Trusted Agent profile · Cambridgeshire
★★★★★
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.
Every review we hold for the Cambridgeshire office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
5/5
TrustpilotWe have recently bought our first home…
We have recently bought our first home with Bovis and can honestly say everyone has been amazing, Jenny, Jonathan and Pete at Greenwell Park have gone above and beyond and made the whole process so much easier.
1/5
TrustpilotBEWARE!
BEWARE!! Massively overpriced and poor quality housing and really really poor service after purchase. You'll notice that the developers periodically put the prices up of the whole development, therefore artificially inflating housepricing overall. Advice for future buys:- Go way below the asking price. I got mine for £30k under the asking price (£360k instead of £390k) and to be honest I should have gone lower another £20k lower.- Don't listen to the nonsense and heartless pressure the sales team put you under. They are working to get their bonuses! I recommend saying that everytime they threaten to pull out you'll lower your offer by a couple of grand! And definitely drop your bid last minute. They are desperate to off-load stock for cashflow!- Don't sign off the initial faults list for a long time. They will pressure you to do this but don't. Once you sign it off, you can technically still get things fixed but it basically doesn't happen. We were given a weird vent with flaps which we didn't ask for, instead of the normal once, and it woke our two-year-old daughter up every time it was windy and they didn't fix it for three months. It took a lot of chasing from me and caused a lot of stress.- Bear in mind that Bovis couldn't care less about the quality of their product and service but are trying to rip you off as much as possible.- Be prepared for lots of things to break not long into living there and, once the two period period is up, for the costs to start adding up.
5/5
TrustpilotTop Spec New Builds - worth every penny
My partner and I recently visited Bovis Homes at Western Gate, Harpole, NN7, and were greeted by a Gentleman called Sean. We have to speak as we find and can only say that he was so helpful, explained everything in full detail and there was no pressure involved - a delightful experience, unlike some, where you can often feel pressured. He took us around to view properties that were being finished and the Spec of them was perfect and high quality, you couldn't fault them in any way. We have looked at various new build properties, but Bovis is definitely at the top end and worth 5 Stars, and with representatives like Sean it can only be positive.
1/5
TrustpilotDreadful company
Hard to put into words the experience we’ve had with Bovis. To cut a long story short, they pulled out of our part exchange after almost 6 months and on day we were due to exchange contracts. They didn’t even communicate with us and threatened to hold our deposit. We lost hundreds of pounds in solicitor fees and they lied to us time and time again. Cannot suggest more that you avoid this company.
3/5
TrustpilotI bought a Southwald home from Bovis Home Edwalton
I bought a Southwald home from Bovis Homes Edwalton in August 2020. Within the past 6 months I have had to pay out for repair a roof leak caused by the lead flashing over the en suite bathroom which had no cement fill on the brickwork and needed sealing, and now poor installation of electrical cables, probably loose, in the power box in the kitchen. Its a nice looking house but the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired.
1/5
TrustpilotBuying a Bovis home.
Hi. We recently wanted to buy a New Bovis Home from the Gateway in Bexhill East Sussex. We had a buyer for our home we paid a deposit of £500 to secure our new home at Bovis. Unfortunately our buyer pulled out, not unusual in these times we advised Bovis that we were still interested and wanted our New home. We were still several months away from the new house being ready. Bovis advised us that they could not wait for us to get a new buyer, not only did we lose the opportunity to buy our new house but we also lost half the deposit (£250). We have noticed that our new house is still not built and this is 4 months since we were told it could not be saved for us. Also we have noticed several other properties are up for sale on this Bovis site and have been for sometime. We have also noticed that Bovis property prices have not reduced in line with the changing market. To me it’s not a surprise that Bovis are not selling houses if they turn away potential buyers. If Bovis pulled out of this agreement why should I lose out.
5/5
TrustpilotExcellent Show Home personnel
Excellent Show Home personnel - knowledgeable, organised and professional.
