For the first time annual survey reveals 90% of consumers are happy with quality of new homes and would recommend their builder to friends
The results of HBF’s seventh customer satisfaction survey, released today, reveal that levels of customer satisfaction have once again risen and now match or exceed those in any other industry or sector. The results of the survey, supported and analysed by the National House Building Council, reveal that:
9 out of 10 buyers (90%) are very or fairly satisfied with the overall quality of their new home9 out of 10 buyers (90%) would recommend their builder to a friend
These independently verified results come in the midst of a difficult environment for home builders with an uncertain planning system, restricted mortgage availability and a huge burden of regulation threatening to stifle innovation and continuing design improvement.
Despite these challenges, the results are a testament to the industry’s commitment to deliver the high quality product and service that today’s demanding home buyers rightly expect.
Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman at HBF, said today;“For the first time 9 out of 10 consumers – the most important people in the process – have said that they’re happy with the quality of their new home and would recommend their builder to friends. The results are a testament to the efforts made by our industry to deliver products and services that consumers are happy with, despite the difficult business environment.
“It is essential to achieve these high satisfaction levels when providing a product that represents for most people their largest investment both financially and emotionally. But creating a great home is not straightforward. Each home built is different and presents a different challenge. It takes commitment and dedication from the CEO’s office to the construction site involving everyone from directors to tradesmen to customer facing staff. These superb results are a credit to our industry and all its employees.”
Isabel Hudson, Executive Chairman of NHBC, which supports the survey and analyses the data for HBF, said; “These are extremely encouraging results, which underline the continued commitment of the industry to produce high quality new homes and provide excellent service to consumers.
“The survey reinforces the findings of recent research by the NHBC Foundation, which highlights that occupiers have very positive views about new homes, compared to those consumers living in older stock. This is something the new homes industry should be proud of and perhaps these results will help to communicate the many benefits of new homes to the wider public.”
For media enquiries, or to arrange an interview, please contact Tim Collins – 020 7960 1612 / 07813 883473 or tim.collins@hbf.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal representative body for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. HBF member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk
HBF’s national survey of new home buyers was launched in 2005 in response to one of the recommendations of the Barker Review of Housing Supply (2004).This report presents results from HBF’s seventh Customer Satisfaction Survey, covering the 12 months October 2010 to September 2011
The HBF National New Home Customer Satisfaction Survey is a continuous self-completion postal census of the new home purchasers. The results include the 16 HBF member companies highlighted in the attached document (click here to view) – as well as a representative sample of home builders from across the rest of the industry.
Of 41,892 questionnaires mailed, 23,778 were returned, a response rate of 56.8%
The NHBC Foundation was established by NHBC in partnership with the BRE Trust to facilitate research and development, technology and knowledge sharing, and the capture of industry best practice in the pursuit of improved building standards for the new-build housing sector.The Foundation published Today’s attitudes to low and zero carbon homes: views of occupiers, house builders and housing associations in February 2012, this can be downloaded from www.nhbcfoundation.org/todaysattitudes.
