Every review we hold for the Wiltshire office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotDon’t buy from Linden!!!
Don’t buy from Linden!!!We bought a Linden Homes house at the Heathlands site in Frimley three years ago. The process of purchasing was horrendous - we felt like a part on a conveyor belt - we were treated as customers. When we moved in the house had numerous snags. Some were time sensitive and after much nagging were done. Unfortunately the advice of the site manager (to wait till the last 6 months of the 2 year warranty period) was terrible. Having done exactly that numerous repairs needed re-doing but we’re now outside of the 2 year period and Lindens refused to make good. Then there is the site and it’s upkeep. Atrocious. Unsafe and a real unwillingness to do ANYTHING. They refuse to acknowledge glaring errors in the build of the site. The drainage system has rubble in them (left by the builders) and the road was left unfinished for three years at least. Countless car, including my own suffered punctures and worse. I never want to go near a lindens home again.
Amar · 15 August 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotGreat house, team and neighbourhood
We found Linden homes and the estate in Bishops Cleeve in December 2019, we moved in the February 2020. Becci Douglas was very helpful in managing the sale and answering all of questions. AJ met with us to explain all of the finer details of our new home with great depth, experience and passion. AJ was then available to help with any questions or concerns once we had moved in. Everyone has been so friendly it was a great start to our life in our new home (pandemic aside). All of our thoughts and concerns about new builds were erased, the houses are spread out, they all have their own character, the estate has a great mix of people of all ages, our checking list was very small, no issues with the house. Fairly priced with the local area and looking forward to new shops opening soon. We moved from a 2 bed terrace house, our bills are predicted to be the same for a 4 bed, due to the solar panels and modern build. I feel the cold and love how warm the house is. I would recommend Linden homes to friends and family.
Chrissy · 29 July 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotNot managed
Thus company does not manage the property at all. Fire alarms at 3am the building is falling apart with zero maintenance. Front office is unstaffed 75% of the time.
Lucas · 15 May 2026
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotAmazing
Amazing! Despite having been in my house for well over 2 years (and apart from a few little snags in the beginning which were sorted straight away, I have had no further issues, great build and finish quality) and all the houses on the estate finished some time ago, I got in touch with David Tinsley, Sales Consultant, who is now working at another site. I have an issue on the site, which is actually nothing to do with Linden Homes, however, as always, David has gone above and beyond to help and find who I need to speak to. Fiona Willis from the Customer Service department has also been in touch with me to help. So, even when all building has finished and there are no Linden Homes staff on site, they are still happy to help. Outstanding Linden Homes, thank you!
Sharon · 13 December 2024
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotLinden House in Bath.
We have bought a new Linden House in Bath on the Ensleigh site. We love it.There are snags that need addressing like every new build but every time I have needed some assistance the people have been really easy to get hold of, reply immediately and have on the whole sorted things out very quickly.Sales team were great. Moving was very convenient.I have been very impressed with the builders too who work so hard in the very cold winter months too and are now returning during the Covid crisis. They are always really cheerful and polite and work very hard!This company must have been hit really hard during this crisis but they are cracking on with it and doing a great job.I love the design of the house, plenty of space in the correct places and it looks fab. Paint is pretty thin so when you touch it, it marks or comes off but guess that is the first coating on plaster so it will need re painting.Stay safe and well.Best wishes
Steph · 6 July 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotLinden Homes promise is not their…
Linden Homes promise is not their word!!Living on the boundary of the new Kilnhurst Gardens development, we were told at the planning consultation stage that the residents who's properties backed on to the development, would have a fence erected along the boundary for privacy. At the beginning we were told a fence would definitely be erected and we were sent a letter to confirm this.During the final stages of development, contact was made with the site manager (December time) and was told a fence would be erected after Christmas. Fast forward to completion of the development and no fence has been installed!!Contact was made twice to no avail, they had no intention of putting up a boundary fence, just kept local residents sweet before development started to help with planning approval!!Some of the residents put up new fences paid for out of their own pockets and after speaking to the local councillor, we found out Linden Homes did not erect fences promised by them because some of the residents had erected their own fences so no longer would be erecting a fence at the end of our garden!!In this day and age a company like Linden Homes should not be getting away with work they promise to do and not follow through!! After reading many of the reviews about this company, I hope they hold their heads down in shame!! All this company portrays to me is lies and profit before customer satisfaction!!If I was the CEO of this company, I would straight away want to turn negative feed back into positive feed back!!Thank you Linden Homes for not erecting a fence at the end of my garden, I love the fact I have people looking into my back garden now and headlamps shining through my windows at night!!!