1/5
TrustpilotAwful and expensive Bovis part exchange experience
My wife and I were encouraged to part exchange our property for a Bovis house in Horam East Sussex as we wanted to move to the area from an area where the property market was slower. We were very clear about this from the outset and told that it would not be a problem. Bovis made a good offer on our property and told us that we had to be in a position to complete within 6 weeks and to instruct our solicitor immediately. We were cautious about this as they hadn't carried out a building survey but we were pressured by the sales team that we had to keep up the 6 weeks pace. Bovis listed our property on the market with local agents at the price they had agreed to pay (£30,000 below the agents consensus on market value - but this was ok for us) and carried out several viewings whilst the property was still owned by us. After about 3 weeks Bovis reduced the price of our property by £10,000 without consulting us, further de-valuing it in the local market place, and when challenged on this said that they were only interested in a quick sale for the first time. Despite forcing us to rush Bovis didn't carry out the survey on our property for 3 weeks and they then took another 2 weeks to produce the report - there were no major defects found. When I called the sales team I was told that the time wasted in producing the report did not effect anything and that we needed to keep paying solicitors fees, searches etc so that we could meet the 6 weeks deadline. Once it became clear to Bovis that they would not sell our flat in the 6 week period it took to buy our house I received a phone call from a low level member of the sales team to tell me matter of factly that they were pulling out of the deal. At this point we had spent around £5000 and were 6 days from exchange of contracts. Overall it was a really awful experience dealing with Bovis, from the sales teams rudeness to the money we lost. We visited the site about 2 months after our deal had fallen through and the house we were buying was sold. I strongly suspect that the reason our deal fell through is that a non-part exchange purchaser enquired about it and was preferred by Bovis. We sold our flat about 4 weeks after the deal fell through on the open market but had to sell at the lower amount that Bovis had reduced it to without permission as people enquiring had seen it at this price. I would estimate that the total cost to us in trying to deal with Bovis was around £15,000.
1/5
TrustpilotDo not buy a new home from Bovis
August 2021 we brought a brand new home from Bovis Homes in Drakes Broughton, from the moment we moved in we have had nothing but problems, a hole in the wall which they’d tried to hide with the radiator, doors that didnt fit properly, handles constantly falling off the doors, falling off the windows on the front ( less than a year of being here ) leaking downstairs toilet which they came back 3 times and said it was fixed but wasnt and ruined the flooring in the WC. Broken tiles in the bathroom and the list goes on. This is a house which no one had lived in before us.
1/5
Trustpilotbovis are hard work to get them to…
bovis are hard work to get them to repair anythingm in warranty and outside of warranty. i had a leak which was only 1 year out of my warranty and had a independent plumber come to fix it as an emergency, he showed me the issue and wrote me a report. the issue was a pipe was fitted incorrectly. i made a complaint with bovis and their excuse for not repairing my home was that my independent plumber was slandering them off and they put it down to industry slander. I now have to take them to court to get my house repair. if they can worm their way out of not repairing your home they will do just that and it will be at your expense. very poor customer service!
1/5
Trustpilotavoid buying an apartment
Moved into my new 2 bedroom apartment in July 2021. Have been misled by Bovis homes in many ways about the details relating to the dimensions of the flat and the neighbouring apartment buildings. Were told before purchasing that the neighbouring flats would be privately sold but they're now confirmed as housing association. Our building has suffered from a lot of mould and damp smell, raised with Bovis/Vistry on numerous occassions and were constantly told this was due to 'lifestyle choices' or that it was 'normal drying out process' however it was later discovered after a neighbour had extremely bad mould and got Richfords floods company to test her below floor level that there was a considerable amount of moisture stuck below ground level which wasn't dried out in the build process. Mine and my other neighbours ground floor flats were then tested as well which highlighted the issue was across all ground floor apartments and was the cause of the mould/damp. We have now had to have all of our furniture removed, rehomed temporarily, whilst they pull up all the flooring and install industrial heaters to dry out all of the moisture, then to redecorate and be moved back in. Absolutely shocking that somebody has signed off on such a terrible quality of a job in the first place amongst the inconvenience of it all. In addition we discovered that there wasn't any insulation installed in the ceilings of all the communal stair areas, which has been a contributing factor to the mould as well.. On top of that, any snags that are asked to be fixed always seems to create more issues due to the works being carried out by agency staff, who in my opinion do a half job so they know they'll get a call back for another job to do it again... Really disappointed with the whole experience and has fully put me off buying a new build in the future as it's spoilt what should be a happy time buying a property, decorating and making it your own, only to then have to move out for 3 months whilst they fix something thats a direct cause of their poor quality build.Avoid
5/5
TrustpilotFirst house with Bovis home
I bought a house from Bovis home at Emmbrook Place and recently handed over from the builder right on the schedule. Regarding the customer services from the construction team, I would like to compliment their working attitude and devotion to help us in every aspect to make the house better. Among the team, the site manager Mr. Richard and deputy site manager Mr. Danny and Mr. Sean are in particular professional, helpful and responsive members of the team. I really feel lucky to have their excellent customer services and assistance for making my first house in UK better.
