Anyone bought a new Bellway home recently?

[Deleted User]

Asking as I have never dealt with them before and the wife has seen a new home for a good price compared to some old doer uppers we were looking at.
Are their homes good quality or are they a poor builder in terms of quality and customer care?

aggypanthus

My sister bought one 8 years ago, there were lots of snagging problems, over 100 noted by a surveyor, longer term she had lots of probs with the boiler. Dont recall details but it turned out Bellway were at fault.

makeyourdaddyproud

Bellway at can put up homes astonishingly fast: one minute the ground is levelled, the next full brick skins are erected. Bellway had a development in Calcot, Reading and after curiosity viewing - for the money, they are way too small for the money.

Bellway plots also tend to be smaller than average with the garden for a 4-bed £325k house being shorter than 30 feet.

Do you really want to buy a newbuild? You will regret it if you have a bathroom leak onto your chipboard paradise.

makeyourdaddyproud

For me to buy a Bellway, i would insist on the following:

100 foot plot.
Floorboards
No MDF or chipboard used in construction
Decorative cornicing
Fireplace with grate
Stained glass windows
Hardwood windows
Wrought iron chattels

Then we can talk business...

becominganobsessivesaver

We moved into a six year old bellway house 9 months ago. Ok our garden is only abou 30 foot by 30 foot, but our front garden is the same plus double garage and double driveway. We're on a really good plot (end of cul de sac, with no way that anyone can park in front of our house), and the layout is perfect. Solid walls would be nice, but we paid 200k for a 1500 sq ft detatched house, an older house would have been a semi and cost more per sq ft.

makeyourdaddyproud

becominganobsessivesaver wrote: »

We moved into a six year old bellway house 9 months ago. Ok our garden is only abou 30 foot by 30 foot, but our front garden is the same plus double garage and double driveway. We're on a really good plot (end of cul de sac, with no way that anyone can park in front of our house), and the layout is perfect. Solid walls would be nice, but we paid 200k for a 1500 sq ft detatched house, an older house would have been a semi and cost more per sq ft.

Ah, but would you say it's gained value? Many NBs were overpriced.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all the advice, don't think it's the way to go, so we are back to looking at older properties, new builds look nice but the plots are too small and just so crammed in and having read Bellway reviews about major problems I think it's a good idea to forget about it. Tbh the wife walked into the show home and fell head over heels with it, however I had another walk round and there was loads of shoddy workmanship with it on closer inspection!

microkid

We're also looking at a Bellway, and agree the plots are small. But at the right price, we consider this. But what is the right price? Is it feasible they would drop 20%, I feel uncomfortable asking!

makeyourdaddyproud

microkid wrote: »

We're also looking at a Bellway, and agree the plots are small. But at the right price, we consider this. But what is the right price? Is it feasible they would drop 20%, I feel uncomfortable asking!

You have absolutely no chance.

But let that serve as both a virtue and close call on your subsequent purchase of period home worth buying.