shout out to Colin, Martin, Carole, Chris & Ash!) People are always so quick to come to sites like trust pilot and write bad reviews but I wanted to come here to give an honest account of how amazing our experience with Bovis has been. We are THRILLED with our new home and cannot thank them enough. :)
1/5
TrustpilotBovis and their lack of honour
At the estate where we bought our house, which is a Bovis homes site, house designs are lovely and the size of estate is lovely and the village is perfect.It is such a shame that all the promises of good aftercare service and completion of a country park that completes the estate, are all lies. They employ contract companies who have no supervision and snags and shoddy work takes ages to have corrected.The country park should have been completed when 70% occupation of houses was achieved. Occupation is at 98% and has been so for over a year, and the slowness of work and the terrible quality of the work is so below the required standard. The land has been left unfinished and was behind schedule due to the incompetence of Bovis, now after 6 weeks of rain the area is not safe and children have been getting stuck in the mud. Despite trying to contact the Director in charge several times to bring the health and safety issues to their attention, no response has been received back by our committee secretary. The residents of our estate are so angry that Bovis are reneging on the contractual sale promises.They had a bad reputation a number of years ago and like so many people we thought they had improved their customer service and quality of work but no this not the case. So many complaints have been made by all residents about how disappointed the standards are in the finished product, but Bovis just treat everything with contempt.
1/5
TrustpilotWould of left a minus score if I could
Would of left a minus score if I could, Company is a massive joke!!!! Rush the sale and get you in then, take the absolute mick!! 5 attempts at squeaking floorboards and still not done. Wonky floor tiles to the point a sort won’t open. Owen from vistry southeast’s answer was cut the bottom of the door off. But all our doors have had the bottoms cut out with a bread knife by the looks of it. The quality of the build and repair work would only just pass a gcse exam!!! Been in a year now and still no where forward. Insulation balls came out all over the place and never been redone. Fuming with this absolute shower of a company!! Save your money and avoid!!!!
5/5
TrustpilotAmazing homes
We’ve been in our new “Aspen” home now for almost three months and are completely in love with it. There were a few hiccups from the Bovis sales team but these were minor when you consider they were trying to work during an unprecedented global pandemic. The site manager at Cam is outstanding and watching other houses being built around us with care and consideration is great. Buying our Bovis home is one of the best decisions we have ever made. We have only had 4 snags, all minor and all dealt with promptly and professionally.
1/5
TrustpilotDon't buy from Bovis Homes (Vistry) - Cowboy Builders
Absolutely horrific first experience of purchasing a new build property. Site director, clearly had no respect for me as the home buyer as totally dismissed my list of snags, made appointments for contractors to come and I took time off work and no one showed up. He took calls in my house and was shouting and swearing. Lots of snags and 9 months on still have most unresolved. Correction of one issue resulted in others e.g. relaying turf lead to driveway being wrecked by tractor and skip so now needs relayed. Lawn was flooded continuously and died off, pulled away from walls, and whole garden sank along sides. Was unusable. Garden drainage installed after much debate. Turf then redone. Landscaper was given soil dug out from other building areas that was filled with debris and weeds to break down and use as topsoil. He said it was ridiculous but had no other choice as that was what Bovis provided. Now 7 weeks on after watering lawn carefully daily and not walking on it, turf is dying in patches, hasn't knitted together and is spongy and cannot be walked on at all on the left hand side of the garden. Director of customer care (there's an oxymoron when it comes to Bovis!) came to inspect lawn and said it looked as though we were taking care of it and he didn't understand why it was pulling away and spongy...until we asked how it would be rectified. Then it was fine. When showed photos of the skip of soil used as topsoil, he said we could easily be lying about that and he had no proof that the soil used in photos was used in garden. Then our garage floods regularly, properly floods. This is because ground level is above damp course and air bricks are covered too. Apparently as "garages are not meant for storing anything but a car (despitethem giving me a BBQ as an "incentiv" that has to be stored in the garage as turf so bad and surely electricity they have in a flooded garage is a safety risk?), i should get a shed". I asked if he in all honesty would be happy with this and he said "i would have known what to expect from this property as i would have known the building regulations". He then basically told me to call NHBC but that they would agree with him and i was wasting their time. Aggressive, rude, intimidating and unprofessional. Bovis Homes are awful once you complete the purchase. I expected common decency and quality from them but instead, I have had to argue, chase and put up with insults from these people who told me that they were building this estate to a "high standard" and that they "take pride" in their properties. What a joke. Would rather walk over hot coals than ever buy from bovis Homes again. I feel cheated out of the £500k and feel that they cannot be allowed to keep making buyers' lives so miserable.
