My inbox is inundated with surveys; some are spurious to say the least and simply designed to give a business a shout-out on a quiet news day and journalists, strapped to the 24-hour hamster media wheel, unlikely to question how a number, statistic or percentage was arrived at, if there is a hole to fill online or in print.
Some surveys, especially through the lens of a sector we monitor day in and day out, can be taken for granted and we only consider the implications on quiet reflection. And I have been quietly reflecting on the latest New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey and the HBF Star Rating scheme.
A new home is invariably a consumer’s biggest ever purchase, unless one has a penchant for super-yachts, and that breeds probably, and, let’s face it, naturally, the harshest critics of all.
Housebuilding is this magazine’s bag. I have no idea if regular customer satisfaction surveys are conducted for say lawyers, or, god forbid, government departments. But the new homes industry puts its head above the parapet these days rather than ducking for cover. And contrary to popular, some might say ignorant, opinion, it is not all about fending off brickbats, for there are bouquets being thrown, and by the people best placed to judge – the buyers.
The latest Customer Satisfaction Survey sees the fifth successive year in which the industry has hit scores over 90%, with 94% of new build homebuyers happy to recommend their builder to a friend.
Writing in this month’s Show House, Stewart Baseley, chairman of the HBF, says: “The importance of this achievement cannot be overstated, for the ultimate arbiters of quality are the customers themselves, and securing such high levels of satisfaction based solely on their direct feedback represents a resounding endorsement of the collective efforts of an industry that spans from onsite teams to senior leadership. These figures serve to dispel outdated misconceptions surrounding new-build properties, demonstrating that the industry’s commitment to quality is firmly embedded in practice.”
It is what the WhatHouse? Awards are all about too. We would say that wouldn’t we, as the industry’s most prestigious accolades come from the same stable as Show House magazine. But, with the Awards entering their 45th year, the UK’s finest homes are, for the most part, getting finer, even if there is much to do to elevate the work of some who prefer to churn, rather than cherish the privilege of designing and building homes for people to live in. Yes, a profit needs to be turned, but there are few greater social values than placemaking.
I was reminded of this on a visit to City & Country, the reigning WhatHouse? Awards Housebuilder of the Year. I was in the Essex village of St Osyth. There are brand-new City & Country homes to follow in the form of Priory Fields, but this was to celebrate the developer’s extraordinary multimillion-pound restoration of a country estate that can trace its history back nearly 1,400 years, and what is now a wedding and events space, as well as holiday lets, with a farm shop and pub to follow.
Walking around St Osyth on a glorious spring day in the company of architect, broadcaster and City & Country ambassador George Clarke, I was transported to the fictional pages of one of my favourite authors, Ken Follett, and The Pillars of the Earth, an epic medieval tale of ambition, anarchy – and architecture.
The monks may have long since dissolved into the Tendring turf, thanks to Henry VIII, but if flint and stone could speak. Should the king return and fancies getting married a seventh time, he’d book St Osyth Priory, but you’d want to keep your head down.
The rooms in the meticulously restored 15th-century Gatehouse doff their hoods to history, alongside the modern specification of kitchens and bathrooms. It is craftsmanship of the highest order and City & Country needs to clone their artisans for the good of the nation before it’s too late. In the parish of St Osyth, AI stands for Architectural Intelligence, or indeed Integrity.
Normally the idea of new homes in the grounds of an historic pastoral estate would have locals up in arms – pikes and staffs probably. But City & Country doesn’t distinguish when it comes to how it applies itself to buildings and their values, be it working on a 15th-century gatehouse or a 21st-century new house.
The WhatHouse? Awards are open to all, large or small. There are exceptional developments out there we hear about, and those we don’t. We want the hidden gems to step out of the cloisters and take centre stage. Showcase the very best of what you do, whoever and wherever you are, and bouquets will land.
If we can keep the customer satisfaction rates up, maybe we can, as an industry, once and for all, as Stewart Baseley says, ‘dispel outdated misconceptions’. Meanwhile, the people that matter are 94% happy. That’s a survey result to recognise and be reckoned with.
This article was first featured in Show House Magazine. Read more like this and the latest industry insight here.