Steve · 5 April 2020
★★★★★ 2/5
TrustpilotWe purchased a new build property from…LINDEN HOMES
We purchased a new build property from Linden Homes on 20/12/2018. There was no garden / turf at the time due to the time of year although we had paid for this- we understood the reasoning and expected the work to be done around the end of March / early April 2019. To our surprise the work was carried out the day of the first snow in blyth in February 2019. This was done whilst we were at work. We questioned the logic for this but the builder said if there was a problem they would address it, if / when it occurred.The grass at the lower end of the garden did not take as it was subject to excessive flooding. The builder fitted an aco drain (not in the best location) to address flooding on the patio as we would get about 1/4” of standing water we had to go through to get to the back door. The aco sort of fixed the issue but only the patio.The builder put some top soil and seed on the sodden garden area, which in the drier summer months did take, but did not take much rain to make sodden. We proceeded to pick out large stones and half bricks throughout the summer and as soon as the autumn months arrived the garden became a quagmire and the grass died and we have what you see on the photos.It is impossible to walk on the garden and it turns out our garden is the lowest garden and acts as a soak-a-way for everyone else’s garden.We have complained to the builder for the last 12month and they are just not interested. We even said just give us back the money we paid for the garden and we will get a company in, and when I suggested that I would contact Nhbc, they just sarcastically gave me your number.All we want is a garden to enjoy, we moved here from a house with no back garden for that very reason. We have had ground work companies out and they all say we should either dig the garden and build a massive soak-a-way or pave it, all at a costly expense.The garden has not been done properly, not rotavated, stones not removed, very little (if any) top soil, and turf laid directly on to large clods of earth and clay. Other issues include: Poorly fitted kitchen plumbing resulting in requiring a replacement kitchen cupboard.exposed kitchen wiring above kitchen cupboardsLeaking on-suite toilet resulting in replacement flooring and repair to dining room ceilingLeaking showerLoose plumbing in the showerPoorly fitted main bathroom flooring resulting in water damage (linden homes accused us or ‘user error’ due to bathroom flooring getting wet!!!!Our house was one of the last completed, rushed and shoddy workmanship springs to mind.
Thomas · 5 March 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotRhodri was extremely knowledgeable & a…
Rhodri was extremely knowledgeable & a very nice young man.
Ann · 23 August 2025
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotWhiterock Paignton plot 108....
Whiterock Paignton plot 108..... If I could give these guys any more stars then I would they deserve the credit. I have always been cautious about new builds with the horror stories that you hear. I cannot rate these guys enough. Sharon in the office was so helpful and then there was Mike and his team who went above and beyond. The house itself is everything we wanted no snags or any issues. I would recommend these new builds to anyone ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #whiterockisthebest
Annie · 24 February 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotI am currently 4 months late waiting…
I am currently 4 months late waiting for Linden Homes to get their act together for a handover of my new build, shared ownership house in Swindon. Handover was meant to be 27th September and whilst I appreciate it may have been flexible, 16 weeks later is a joke!!!! I am currently sleeping on a sofa, and my 2 x kids are having to share a single bed at my mums, and all because Linden didn’t do what they initially should have done in the build. They are now digging their heels to submit the new plans and do not give a dam that I am technically homeless!!!!!Trevor Wicks (MD) initially was responding to my emails, but once I had asked him if he felt it was acceptable to leave us homeless over Christmas, funnily enough he hasn’t responded since - THE COMPANY IS AN ABSOLUTE JOKE !!!!!!!!!!!!! And unfortunately I quite clearly am not the only person who thinks so!!!!
Elaine · 21 January 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotBought a Linden Home back in 1999 and…
Bought a Linden Home back in 1999 and with no exaggeration had a snag list of 321 items. First they were building without looking at plans and front of house did not include the bay window. Concrete roof ridge tiles fell of and they just re cemented, after checking with NHBC was advised all roof tiles fitted with too short nails so complete roof had to be taken off and re nailed. There was terrible banding of the brickwork so they had to be cosmetically painted to conform. Kitchen thrown together (a 10 year old could have made a better job) Many other issues too many to mention. Bottom line avoid Linden Homes unless you like a massive challenge to get some sense of value for money.
