Homebuilders await survey results

The top 60 homebuilders are holding their collective breath as they wait for the results of the UK National Housing Customer Satisfaction Survey, the first and largest ever survey of UK homebuyers' opinions of their homebuilders.

Homebuilders are due to find out imminently how their own company has fared in the survey, with the results of the top 60 set to be officially announced by the Housing Forum on October 19.

In the weeks running up to the official announcement there has been massive speculation in the homebuilding industry about the identity of the best and worst performing homebuilders, and concern about the impact of the survey on the general public's perception of individual homebuilders and the new homes market as a whole.

Although individual company's performances have remained a closely guarded secret, the overwhelming conclusion to be drawn, sources close to the survey suggest, is that buyers like the design of new homes, but are less impressed with the service that they are getting from homebuilders.

Over the summer market research company Mori carried out a telephone survey of more than 10 000 buyers of new homes, asking them about the build quality and design of their home, as well as the quality of service given by their homebuilder.

The survey covered the country's top 60 homebuilders, developing 300-plus units a year, and its findings are set to be officially presented to the industry at the Housing Forum's annual conference: Customer and client power, on Thursday 19 October, at the Britannia Hotel in London Docklands.

The survey was based on a questionnaire of more than 20 items covering five key themes: value for money, quality of product, customer service, design and overall impression. It asked buyers about: the standard of finish of the home, quality of fixtures and fittings, defects that needed to be rectified by the homebuilder, whether the home represented good value for money, quality of the home during the buying process, on move-in day and after sales, the suitability of the design and how willing they would be to recommend their homebuilder to a friend, and to buy new again.

Homebuyers were typically asked to give their answers in the form of a graded rating from very satisfied to very dissatisfied.

The first survey has been carried out with Government backing by the Housing Forum, the organisation set up by the DETR to initiate improvement in homebuilding practice.

The survey is intended to help consumers make a more informed choice when buying a new home, provide information to help homebuilders improve their products and services, and to provide an annual benchmark in customer satisfaction with homebuilders' performance.