The latest National New Home Customer Satisfaction Survey from NHBC and HBF has also revealed that 89% of new home buyers would recommend their builder to a friend - two percentage points higher than last year and five percentage points up on three years ago.
Meanwhile, 91% of respondents said they would buy a new build home again.
HBF’s executive chairman Stewart Baseley said that the increase in customer satisfaction levels reflected the significant effort made by housebuilders to produce a quality product that customers wanted in a way they expected it to be provided.
He commented: “We have now seen three successive years of improved scores, underlining the industry’s determination to get it right for its customers. Whilst builders are now delivering levels of satisfaction that compare with any other product or sector there is still more to do.
"The industry is totally committed to helping put in place a new homes ombudsman service that will provide further reassurance and confidence for the buyers of new homes.
“During the current coronavirus crisis, builders’ relationships with their customers will be especially key as they help them through the sales and aftercare processes whilst prioritising measures to keep both customers and staff safe.”
Retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone achieved a five-star rating for the 15th consecutive year, as long as the survey has existed. Barratt was a five star housebuilder for the 11th year running.
And Bovis, now part of Vistry, returned to five-star status after a difficult few years for the company.
The independently verified survey, which launched in response to the 2004 Barker Review of Housing Supply, covers the 12 months from October 2018 to September 2019. As a result of the big increases in housing supply, more than double the number of surveys were issued compared to five years ago with 99,919 questionnaires sent out and 63,418 returned – a response rate of 63%.
The 36 housebuilders who achieved the five-star rating are:
Barratt Developments, Bellway Homes, Bloor Homes, Bovis Homes, Burrington Estates, CALA Homes, Cameron Homes, Campion Homes, Cavanna Homes, Churchill Retirement Living, Countryside Properties, Crest Nicholson, Croudace Homes, Davidsons Developments, Duchy Homes, Galliers Homes, Galliford Try Partnerships & Regeneration, Gentoo, Hayfield Homes, Hill, Jones Homes, Lioncourt Homes, Macbryde Homes, Mactaggart & Mickel Homes, Malcolm Allan Housebuilders, McCarthy & Stone, Miller Homes, Morris Homes, Redrow Homes, Riverdale Developments, Rose Builders, St Modwen Homes, Strata Group, Thakeham Group, W Westerman, William Davis.