Steve · 18 January 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotStamford Gardens Development (Linden)
We can’t thank the team enough for helping us move into our new home. From the Sales Director to the site management team everyone has been absolutely superb. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. All of our enquiries were handled promptly and professionally, with clear communication throughout. Overall, it’s been a fantastic experience, and we truly appreciate the support and dedication shown by the entire team.
Joe · 29 April 2025
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotSelling the dream, delivering the nightmare
Seven years living on an unfinished estate. Paying exorbitant management fees to FirstPort - the company Linden selected- for basically mowing some grass on the estate. Drains still full of building rubble, roads and pavements still not handed over to the council. An eyesore plot of overgrown land at the entrance to the estate that on the marketing material and told by their representative was an extra parking area. Gardens of some houses flooding with sewage. A children's playground area moved, without informing buyers, to the front of the estate so it's now a target for vandalism and we're responsible for the damage. The list is endless.I wouldn't recommend buying from this company at all. They sell the dream then leave you to live with the nightmare.
P.Butler · 20 November 2024
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotGreat service at Blue Mountain.
We have very recently moved into a brand new Linden home at the Blue Mountain site. We have found Linden to be very helpful and friendly from start to finish. The sales team where realistic with move in date and went over and above to help us. Especially big shout out to Rachel who has been with us from the start of our journey. At our 14 day review the site manager attended the snagging exercise and had work men round almost immediately after our meeting to sort out a few errors with the house. We where very impressed and hope this level of service continues. However the only downside was the Mortgage broker they recommended we go with. I would strongly advise that you don't use use The New Homes Group. They messed up and delayed our mortgage application massively which was a big shame considering how smooth everything else in the process went.
Jess · 17 December 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotFrom bad to worse
Sales people set unrealistic deadlines, applied unreasonable pressure to me and my buyer, nearly scaring him off by asking for documents he was advised not to share with them by his solicitors.Been in house for nearly 6 months and still not connected to mains drainage. Downstairs loo completely unusable, water level looks like it could overflow at any moment and constantly makes gurgling noises. Smell is unbearable throughout the house. No support from Linden Customer Service at all, not even useful updates.Think very carefully before buying from Linden - I certainly never would again
Sam · 14 December 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotSo we put a deposit on a new home
So we put a deposit on a new home, Which was on a part buy ownership.But was never told from the beginning that actually a NIGHTMARE of a company called HAYLO HOUSING actually owned the house not linden..So that was firstly never made transparent to us.then months down the line we were told we owe them £100 admin, again we were never told this.When questioned one of the sales staff pulled out a sign from behind her computer at the other end of the office which tell you about the fee.But up until then you wouldn't know.We were guaranteed a move in date documented x2, of 29.9.19by the middle of November we still were nowhere near moving in. And ended up pulling out of the sale.Both Haylo and Linden have offered nothing in the way of apology or anything towards a big bill off our solicitors for £100s of pounds, for the stress and heartache of pulling out of the sale.Maureen at linden was helpful but she could only do so much in this sham of a sale.We are left devastated and upset at the lack of sympathy caused by these two companies.Beware because all they do is bat you between Lindens solicitors and Haylo solicitors.. And none know what they are doing.
The · 13 December 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotBishops Cleeve - New Home
We brought our Linden house in Bishops Cleeve in June 2018, we were helped from day 1 with regards to exchanging our current home, we were given a set move in date and we move in on that date. There were a few snags as to be expected these were quickly rectified and the after sales team has been helpful with the one issue we had. AJ has been helpful throughout the entire process and we have been in the home circa 15 months and have no complaints. Very happy customers.Jack
Jack · 19 November 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI don’t normally write reviews but I…
I don’t normally write reviews but I felt that the experience I had with linden homes at Cleeve view warranted it. From the initial reservation of our house to this day (approximately 15 months) they have been most helpful. Initially any snagging was dealt with quickly and professionally by the trades and AJ and the site team would always ensure that we were satisfied and AJ would go beyond to make sure of this. Now my two daughters have also purchased on this site and Gemma was most helpful in keeping me in the loop as well as updating the girls.Yes not everything’s perfect the appliances are lower end and if I was to make an improvement it would be this.My home moving experience and the fact that as a family we purchased three houses says it all would recommend to a friend
Rex · 12 November 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotHere's my honest view - steer clear!
