Several homeowners in two Bellway estates claim they have been struggling with leaking roofs, with time running out on their structural warranties. One of the homeowners on the Willow Green estate claims that his newly-built Bellway property in Bedfordshire has dark stains on the outer walls and experienced water sheeting down the brickwork during wet conditions. The homeowner also found patches of damp or discoloration in his tiles, as well as moss and mold growing. Since he purchased the property for £375,000 in 2015, Dean Carpenter has been battling Bellway over the defects in his home’s roof. While two roofing companies found that too few rows of tiles were causing water ingress, Bellway and its insurer rejected the claims.
Eight people on the Willow Green estate shared their concerns about stained walls, mould, or crumbling mortar in the eaves. One of them states that black mould has covered his loft. Bellway said that staining on render was not unusual after nine years, and the National House Building Council (NHBC) found no sign of water ingress. At least six homeowners have complained to Bellway or the NHBC about their roofs, yet only one claim has been approved, which resulted in major remedial work on a property in November 2021. Since then, Bellway has blocked Dean’s emails and threatened legal action if he continues to post critical remarks on Facebook.
Robert Altman and several other homeowners in Florence Close, a 10-home development built by Bellway in 2017, reported similar issues. They say that they are the guinea pigs of a new, flat-roofed design that has caused years of damp or mould on the walls of their bedrooms and bathrooms. In 2023, Bellway admitted that some of its roofs were defective and agreed to improve ventilation and lay new insulation, but the job took nearly two years, and people’s lofts were exposed for months under scaffolding. Furthermore, Bellway’s contractors only attempted to clean up the mould, and it began to grow again all over the homeowner’s loft and bathroom walls. As a result, residents are currently considering legal action.
The company is said to be confident about its prospects for 2025, and in the past year, Bellway’s profits were £381m, despite market hurdles. It is expected to complete 8,500 homes by April. In July, the BBC reported on a Bellway estate in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, with thousands of ongoing snagging issues that prompted dozens of other disgruntled customers to get in touch. Bellway spokesperson, with the NHBC, stated that they would remediate any legitimate build defects in the first ten years and are committed to resolving any issues as effectively as possible. The NHBC is dedicated to raising standards in housebuilding by championing high-quality homes
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