2/5
Trustpilot5* builder...I don't think so
They only care about getting your money & the commission for the sales team. The homeowner then has to fight tooth and nail to get issues resolved. The customer services department is a farce. However, I have been lucky that my snags were not major issues but it is the time frame - and what another reviewer said was that people leave - all of a sudden (mmm) and I find myself having to explain all over again -argh... what a joke. A 5* builder, indeed - not
5/5
TrustpilotGreat, quite experienced and helpful staff
Sylwia supported us with our appointment.
1/5
TrustpilotAbsolute dogsh*t
Absolute dogsh*t. 12 month old apartment bought from them, had a water leak from above the flat in non accessible area. Caused internal damage, eventually came and fixed the leak but have not carried out the repair works to the interior damage. They now do not respond or call back after telling me they are waiting supplies for six months.Currently having to organize the repair myself and claim back costs through court.I would never buy a hoke from Bovis again.
1/5
TrustpilotThe worst customer service I have ever had
The worst customer service I have ever had in my life. We've been going trough the process of purchase for 4 months to be told that we can be unable to complete at all because of their incompetency. Totally useless people telling you that you can go f*** yourself if you consider to withdraw. They have been convincing us for a sale of our home asap, and when we've done everything we could to do it, they started to see problems when we became homeless. They've been threatening us that they would remarket our property, and giving us sick deadlines i.e. 4 working days including Easter, to complete, even though they knew that it would be impossible even from our side. They have been treating us as second category customers just because of the fact that we did not agree to use their mortgage advisor. Plus they've been treating our mortgage advisor the same, just because of the fact he was not acting in their favor. In the end we are going to live on the streets in 10 days because of the loads of lies they have been saying for weeks. I'm asking Kim Hodgson - the 'so called' sales progressor - if she had her whole family's life would she risk it? Are we completing on this date? And her response was always - be patient, be patient, even though she knew it would be impossible. We lost everything, we're now also fighting for money that has left after our amazing sale from their recommended solicitor. 3 weeks after the sale and still we haven't received it. Don't trust in their words, they don't understand anything, they just act like they care, but it's a huge lie from the beginning. They are trying to keep you as they know they keep the product and you have no other choice. This whole process conducted by them has made us anxious so much we needed doctor's prescriptions to stop feeling this way. Go anywhere else, I wouldn't recommend it, as I have never felt so harassed and embarrassed as a client in my life.
1/5
TrustpilotCharlton Heights, Bristol
I would agree with all the other reviews. They are more concerned with selling. The finish was poor. Things I had flagged up when looking around at the property where not done. Even thought I was told it would be. No care has gone into the property at all. I wouldn't buy a Bovis property again, nor would I exchange/ complete before they had rectify the issues. As you are at the bottom of their list, when it comes to fixing something. I also asked for extra cupboards, before buying the property, which they agreed. Three months later I still have no extra cupboards. They have been delivered 3 times and been the wrong ones apparently. Like the other reviews state. There are better new build developers out there.
1/5
TrustpilotWon't be purchasing another new build…
I won't be purchasing another new build from Bovis. Water seeped through the front door and utility room because they weren't properly sealed. No one bothered to ensure that the garden was the same as the other properties. The list of issues just goes on and on.
1/5
TrustpilotDo not buy bovis
Do not buy bovis. Sales were shockingly awful, always changing dates, not getting my orders right. After care aren't worth having. I'm still waiting for snags to be completed a year later. Bovis Judy don't care. They take your money and they're gone!! DON'T BUY BOVIS!!
1/5
TrustpilotTerrible. Commission driven, not customer satisfaction.
Terrible, rushed quality of build. Wrong bricks used, broken cement floor, frames not straight, etc. The "main" builder we were put in contact with didn't know the answers to the technical questions. No thought was put into the design or build process. They put skirting board down to the subfloor and don't leave a gap for carpet to go under as it should. Layed the front lawn first so it's all trampled from the construction crew and cement all over the plants. How about doing the lawn last? This is what I mean that no thought was out into the construction. Raised concerns about (not completed) quality with site manager and main builder. Manager got defensive and dismissive. They just want the building to complete in time for their commission numbers.