Here's my honest review as a recent buyer from Linden:Lets face it, all big housebuilders are working to give return to shareholders. As such, they build as quick as possible, and build to a price. Snags are to be expected.However - the number of snags, coupled with the arrogance of customer services made us regret buying. There were about 25 things that needed fixing. I don't want to say what the snags were in case Linden identify us and go to town on us with lawyers - that's the sort of company they are.They attempted to charge us for two of the snags! I objected to this and we've heard nothing since.My advice would be to steer clear unless you are prepared for 6 months of stress and frustration. Their one saving grace was a great site manager at the end of our struggles that actually got things done. He wasnt afraid to yell at the hideous apes that Linden employs to work on site in order to get things fixed for us.If I was a senior boss at Linden (or indeed a shareholder), I'd have major concerns for the future.
John · 7 November 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotLovely family home- Cleeve View
This is a genuine review.We bought our finished house (The Cheltenham) in May 2019 and moved in in July 2019 due to our jobs and we have had a very good experience with everything so far and our pleased with our choice.Neil in the Sales office was competent and not pushy allowing us to choose between a couple of plots. He was helpful and answered all our questions.The buying process was quick and efficient as we weren't in a chain as we had sold our flat previously and were renting.The move itself was easy and I cannot praise AJ, the site manager, more. He really goes beyond to sort out any issues, has a real attention to detail and genuinely cares that you have a good experience. He's also my toddler's hero and is always so nice to him. No snag is too small and he will keep chasing to get it sorted.The site at Cleeve View is nicely thought out, wide streets and plenty of parking spaces. Also a decent amount of greenery so you don't feel hemmed in. Our garden is a decent size and the double garage is enormous. As is expected we have had a few snagging issues such as paint work, some wall dents (mainly caused by the wardrobe fitters), a fan not wired correctly and the patio doors warping. Nothing we couldn't live with till fixed. We do have a couple of improvements to suggest though:-I would say that the contractors that Linden use can be a bit hit and miss. The wardrobes (paid for by the interiors package) were fitted by Goodings and they had to come three times to make them work and even then left holes in the walls for Linden to fix. AJ was on this very quickly though. We had an issue with a painter not completing the snagging list so had to have another visit. Luckily I was around but I can imagine if you were working it would be frustrating.Also it is a shame that Linden choose to cost cut in certain places: --The Indesit appliances feel quite cheap. The double oven only came with two racks and the fridge with one shelf and a bottle shelf which is pointless. -No higher units in the utility room (have had to buy more ourselves and pay to have them fitted).-A lack of sockets or positioned in strange places- Irritating that you can only turn lights on/off from one switch in the family room/ dining room/ kitchenOverall I would definitely recommend this Linden site and others on here and in the street are all happy with theirs.
Rachel · 19 September 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotTread carefully...
We moved into our linden home in Dec 2018. Initially we were impressed with the attitude of the sales team and the site manager, and our initial snagging list was rectified within days.However, in February we noticed damp in the lounge which was caused by the bath waste not being connected to the soil stack properly, we waited 6 months to have a cracked tile in the ensuite replaced and to cap it all for the last 2 months we've had the strong smell of raw sewage flooding into our property.After contacting Lindens 4 times to get it investigated, it transpired that the durgo cap was missing from the top of the stack and it was packed with pipe lagging! My wife and toddler have been displaying symptoms from inhaling the fumes.Suffice is it to say we are now taking legal action against Linden homes as nobody should expect to essentially be poisoned by the fumes from raw sewage in their brand new home.
James · 11 September 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotThinking of buying a Linden Home? Beware!!!
