1/5
TrustpilotAvoid. They employ FirstPort.
Because of the fact that they engage the disreputable FirstPort as managing agents and won't appoint an alternative then avoid buying a Linden home at all costs.
Trusted Agent profile · Exeter
Linden South West Exeter reviews
★★★★★
499 reviews across 2 platforms
Harrington Lane, Pinhoe, Exeter, EX4 8NS
Linden South West's office in Exeter, at Harrington Lane, is rated 2.6 out of 5 across 499 reviews on two platforms, including 20 Google reviews rated 4.8.
Reviews
Every review we hold for the Exeter office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
Trustpilot1/5
TrustpilotLeaks & Poor Workmanship
We've lived in our Linden home for 2.5 years and during that period had the usual snagging stuff which Linden generally took care of. They were excellent in the first 2 weeks and then asked for a review which we gave happily & positively. Unfortunately, since then we're had 2 leaks which have caused damage to both the flooring and ceilings below. We are still waiting on the main bathroom floor to be replaced.Our latest issue is faulty grouting in the en-suite which has led to water getting behind the tiles causing mould and again water damage to the ceiling below.I started to remove the silicone around the shower tray to replace it but the tiles were lose and literally fell out which was due to the grout failing. At this point we spoke to Linden who's response was:"In terms of your shower, I have spoken to my manager, our NHBC inspector and the NHBC directly who have advised, it is believed that the reason the tiles have fallen off from the bottom row is due to mastic or grout failure in which the area has turned black from water damage.The reason for this belief is there is no pipework present around this area meaning, this damage has not been caused by a pipework leak. I have queried with the NHBC whether the mastic and grout would be deemed a latent defect to which they advised, mastic and grout falls under homeowner maintenance outside of the warranty period. Noting you reported this issue outside of your warranty, I regret to advise I cannot assist any further.Should you wish, please do feel free to contact the NHBC for further advice and support."So they basically said, the grout has failed (in less than 3 years!!) but it's our problem and not theirs.We've owned houses for decades and other than cleaning - grout doesn't need maintenance.So, Linden not interested. NHBC not interested. Insurance company not interested (they only cover leaks and not water ingress due to faulty workmanship).Now, we are left picking up a £2-£3K bill for the repairs.We nearly sold this house and bought a larger one on the same development (Beaumont Park in Ringwood) but Covid put a stop to that - potentially a good thing and we dodged a bullet - more bathrooms = more leaks.As soon as this is sorted out we'll be selling this clown house which just keeps falling apart.
1/5
TrustpilotPlease people stay away they don't seen…
Please people stay away they don't seen to wanna fix anything my flooring and knife marks in it and when they done the flooring all the glue went on the skirting boards and they just left it. I rang the after team up and they did send someone out who done the flooring and this man just came out with alot of rubbish So linden are now saying there is nothing else they can do. It looks like someone has already lived here its that bad
1/5
TrustpilotExtremely disappointed with the service…
Extremely disappointed with the service I had with Linden home site in Rugby Cawston. Totally unprofessional not even received a single call from higher management, I suppose to move in end of October, I have paid deposit and reserved the plot and signed the agreement!!! After signing the paperwork I have instructed my mortgage advisor to process the paperwork so we can exchange well with in time, I then received a call from sales guy saying they cannot offer me the deal I have agreed and signed also the flooring and carpet I suppose to choose it’s already done without consulting with me. I was very disappointed with this tried my level best to discuss but seems like not getting anywhere, after numerous phone calls messages and emails still no outcome, “ I felt really disappointed and decided to pull out but saga still continues Chapter 2 my refund again I was chasing my money back but only received fake promises”I would strongly suggest to people out there don’t bother with them completely waste of time and most importantly the stress and the hassle I have been through is definitely ghastly.
4/5
TrustpilotThe team were excellent
The team were excellent, they built rapport and understood what we were after as customers. Always helpful throughout the full process of pre and post purchase. The site team have been excellent with checking in on anything we may require.
1/5
TrustpilotYou’ll end up buying Stress & Anxiety!