1/5
TrustpilotIf you're considering moving into a new development...
The house is fine, the main issue is that if you live on a cul de sac like I do you will be guaranteed to have an issue with nuisance and antisocial parking and the only people that have any authority to help and intervene are bovis because they own the cul de sac. Therefore although police, council, highways can all agree that people park awfully here, they have no power to do anything unless the car has blocked you in (not out) of your driveway or have blocked out pavements. This still leaves more room for inconsiderate parking... like blocking you out of your space, making it difficult for you to get out and having to see a car dumped outside your front door every morning by a neighbour who knows the impact this is having on you and leaving you wondering where your health visitor/midwife will park, bin collectors missing your bins because they can't see them. There will be people parking outside your drive, front door etc. Cul de sac turning points will be blocked and just when you think it can't get any worse it can because the owners of these cars probably have 2 or 3 parking spaces that they maxed out, so they park in a way which makes you do 2 or 3 manoevers into your space and leave no way for you to even have a second car. Its basically like getting bullied and antagonised everyday and you go to bovis and they turn a blind eye. You spend months working out who to write to and who can can help but when you write to bovis, and even explain this is a hazard to children.... no reply. No accountability. Its like the problem is too big for them to even do anything about. Which means it's obviously not been considered in the planning, overlooked or simply ignored because they want to make as many houses as possible... more money for them... we can deal with parking issues. In all honesty, I'd never live in another home like this purely because of parking and I never thought I would say that. It's had a big impact on us and the way in which bovis ignores your concerns and do not try and resolve it really does speak volumes. I think some level of accountability is needed especially when these hazards can cost the lives of children, impact the lives of those who have bought a home here and increase tensions and feuds between neighbours. I think the company need to be more transparent and explain in their planning how they take parking into consideration, how they agree with local authorities how issues around parking can be handled. This should be a gold standard and expectation that communities and potential home owners should be able to see
1/5
TrustpilotHouse put together with little care and…
House put together with little care and effort once they have your money, you have to fight to get snags done and often refuse just because they can!
5/5
TrustpilotThe Gateway Bexhill-On-Sea
The gateway is a very nice development in a lovely location in Bexhill-On-Sea.I purchased a two bedroom terraced house and had excellent help throughout the process from Jeremy and the other staff. I am very happy with the house, it is a lovely space and seems well built.Bovis has been extremely accommodating throughout the purchasing process. Five stars from me.
1/5
TrustpilotIf only 0 stars was possible
If only 0 stars was possible! Having purchased a home from the higher end of their properties some 10 months ago, we still find ourselves going through 'snagging'.Customer services and support post sale is appalling with this company. So my advice is this, if you buy a home with them make sure you're pretty handy with a tool box and you don't care about warranty or support.Our house had so many minor problems that it was laughable and clearly there is no quality control in place with this company - for example, we had no hot water when we moved in. I asked how they signed it off, and they told me it was rigorously inspected - turns out they'd tested it with the immersion heater on, but the thermostat hadn't been connected by the elctricians, so that provides an example of the type of control processes they have. We've had issues such as brickwork laid so out of line they had to remove our porch and redo the lot. Our current ongoing issue is with the plumbing, every tap and shower rumbles and makes so much noise that they can be heard throughout the house above the sound of the tv.Yet whenever a plumber looks for a solution they require sign off from Bovis, who leave emails on unread for months at a time, leaving you, the homeowner to chase. Even when you chase, they eventually send somebody from the site team who is usually the most inept dimwit you'll ever meet. They don't seem to take notes, they don't email, they can't communicate, they don't turn up when they're supposed to (if they turn up at all). They're often rude, or they constantly blame the contractors, the materials or they say things like -it's within standard deviation - anything other than accept the fault and make a plan to fix it.So, Bovis/Vistry - you'll likely get a decent sized house with ok fittings in a pretty good location. Don't expect most of it to work as it should, don't expect any form of customer service or support and don't expect them to honour the warranty.My next stop is to ring a solicitor and contact NHBC to investigate legal action against them. That should probably tell you everything you need to know
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