Beware Linden Homes - PART ONEI have not written a review before now, having read all the others on Linden Homes, please be fully aware of what you will be letting yourself in for.I wish something like this was available when we were looking to buy. It would have saved a lot of grief and unhappiness that is the life style of buying a house from Linden Homes aka Galliford Try.There are no real consumers rights for a defective house. In fact you have more rights over a dented can of beans or defective electrical item, than you do a house built badly (really badly in our case)…………the builders know this. They will not even worry unless you have £60,000 plus to take any Court action against them. In effect they have you over a barrel, the moment you sign the contract.Their CEO is not interested, their Directors are not interested, and their share holders should be disgusted with how their dividends are obtained. If it was any other form of trading, people would be locked up for such matters. Its despicable, yet goes on every day.You email them, they never respond………in fact they can not be bothered with your plight whatsoever.Ours has been 6 full years of hell and misery. It ruins your life, your wellbeing and health, and to be honest nobody cares, and nothing will ever change.Our property, built by Linden Homes, a subsidiary of Galliford Try was purchased in 2013, and promptly flooded within 8 weeks of moving in. Six years later, and at a cost of over £350,000.00 it has been comprehensively deconstructed, and rebuilt from the outside in, and the inside out. The only original parts left are the roof, timber frame, internal walls and staircases. Working is still on going……….ruined holidays, unable to [lan things, no respite whatsoever.The ‘small’ list of defects Incorrect Damp Proof course throughout the whole property, both internal and external.Lack of fire stops throughout the property.Foundation breeze blocks just lying in the cavity not cemented in.Incorrectly installed and illegal mains gas supply pipeIncorrectly installed and illegal electrical socketsIncorrect installation of wall ties joining the outer and inner walls together.Defective and non compliant DPC trays above the garage, every door reveal and most window reveal, including the utility boxes.No internal DPCLack of structural support from Lintels for each window identified within the property.Lack of structural Lintel support for stonework above exterior doorways.Ineffective and non compliant Radon Barrier.Non compliant and ineffective weep and air vents for the cavity throughout.Blocked and ineffective air bricks ventilating the sub structure.Non compliant drop off area outside the property between groundworks and the DPC.Incorrectly installed and non compliant chimney/flue.Kitchen all out of alignment, not installed correctly.Drain pipes from the roof, just pushed into the garden (literally) no soak away or drainage. The house was covered in scaffolding for over three and a half years, whilst Linden Homes and the NHBC made their minds up who was responsible for this effort of a house build, and who was going to repair it.In 2014 a year after we continually asked Linden Homes to repair our property, the back door wedged closed, walls with mould growth on from the water ingress, we sent them an email, highlighting what we thought were defects in the Damp Proof Course (DPC) with photographs, and screen shots from a Building Regulations websites.Their response was Dear Mr …………………..'Your photos have been reviewed and discussed and following this, I can confirm that your home was built in accordance with NHBC standards and that all materials used are specified by Linden Homes and fit for purpose.Our workmanship and materials get approved by the NHBC through our construction process which is why they are then able to provide you with their 10 year warranty policy.' We did apply for a Subject Access Request (SAR - see below)Bearing in mind we received this email, confirming everything was in order. Yet 3 days before we received that email internal emails between Directors of Linden Homes stated the following, openly lying to us in their response about the issues we had. These are all documented on Linden internal emails'I have a terrible feeling we've not followed the detail and don't know what the next steps would be in trying to answer Mr …………. question.' Followed by another ' Dear all, if the NHBC Approved engineer's and architect's construction details have not been followed, I do not know what more I can add other than to say the floor should be taken up and re instated in accordance with those details at the screeder's expense' But no, lets just write back and say to the owner, there is nothing wrong with the property……The SAR also revealed such damming internal emails between Directors and Heads of Business such as 'Number 1, I wanted to make you aware of this and it's obviously not good, nor is it normal for us to have the NHBC invoke Rule 27, but I have another huge concern about this claim which I'd like you to be party to. The whole scenario with the floor detail in the dining room fills me with dread if I'm honest. Following the Resolution, C got H to draw an as built detail. This has not been shared with the NHBC, as yet as I would like you to be comfortable that it won't cause us any issues if we do sent (send) it off as shown.' 'If such a thing exists, Mr……….. does really seem to have a Friday afternoon house.’'Gents. Pls see the disturbing emails below which I need to discuss with you tomorrow. Was it really this bad? Were we rushed? Did it have a QM inspection or was it before we did them?’I didn't fully appreciate how much of a disgrace this home appears to be!! ................ And if we ever wondered why the house was never repaired properly from the outset……’N…. following a meeting I had earlier with G (G being the site manger) he's now provided me with his thoughts as to why we have the issues we have.......we could have done more with the stonework and whilst G refers to it doesn't mention his thoughts as to the retrospective pointing and how he was restrained from doing more than the minimum by J(J being the New Build Manager)'And when we applied for the SAR their National Customer Services Director has the cheek to write………'He really is playing games isn't he. Not sure what Mr ……………... angle is, but hopefully Monday’s meeting will draw this out in the open' Or the best of all………' I'm lost for words (as I'm sure you are) and now have increasing concerns that these issues not only relate to this house but a number if (of) others. In advance of our meeting on Monday we will need to consider full time attendance by a competent Site Manager as and when works are rectified as we obviously can't trust our sub contractors without constant supervision. This may be one for G as he 'built' the house in the first place with temporary cover provided at ………….' So we were lied to, the true nature of the faults were fully known, yet covered up. We were left with surveyors and solicitors fees, when all along Linden knew full well the consequences of their poor build. Works were carried out which undermined the foundations of the property (all hidden and exposed by works in 2017 when the house was externally demolished) This tale covers every possible avenue of recourse, and to be honest Linden Homes do not give two hoots as to how it effects your life, your social well being, or family life. They offer no compensation, and once they have your money, care little for your concerns or welfare.Knowing what I know now, my advice is;1) The first thing I would say, to hit these people where it really hurts is……... DO NOT FILL OUT THE 8 WEEK CUSTOMER SURVEY SENT BY THE NHBC!This survey is sent out by the NHBC on behalf of the House Builders Federation, (HBF’s) who then use the results to prepare feedback papers and reports, which are used by the Government to gauge public satisfaction with New Builds.HBF’s national new homes customer satisfaction survey of house builders was launched in 2005 in response to recommendations in the Barker Review of Housing of 2004. It is a self-completion census done by the purchasers of new build homes. Survey results are published annually in March each year.Obviously things were as bad in 2004 as they are now, and this survey is the prime reason why the HBF issues such statements as below……..The results of the latest home building industry’s Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS), carried out by HBF and the NHBC, demonstrate a customer satisfaction level that matches or exceeds those in most other industries or sectors.This survey is sent out at 8 weeks after completion, and a further survey is sent out after 9 months. Funnily enough the only published results as those from the 8 week survey, when the house is new, seen through rose coloured spectacles, and everything appears to be nice, fresh and clean. Why do you think the initial contact and service from the builder is so good pre - purchase? They are trying to sell you that dream, which ultimately could be a living hell for years to come. Linden appear excellent at the pre sales pitch, as evidenced by the other feedbacks here, until things start to go wrong and then………………………Then you are on your own.If the Government and HBF really want to know what a builders service and quality is like, why not wait until you have had longer in the property to see what so called ‘snagging' issues develop and how they are dealt with. Why are the 9 month results not published, and what do these actually reveal………its all a con!PART TWO TO FOLLOW TOMORROW AS ITS TOO BIG TO FIT ON ONE REVIEW FORM
Caveat · 2 September 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotPart TWO.........................Beware…
Part TWO.........................Beware of Linden Homes!!!2) If you get problems, think very seriously about getting the house inspected thoroughly by an independent surveyor. This can be expensive but has two purposes.a) What you think are ‘snagging’ issues could be far more serious, and have deep rooted causes. An independent survey will identify the true faults that the builders will try and fob you off with.b) The builders have two years to rectify these ‘faults’. If it is anything like ours, they are no more than cheap quick fixes.( in one case downright dangerous, and they covered it all up). They turn up when they feel like it. You have to take days off work for someone not to even bother turning up, or to do the wrong job. We lost 164 working days over 2+ years for faults never to be rectified properly. The two year time line also takes you out of the period you could take a builder to Court. The Local Authority can on your behalf take a builder to Court for failing to comply with Building Regulations on a poorly constructed property………..within 2 years. So make sure if your house is badly built, you do not get conned into waiting and waiting for them to do so called ‘snagging’ especially if the faults are serious.if a person carrying out building work contravenes the Building Regulations, the local authority may prosecute them in the Magistrates' Court where an unlimited fine may be imposed (sections 35 and 35A of the Building Act 1984). Prosecution is possible up to two years after the completion of the offending work. This action will usually be taken against the person carrying out the work (builder, installer or main contractor).c) You can complain to the dispute resolution scheme run by IDRS Ltd and is called CCHBAS (Consumer Code for Home Builders’ Adjudication Scheme)…but guess what you can only do this in the first 2 years!So you probably now realise, the odds are stacked up aginst you for any enforcement action against the house builders. Everything just seems to work in their favour, and they know this. yet after 8 weeks you filled in the NHBC Satisfaction Survey, to say what a wonderful house you have, and how you would recommend the builder to a friend……….really would you do so now you know what you have let yourself in for.3) You could write to your M.P. or the Housing Minister. Probably a waste of paper and time. They can do little. The Government has been promising a Housing Ombudsman since 2000, its never happened. We wrote to the Housing Minister in 2014, and had a standard two page reply, extolling the virtues of The NHBC Warranty (more on that later), Financial Ombudsman Service, or take legal action against the builder…………who pays for this?Since the purchase of our property there have been over eight Housing Ministers. There is no continuity in post, and you always get a standard response from some underling. In fact we had our latest response from the new Minister in January 2019……….exactly the same letter signed by a different person, just wonderful, and yet again promising a Housing Ombudsman. The same letter 5 years later, same wording, same paraphrasing.4) One of the best things you can do is apply to the builder for a SUBJECT ACCESS REPORT. This is a Data Protection format, which entitles you to ALL the