The OFT study into house building announced last week needs to focus more on poor quality than the problems of supply, claims New Build Inspections…

The OFT study investigating the £20bn house building industry aims to improve consumer satisfaction and increase the number of new homes. However, most of the press attention has focused on housing supply rather than the lack of consumer protection and decreasing customer satisfaction linked to poor quality standards.

Catriona Bright, Managing Director of New Build Inspections a company that checks the quality of new homes on behalf of consumers, commented: “Poor quality is an important part of the study that has been overshadowed thus far in the media by the housing supply issue.

“I am concerned that this will result in the OFT not getting the quantity of evidence they need from new build buyers as they are unlikely to be aware of this part of the study.”

Anecdotal evidence from New Build Inspections’ customers as well as the sheer number of stories in the press suggests that the level of dissatisfaction among the new build buying public continues to be high, with the majority having negative experiences, including those individuals who were fairly positive to start with.

Bright commented: “We hear the same stories time after time, and the solutions are always dismally inadequate.”

Important to voice concerns

New Build inspections will be submitting evidence to the OFT and has written thousands of its customers urging them to do the same.

Bright added, “I would encourage all buyers of new build homes in the last three years to submit evidence to the OFT as this will improve the quality of the findings. It is important that consumers can voice their concerns directly.”

The eight-strong project team would like to receive written evidence by the 17th August to feed into the report due to be published next summer. Submissions can be submitted to this e-mail address - housebuilding.study@oft.gsi.gov.uk.

They should include a summary of the main points and a section with a detailed explanation of each point with supporting evidence.

New Build Inspections believes that the house building market study is likely to result in enforcement action by the OFT (Office of Fair Trading), recommendations for changes to regulations and laws to improve consumer protection.

Source: New Build Inspections