What can I say...First 6 months without hot waterOver year with still poor (Pulsating) water pressure, a drive that floods the front of the house and in to the integral garage when it rains, creating a stream in to the back garden, still waiting for the retaining wall to be built in the back garden to stop it slipping in to the neighbours (Not helped by the flooding), rain water plumbed in to open sewer, unable to heat the lounge and master bedroom due to poor / missing insulation and now a playground built outside my bedroom window and not where it was shown on the site plan, resulting in legal action now being taken but don’t worry this is only a £395k “premium” home. I dread to think what their standard build is like! All I can say is good luck if your buying one.
1/5
TrustpilotDitto almost word for word the last…
Ditto almost word for word the last review. They must have some seriously cack-handed people working for them - who simply don't have the strength to do up nuts! That happened in the downstairs toilet and bathroom. Pretending now to have all staff on furlough, yet their website says their sales teams are still on hand by phone and video chat! Funny how they're available for making sales, but not for answering customers who have already bought off them. I absolutely abhor their lying through their teeth like this. They were incompetent long before Covid-19 was invented! Good job they'll have something to blame from now on. They have no self-respect, no respect for anyone else and zero credence. They should be renamed Fawlty Towers Ltd.Firstport? We had a letter from them that basically says they're not actually responsible for anything and the money we pay them is for (followed by a gobbledygook, blinding by science explanation!)...It literally made no sense whatsoever. But I can assure you we have to pay it, but they will be doing nothing for us because the money we pay them isn't for that. It must just be to cover their wages, as they sit in an office doing nothing, but devising stupid letters. I can't think of any other explanation - and they're not giving us a plausible one. So there we have it! What a splendid idea of ours to buy off them and enrich their pockets. More fool us! And anyone else who chooses to buy off them after reading these reviews. Read lots - buy once! - From a place worth buying with a company worth buying from and that cares. Lindens does not.
1/5
TrustpilotLovely Location, Just needs finishing off
We were very impressed with the layout of the property and that attracted us to purchase. We have had no problems with the finish other than when we moved in Lindens had carpeted the entrance hallway and we had requested Karndean. Not a problem, they changed it by the time we moved in but failed to change the doors so we now have a 1cm gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. It was on the snag list to replace them but that never came to fruition and has probably been lost now. My biggest gripes are that we have to contribute an annual charge of £600 to the Frimley Fuel Allotment (FFA) for the upkeep of the SANGS area that is open to the public. This was a retrospective ruling by Heathlands borough council of which 4 of the members are also on the FFA Board. We were not allowed to purchase the property without agreeing to this charge. Secondly Lindens have not completed the communal grassed areas and formally handed them over to FirstPort, the management company, who are fast to invoice but slow to do any actual work. Over the summer the sunken garden has become overgrown and the walls are starting to crumble making the areas unsafe.I think the development could be a wonderful place to live and be unique but until the remedial work to the outside areas are completed and regularly maintained it feels as though we are being treated as a cash cow.
3/5
Trustpilotwe purchased a 3 bedroom house last…
we purchased a 3 bedroom house last year (2019). We absolutely love our house and are very happy. We knew being a newbuild we would have a few issues which is why we have the 2 year guarantee and 10 year guarantee, however with the stuff that has needed "fixed" I totally understand but the service for the aftercare is awful. Since buying our house we have had around 4 different companies taken over and everytime we report something it seems to get lost and I continsely have to chase it. Very strange they send a paint and decorator to fix a door, finally after months of chasing a carpenter comes to fix it, admittedly he said it was so badly put in that it will probably be a on going issue... fantastic. In the first few you put a snag list together for them to attend but they also pressure you to fill their survey in, once this is done they honestly don't care. The workman ship is at a very low standard and I do feel sorry for some of the workers when they tell you the wage they are on, however being first time YOUNG owners we feel the after care service is very poor and in the future if we were to upgrade we wouldn't use linden homes. Sadly we have a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed such as flooring coming up and wonky fencing but it is such a hard stressful experience we will likely leave it even though we are in our 2 year warranty. It seems once they have your money you are nothing, very bad considering it's a government scheme. Just first time buyers experiencing bad customer service that sadly has put us off lindon homes.