documentation, emails, phone calls (where recorded) and correspondence the builder has on file. It’s free to you, and very time consuming for the builders Data Protection Office to comply with. We were lucky as we were one of the first to apply for such. Others who did so afterwards got very redacted responses, more akin to a C.I.A. disclosure with pages covered in black ink everywhere.5) If the NHBC were also the Building Controllers inspecting the property throughout the build process apply for your BUILDING INSPECTION REPORT.Linden Homes were at pains to explain and extol the virtues of the NHBC inspecting the property whilst it was being built, adding some weight to the quality of the finished product. This was absolute rubbish.a) The house was inspected 5 times at various key stages and, they identified 4 major structural faults, all of which were signed off as corrected by the Site Manager of Linden Homes………..they never were. One of which was the incorrect ties and the DPC!b) It will give you some insight as to what was identified as a fault, so if you need a surveyor for problems, then they have a starting point for faults that may never have been corrected.c) Don’t be surprised if you had very few inspections of the five mandated by the NHBC. Its not uncommon and I have over 18 such reports from other households to prove such.The following now just shows how flawed the whole system is………If you find your house has not been inspected properly by NHBC Building Control, you can complain to the CICAIR (Construction Industry Council). This is a two year prolonged wastage of time. You get the same response from separate heads of department, the same letter, just the wording copied and pasted in different areas of the letter. Only when you have exhausted the NHBC Building Control Complaints system, will they GIVE YOU PERMISSION to complain to the body that oversees them.Yes you read it correctly, the overseeing body of Building Control, needs that organisations authority to investigate a complaint against it! We have had one finding in our favour that the NHBC as the Approved Inspector……….. ‘That the Approved Inspector lacked the necessary level of competence and experience required and failed to have the available resources adequately to fulfil the work required for that role'CICAIR failed to look at other evidence we provided to them, especially a house that had its final inspection on completion, the Approved Inspector noted 2 major structural faults that breached Building Regulations, yet signed these off as corrected that same day, when they were not. They then issued a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate on that very same day. Again all evidenced with the copies of such in hand. We have now had to appeal to the Housing and Parliamentary Health Ombudsman, who two years later is still to even look at it!So if you have read this far, well done. Its been 6 years of hell. One of us has been hospitalised through the stress. Been given medication that made you suicidal and depressive. Start dates for works have been reneged upon. On one occasion, having waited 6 months for the dud start date it was cancelled with 24 hours notice. We had to wait over three and a half years for the NHBC to eventually start corrective works. These revealed such shoddy workmanship, its a wonder the house stayed up. The main RSJ in the kitchen held up by the kitchen door frame and a 3” piece of breeze block on one side. Lintels just resting on window frames and no other support. When the stone facing was removed, doors and windows just fell out the house, as they were not even secured in place. No damp course throughout the whole ground floor, it went on and on……….even the NHBC structural engineer stated he had never seen a house so badly built………..We have tried every possible avenue for recompense, admission and liability from Linden Homes building a property to appalling standards. All they did was get their solicitors to send letters. They do not want to know, in fact no one wants to know. The defects were such, it was not even fit for habitation. We are told at one point the house was unmortgable, and not sellable. Best of all, if we tried to sell the property with such defects known to us, and we did not disclose them, we actually commit a Criminal Offence. Recent regulatory changes have brought property sales under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading regulations, which came into force in 2008. They protect consumers by requiring traders to disclose everything that might affect a buyer's decision. The Property Misdescriptions Act, which previously applied to property sales, prevented sellers and estate agents making any incorrect or misleading statements that could give buyers the wrong impression about a property. It was repealed in October 2013, amid a push to achieve more standardised consumer protection legislation. If the agent (or seller) fails to disclose information that a buyer later discovers, they could face criminal charges and up to two years in prison. So Linden Homes can build a home not even complying with Building Regulations, not fit for habitation, which is dangerous and could collapse, and commit no offence in law. You try to sell it as such and you now become a criminal.Brilliant absolutely brilliant, …………..still thinking of buying that house???You can go to the papers, get your your 5 minutes of fame, but nothing will happen. You will read about such stories, time and time again, year after year. Nothing happens, no one wants to stop it, and builders and their shareholders are laughing all the way to the bank at your expense and health.When you move into your New Linden property every house gets a nice folder entitled 'Moving In and Enjoying My New Linden Home (sic)Page 10 - 'FOR EXTRA REASSURANCE'“Essentially this means you could be entitled to compensation, if we encounter problems finishing your home, and any issues once you have moved in, that are our fault will be put right. We know this is the worst case scenario, but it gives everyone peace of mind just in case something does go wrong” It should read when it does all go wrong………………..go swing on it, its your fault for buying it?It makes you laugh really, their latest sales pitch when buying a brand new Linden Home is 'No sorting someone else's DIY disasters or dated decorations - you've got a blank canvas to make your own’SHAME THEY CAN NOT SORT OUT THEIR OWN ‘IN BUILT’ DISASTERS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY SELL IT TO YOU?'