1/5
TrustpilotDon't bother if you are a first time buyer
I am a first time buyer , I have been saving for so long to get a property with the Help to Buy scheme. While Bovis homes advertise the properties for first time buyers , they put their properties on the market way before any Help to Buy buyer can ever apply to use the scheme (help to buy only allows you to apply 6 months before the legal completion date). That is if you are a first time buyer you need to wait until all the good properties are gone to people who can afford a 15% deposit then you will be lucky if a left over property is avialbe. Clear discrimination against help to buy buyers. It is sad and disappointing that I spent all of that time hoping to buy a flat and of no fault of mine I will not be able to just because I am not rich enough to compete with people with upfront payment. Bovis please stop pretending to support first time buyers , your treatment of them is disgraceful.
5/5
TrustpilotWe purchased our home with Bovis 4…
We purchased our home with Bovis 4 months ago, in Overstone at The Atrium, and had the opportunity to see the house throughout the entire construction process. We could visit whenever needed to check details and progress, and we were always accommodated professionally.
1/5
TrustpilotAnother bad review...
Just to add yet another poor score to what would seem a joke of a company, I feel the need to add our experience to save others. Two weeks ago we moved in to our new Bovis home & everyday we have had contractors in to fix a ‘problem’. Water coming through spot lights in kitchen from bathroom, leaking toilets, leaking boiler, issues with appliances, issues with hot water which has been discovered as faulty pipe work where a Plumber had installed the wrong type of pipes into the wrong connections of the boiler so hot was in the cold & visa versa. Honestly the list would take me a day to write. So, with all the comings & goings which has completely ruined our experience of moving in, let a lone put me at risk due to being shielded because of COVID 19. I finally broke down today in tears & let the arrogant man who calls himself an Area Build Manager get the better of me.Id like to say that everyone excluding him, has been polite, courteous, apologetic & understanding. The Site Manager has been incredibly helpful & is a credit to Bovis as are some of the contractors we have met. However the Area Build Manager would do a lot to learn some basic customer service skills, empathy being one. Not just fob us off with attitude behind it. He believes Bovis is on the up & the ‘bad’ reviews are history. Clearly he is either in denial or oblivious, maybe both! Majority of the residents on our estate have had issues & most still on going. Sadly for us we were naive to the whole new build process & our dream has become a nightmare. I feel worried about what other issues are yet to arise & have no trust or faith in that we have had them all.To be fobbed off & told its because the house hasn't been lived in yet is a cop out. The issues are not cracked walls or a switch that doesn't work, these are issues due to poor build work which were here from the start! We will NEVER buy from Bovis again or recommend them & will do major research into a developer before deciding if we could ever buy from new again. Clearly Bovis’s priority is not customer retention, its more of a one in one out kind of policy which in this climate cannot be sustainable. My advice to anyone buying Bovis is to throughly test & check everything before you move in. Visit as often as you can. Check water related items, fill the bath, check the showers & toilets all work without faults or leaks. Check lighting, doors open, windows open etc etc.Or just don't buy Bovis & go with a more reputable company who respects their customers who are spending a small fortune on their houses! We still have ongoing issues & when I look around what should have been our perfect home I see nothing but a nightmare.
1/5
Trustpilotclose them for good
This is an organisation we would all (except the fat cat Directors) benefit from closing for good. Their Regional Build Director in our area is one of the most arrogant people I have ever met - and the quality of workmanship is poor under his remit. Pooling driveways built on way too much sand, bendy gutters, awful design, scratched windows, poor build supervision, wrong heating valves, airbricks at wrong height, a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude to service - and that is just what you can see. Even more scary is what is hidden behind walls, refusal to share specifications and the huge use of uncontrolled sub-contractors. I have bought 5 new houses over the years and the most issues have certainly been had with a Bovis home, 3 times the price of any other. Trouble is, people still buy from them even though they admit they are awful.
5/5
TrustpilotBooking appointment
Bovis have been a great help already and we are yet to start the process of buying our new home. The sales lady we spoke with was honest and informative. We hope to be able to purchase our new home with Bovis.