1/5
TrustpilotHouse not finished when we completed…
House not finished when we completed and still having constant issues after a year and a half. No one interested in fixing anything, communal areas unfinished and not maintained (management company won’t take it over as it’s so bad). Been called liars regularly by Customer Service and cannot believe we have had to take 17 days unpaid holiday for contractors to come and do remedial work and still not completed. (NHBC not prepared to help nor the Consumer Code ombudsman, all work on behalf of the builders)NEVER going to buy a new build ever again.
1/5
TrustpilotLinden Heathlands Review
The site I own a property on in Surrey has still not been finished and I have lived there for nearly two years. There are serious health and safety risks around the whole site and linden seem to have down tools and disappeared. The quality of build is rushed and has never been snagged properly 1 year after as they said they would for settlement cracks etc, plus we have had some tiles fall off our house and we are still waiting for them to be fixed.
1/5
TrustpilotExtreme Building Safety Issue
Built my high rise flats with NO FIRE SAFETY - missing cavity barriers, missing fire breaks. FLAMMABLE cladding! I’m now stuck in limbo waiting to find out how much this is all going to cost me (25 years old) as the government fund doesn’t cover half of it! We now also have to pay for someone to walk around 24/7 in case there is a fire due to their awful safety corners that they cut. DO NOT BUY!!!
1/5
TrustpilotDisgraceful customer service
Been trying to arrange viewing for 2 days and no one got back in touch even though message left.Got through to central office and spoke with 'Keisha' (spelling may be incorrect). She was rude, spoke over me and wouldn't listen to me! Disgraceful for someone who should be promoting sales and customer satisfaction.She is obviously in the wrong job!And as for the company...If you want to sell houses have people available to deal with prospective buyers!If a message is left someone should respond to that message the same dayI am in disbelief at the service!!! Atrocious!!
1/5
TrustpilotAVOID AT ALL COSTS
AVOID AT ALL COSTSSome of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Rude, arrogant and utterly disrespectful. They do not value you as a customer! As other reviewers have posted the communication is terrible. You constantly have to chase them. Their tone is terrible and they do not value you. You will chase and chase them. Building work is at the lower end of the building regs and they cut a lot of corners. They charge you for EVERYTHING. They are the Audi of houses. The standard model gives you nothing! My advice - Don’t go near.
1/5
TrustpilotThe worst build quality ever, not sure their builders have heard of wall alignment...or a ruler.
So so so soooo bad.Buying our first flat together at the moment, really loved the look of a Linden home apartment on paper - great location. etc. Went to view the property - the build was terrible, no walls or woodwork aligned properly, the whole thing was a bodge job. Huge cracks across the flooring in all the rooms. The attitude of the sales person was clear they just wanted us to handover cash as quickly as possible - boasting about how quickly we could be in. They also didn't own the land either - so they were doing it 'on behalf of a partner'. Which all seemed a little fishy to me - could be exposed to some high rates there. I feel sorry for anyone who buys that place.Anyway thanks for the honest reviews - I really dodged a bullet.
3/5
TrustpilotThey take a long time to fix things
New Brunswick area- My house had lots of snaggs a year on now not yet resolved. Sometimes you go to customer care team with a problem and they pass it onto the sub contractors and then they contact you to fix the thing. It's a very long and tedious process which is inefficient. Lots of stuff has been fixed not always to the highest standard. Still love my first home and I cant complain about the location. Sales team are pushy and don't inform you at all where the annual charge goes to.
1/5
Trustpilot2 years of pages and pages of faults,
2 years of pages and pages of faults,no follow up from customer service to see if everything is OK, they claim to be 5 star builders, which can only be described as false advertising, never ever again.I give one star as its the only choice, should be minus one star.