Caveat · 1 September 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotThe harsh reality of buying from Linden Homes...
To the lady whose just written the review... Tara... I so wish you had read ALL my reviews before you bought from this unethical and unscrupulous company. I feel for you but at 4 weeks in and devastated, please prepare yourself because I am over 4 years since I purchased from these crooks and my house has been uninhabitable for 3.5 years. I started off like you, had to move out for a week for the house to be entirely redecorated from top to bottom, kitchen ripped out, flooring up etc and I fought for 5 months with senior management even for that, with Linden battling me every step of the way, their MD even came out to see the state of my house and before him, Head of Customer (don't) Care. It made no difference they just paid me lip service. Their MD, no longer with the company after I exposed the bribery in the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) he tried to get me to sign - make of that what you will, even insisted their contractors sand and paint around me, moving my furniture and personal belongings as they went, bearing in mind every entire room needed doing, including walls and ceilings, whilst I worked from home (I refused and insisted I moved out), my house absolutely full of contractors - it was like something out of 60 minute makeover only an entire week and even then they had to draft in extra painters as they were running out of time to meet their own deadline. I moved back in and did the whole unpacking fiasco all over again, only to be forced out a month later, never to return and that was 19/01/2016. Yes you read the year right - 2016!Websites aren't allowed on Trustpilot so put into Google - Portsmouth News dream home has turned into living hell for owner -That was 3 years ago and Linden did NONE of what I tell the Portsmouth news reporter they agreed (via their lawyers, in writing) but instead they lied to the media then walked away with my keys after changing all MY locks to MY house, even the garden gate, such were their attempts at preventing me accessing MY own home. In fact, if I did want access for any reason, to pick up post even, I had to request it in writing via their lawyers and it had to be 'approved' by Linden and an accompanied visit by their Site Manager. This was to enter MY own house whereby only MY name is on the Deeds, yet such was Linden's contempt for me and disrespect for my property, they still treated it as though they owned it. In fact, in a Subject Access Request I did on Linden, they admit, multiple times, to having 'taken the house back' and not being prepared to 'hand it back' as they repeatedly failed to eradicate the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Yet I was STILL paying for it and am STILL paying for it to this day. 4 years after I bought a house I only lived in for 5 months and £52,000+ later in mortgage payments, which I am funding on part sick pay, part life savings since I have no choice otherwise if I default on my mortgage I will be repossessed by the bank and after being taken to court for the 2nd year running by Fareham Borough council for unpaid council tax on my uninhabitable house, when I'm paying council tax AND since April 2018 my own rent on my temporary alternative accommodation as well... here is where I'm at (as at June 2019)Again, put into Google - Portsmouth News Woman left suicidal after paying 310,000 for contaminated sarisbury green house she cant live in -Linden Homes (and the NHBC) have ripped my life apart, so my advice ....and I tell everyone I come into contact with, in person or on the phone, literally everyone I speak to .."DO NOT BUY FROM LINDEN HOMES"My reviews have been updated as this 4 year nightmare has played out and the despicable treatment I've received from Linden Homes.I really hope people read these reviews and save themselves from the heartache I am going through.
Yvette · 3 August 2019
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