1/5
TrustpilotBovis homes customer care let’s you…Down
Bovis homes customer care let’s you down. They say there are there to support and appreciate your frustrations on getting snagging completed but not sure what three support is, no follow up calls, reply to emails, respond to text, call. Director of building contact me any problems well I’ve contacted 3 times and no response! Site are responsible for first 7 days but when 4 months later you are still trying to get things sorted it’s hard work. Oh not our responsibility need contact customer care. No it’s site Portal is introduced so you can input problems and monitor outcome and site and customer care can see but things get signed off as complete when they’ve never even attempted to do soAnother good one is, ‘will get back to you ‘ Well never say which day/month be even year soon Also to add to my poor experience - I have a contractor overstepping the Mark ! Yet I do not receive any form of an apology Is that how Bovis do business Bovis need to look after there customers to ensure things are finished to customer satisfaction Appreciate there job is building houses but What about the buyers whom are on there homes how do you get things done I’m rather disappointed and disillusioned also
3/5
TrustpilotOn balance...not bad...but Bovis have a lot to answer for
So many negative reviews for a reason. Bovis Homes’ customer service, in my experience, is shocking. I bought a Bovis Home 2 years ago and am now out of my 2 year period where I can raise issues with Bovis. We are on the Estate in Selby, North Yorkshire.Overall, on balance, we are very happy with our home. We love it in fact. We would buy again...and we would buy from Bovis. I can’t speak for others, but our home appears to have been built well. When we moved in we got it independently snagged. There were hundreds of issues but my research prepared me for this. It’s not like a car made in a factory by robots and people using specific approaches. It’s a house built by many many people, some of which have good days and some who couldn’t give a monkeys! When you get a new build you have to be mentally prepared to deal with the service. There are pockets of good service. Directors at Bovis say the right things but rarely do the right thing...or if they do, it’s after many MANY months of chasing. It’s enough to boil your blood. But...and it’s a big BUT...if you take it in your stride, don’t give up and just get on with it, you can come out with a great home. Over the two years we had a couple of serious issues but they were sorted...after getting very serious with them and not taking no for an answer. You need to research your rights and do not be timid in shouting about them. We’ve had everything sorted and out house is still standing. And again we love our home. Our estate still needs finishing off. Bovis have packed up and gone but left the roads unfinished. The children’s park is an afterthought and not finished. I feel bad for the people who have to look at it every day. Bovis have a LONG way to go. However, I’ve rated them fairly. Yes there are some absolute muppets in top jobs but on the whole we have a great home. It’s a sorry state that we have to even put up with things like this. But that’s the state of new builds in Britain. I’ve friends who went to other house builders and suffered the same if not worse.
1/5
TrustpilotDecember is Bovis year end based on previous years the house will be rushed and of poor quality.
December is Bovis year end, this is when bovis complete most of their houses to achieve the numbers and profit for the stock exchange and share holders, more so than at any other time Bovis quality has in the past year's dropped in this period , as their only interest is getting the house to a point where it can be handed over what ever the issue that is left, this situation has been acknowledged by Bovis previously, which is easy to admit, but has ultimately left thousands of purchasers with years of upset and torment. I would advise that nobody accepts a house purchase at year end, it will be rushed and of poor quality based on all previous years, the sites will be muddy and with out street lighting, and of poor quality not the best result when you have committed your life to pay off the purchase. With the slow down of the housing market and the current uncertainty of the housing market, if you do not have to purchase now it may prove prudent to consider what may happen to house prices, from 2007 to 2009 the last down turn in the housing market, Bovis discounted their house prices by 45 percent, as a result individuals that had spent 400k on a house found their neighbours had paid a little over 200k for the same house less than 2 years later. The reviews that individuals have posted are correct and possibly some what reserved and indicate a small snap shot of the problems that trusting purchasers have been left by Bovis, Bovis will push hard for completions and promise that all aspects of the house will be completed in their entirety, which is not correct as purchasers have found to their detriment and once the house purchase has completed and Bovis staff have received their bonuses, bovis staff immediately go quiet when you raise any issues. For trusting year end purchasers you will find that your completion dates moved forwards to grab the money as soon as possible, therefore reducing the build quality as the house will be rushed, purchasers please be aware.
1/5
TrustpilotFixed deductions from deposits that go against the Code they signed-up to.
I retreated from a purchase and Bovis are taking a fixed percentage from the deposit against the Consumer Code that they signed up to. The fixed deduction amount is 50% (£250 from a £500 deposit)The code that they signed-up to the Consumer Code for Home Builders that states: Deducting a fixed percentage or fixed amounts from the reservation fee is not acceptable; the developer should return the reservation fee less any reasonable costs that have been genuinely incurred in processing/holding the reservation. Effectively, the builder will need to be able to demonstrate that the costs are reasonable should the matter be referred to the independent dispute resolution service that is available under the Code.and yet Bovis says: “Bovis Homes strives to provide great customer service to its customers and deliver them a high quality home. We are proud of the homes we build and our high customer satisfaction results reflect this. The Consumer Code is a key part in providing our customers with a reassuring service as they buy from Bovis Homes and begin to live in their new home. We are a strong supporter of the Consumer Code and believe that it has been a significant contributor to the improving standards across the house building industry.” David Ritchie Chief Executive, Bovis Homes Group PLCAVOID
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