BBC
Dean Carpenter says he found patches of damp or discolored tile, accumulations of moss and mold growing in the attic of his home.
There are dark stains on the exterior walls of Dean Carpenter’s new house, and when it rains, he says, sheets of water cascade down the masonry.
Since buying his Bellway property in Bedfordshire a year ago, he has discovered patches of damp or discolored tiles, build-ups of moss and mold growing in the attic.
Dean is one of several owners of two Bellway estates who say they have endured long battles with leaking roofs – and time is running out on their structural warranties.
Bellway says it strives to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
Willow Green, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Dean says he found water pooling under his roof tiles and stains on the masonry
Dean, 41, paid £375,000 for his 2015-built home.
Every morning he wakes up and worries about the roof, he said.
Two roofing companies told him there were too few rows of tiles, meaning there wasn’t enough overlap to prevent water infiltration.
But Bellway and its insurers, the National House Building Council (NHBC), rejected Dean’s claims, saying shoddy repair work carried out by an independent builder did not comply with regulations and invalidated his warranty.
He said NHBC inspections had “identified no defects in the original construction of Mr Carpenter’s property” or any evidence of leaks or water infiltration.
Since then, Bellway has blocked Dean’s emails and threatened legal action if he continues to post critical remarks on Facebook.
“I feel totally abandoned by Bellway,” he says.
“The roof needs to be replaced, it needs to be re-roofed, re-tiled and re-roofed properly.”
There are stains on the exterior walls of Robert Degavino’s house
Eight people from the Willow Green Estate raised concerns about stained walls, mold or crumbling mortar in the eaves.
One of them, Robert Degavino, 77, says his loft is full of black mold.
“Bellway came to inspect the property, but as far as they are concerned it complies with building regulations.
“We are worried because if the weather is constantly wet, what will it be like in five, ten or twenty years?
“They’re beautifully designed homes, I just think they’re poor construction practices.”
Bellway says the stains on the render were not unusual after nine years and the NHBC found no signs of water infiltration.
At least six homeowners have complained to Bellway or the NHBC about their roofs.
So far, only one claim has been approved, resulting in major restoration work on one property in November.
Florence Close, Brentwood, Essex
Robert Altman, Georgina Bright and Themba Sikhosana are among 10 households on the street who have reported damp problems.
Robert Altman, 44, says he and his neighbors in Florence Close, a 10-unit complex built by Bellway in 2017, are in a similar situation.
They say they are guinea pigs for a new flat-roof design, which has led to years of damp or mold on the walls of their bedrooms and bathrooms.
In 2023, Bellway admitted that some roofs were defective and agreed to improve ventilation and install new insulation, but the work took almost two years and people’s lofts were exposed for months under scaffolding.
“And the worst part is that they didn’t solve the problem,” Robert says.
“The specialists who came to certify the work said there were still dangerous levels of humidity in our lofts.
“It’s just one misery after another and we’ve been left behind. We spend time on it when we have young families, we all have jobs, and if we want to sell our houses we’re not going to do it.” be able to do it.”
Bellway said a mold remediation specialist would revisit the Florence Close site in the spring
Some residents are now considering filing a complaint.
Georgina Bright, 32, says moisture built up on her upstairs ceiling so “all the lights flickered” and after removing an extractor fan, “tons of water escaped.
She says that although Bellway contractors have tried to clean up the mold, it is growing back all over her loft and on the bathroom walls.
“It gives me PTSD, all of that. It’s horrible.
“And I think sometimes, even when Bellway responds, it’s so pointless that it makes me feel really crappy.”
Bellway “apologized to any property owners on Florence Close who were affected” and said it had worked hard to resolve the outstanding issues, adding that the roofs were now “arranged as planned to avoid any future issues” and that a mold treatment specialist would re-evaluate the properties in Spring.
Georgina’s house was covered in scaffolding for several months while Bellway installed new insulation.
Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Homeowners Alliance, said the level of cover for new build owners could be “deeply unfair”.
“The structural warranty is very limited in scope so it can be difficult to resolve issues – it’s frustrating and residents shouldn’t have to become experts because it’s not their fault.
“We rely on private companies with shareholders to deliver the public good and I don’t think they take full responsibility for the overall construction of these homes,” Ms Higgins said.
How are owners of new construction protected?
Once a new home is built, it is usually covered by a warranty that lasts up to 10 years and is divided into two periods. NHBCs are by far the most common. During the first two years, the builder is obligated to repair any defects or “snaps,” such as unsealed windows. Many homeowners hire professionals to spot them. From the third to the tenth year, the owner is generally insured against structural defects, or where damage has been caused because the foundation or roof, it is claimed, was not built to the proper standards. During this structural warranty period, minor defects are no longer covered. Damp can be covered up, but only if it turns out to be the builder’s fault.
Source: Owners’ Alliance
Despite market challenges, Bellway has fared better than most major housebuilders over the past year, with profits of £381m.
The company is expected to build 8,500 homes by April and is confident about its prospects for 2025.
In July, the BBC reported on a Bellway estate in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, with thousands of persistent snag problems, prompting dozens of other unhappy customers to contact us.
A Bellway spokesperson said that along with NHBC it would “remediate any identified legitimate construction defects” within the first ten years.
“As a responsible developer, we strive to resolve all issues as efficiently as possible.
“A new house is a hand-built product, so defects do occur and often only become apparent once the owners have moved in, as was the case at Florence Close.”
An NHBC spokesperson said it was “committed to raising standards in housebuilding by championing high quality homes”.
“We assure owners of our commitment to fairness, our thorough investigations and our industry-recognized high standards.”