2/5
TrustpilotBought a house in borehamwood back in…
Bought a house in borehamwood back in July 2017. Same comments as everyone else, as soon as we gave them money it was impossible to get them back. We have 3-4 doors with gaps from the floor to the bottom of the door of at least 3cm so sound travels easily and it’s a larger gap than NHBC state. Had a huge snagging list that never got finished even after numerous emails. Insulation from our garage is awful so we have had to get someone round to finish properly. Love the layout of the house but incredibly poor finish and quality from Linden. Would never buy from them again or recommend to anyone else. I know there’s not much on the market but their properties really aren’t worth it. Go for a smaller developer who has quality control checks as these guys clearly don’t.
1/5
Trustpilot9 pages of snags
9 pages of snags, varying in seriousness, after a dipstick manager tried to put up barriers we went above him and have resolved all snags.5 star builder is false.If you're happy to have an constant stream of workmen coming in, having to stop in for them over 4 to 6 months, often leaving the "fault" worse than before, then go ahead.Sloppy workmanship is normal, sometimes safety critical negligence.
1/5
TrustpilotDo not use their financial services
Do not use their financial services, source financial products through an IFA....They will ask and pester you to fill out a survey my advice here is simply wait. Wait until all snags have been fixed correctly and then review the whole experience from start to finish.My experience is that you'll provide a more accurate response.Note of caution Linden will contract out maintenance of the development where you brand new house is being built, in my case its a absolute con very expensive for little in return. Linden take an age to sign over the development too, this stops you and fellow residents form forming you own management committee and kicking out the incumbent company which I won’t name just in case.
1/5
TrustpilotAppalling! Avoid from every angle!!!
Nothing but problems since day one! Even a site manager told us he wouldn't live in this house!!! Been here over a year now and still having works and repairs done. It's an absolute shambles! Over 2 page list of problems with it! No one takes responsibility or liability for anything what so ever ... Absolutely shocking. Hated living here since day one!
1/5
TrustpilotLiars and con men
We reserved our home after seeing it built and the large from garden, after reserving and organising our mortgage, Linden changed the boundary, to which we said we no longer wanted to proceed. They offered us £5k in compensation so we changed our minds. This was just a big fat lie to get us to buy. We never received this money and now they say it wasn’t agreed!! They just tell lies to sell houses. Disgusting behaviour, crooks and cheats. Stay away!!
1/5
TrustpilotWhere to even start
Where to even start! Do not believe a word that comes from anyone's mouths at linden homes !! You would think our house had been built by a child (infact I think a child could have done a better job) Brickwork all over the place, bricks hanging out from the walls, not level, chipped bricks etc.. they came to fix these but as you can only imagine it looks even worse than what it did before! We've had a handful of brick workers come and price up re doing the majority of the side of our house and each one can not believe what a mess it has been left in. One of the brick layers broke into our shed to use our hose pipe and broke it, the people who jet wash the houses down smashed into our house and my car. If I hadn't of noticed all the scratches down the side of my car (that they had try to polish to cover up any damage they had done, and pointed the corner of the brickwork whilst we were out) we wouldn't have known this had all happened whilst we were at work!!! Our garden is an absolute bog all our grass has gone and is thick mud and puddles, we've been promised a drain for the last 2 months! oh, guess what! We're still ringing to chase them up every day to come and fit a drain in. There's so much more I could list here but honestly the stress and upset linden homes have caused to my family has been one of the most traumatic, upsetting and emotional times of my life. If you want an everyday battle to get the home you wanted (the show home or the one that looks great on the plans, the dream home you really wanted) then these are your people. If I could take back buying a house from linden homes I would do it in a second!
1/5
TrustpilotBe very careful
Be very careful if dealing with this company. They offered us financial incentives on a new house amounting to £23,000 which lulled us in. We had Council searches done and surveys done and were exchanging contracts within 8 weeks only for the MD to remove all the financial incentives at the last minute. My advice to you is if you have to deal with this company then make sure it is written into the small print on your reservation agreement that the financial incentives they offer cannot be withdrawn. Otherwise don’t sign it.They also asked for a deposit of £1000 to reserve and have kept £500 for their admin costs!!! Disgraceful!
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