allison-homes.co.uk Complaints & Common Issues

Every business, especially one in property development, will encounter complaints. It’s not necessarily a sign of a bad company, but rather how they handle these issues. While the homepage of allison-homes.co.uk doesn’t directly list complaints, understanding common issues in the new build sector allows us to infer what kinds of complaints Allison Homes might face, and how they likely address them.

Typical Complaints in New Build Property

New build homes, despite their appeal, are prone to certain types of issues that commonly lead to customer complaints across the industry.

• Snagging List Issues: This is by far the most common complaint. Customers move into their brand new home and find a list of minor defects – paint imperfections, loose fittings, uneven flooring, misaligned doors, or minor plumbing/electrical issues. The complaint often isn’t just about the snags themselves, but the speed and quality of their rectification.
• Aftercare Responsiveness: Following on from snagging, complaints often arise if the aftercare team is perceived as slow, unresponsive, or unwilling to address issues to the customer’s satisfaction. Poor communication is a frequent trigger here.
• Construction Delays: New build completion dates are often estimates and can shift due to various factors (weather, material shortages, labour issues). Delays can cause significant frustration for buyers, especially if they have sold their previous home or have moving logistics planned.
• Quality of Finishes/Materials: While developers aim for high standards, sometimes customers feel that the quality of certain finishes (e.g., basic appliances, standard flooring) is not as expected or presented.
• External Works/Landscaping: Delays or dissatisfaction with the completion of external areas like gardens, driveways, or communal landscaping within a development.
• Communication Breakdowns: Customers might feel that communication from the developer is insufficient or unclear, particularly during the construction phase or when issues arise.
• Unexpected Costs: While usually covered in contracts, some buyers might feel surprised by costs related to service charges, management fees for communal areas, or unexpected legal expenses.

How Allison Homes Likely Addresses Complaints

Based on their professional website and industry standards, Allison Homes would likely have established processes for managing and resolving complaints.

• Dedicated Aftercare Department: Most reputable developers have a specific team or department for aftercare and defect resolution, acting as the primary point of contact post-completion.
• Formal Complaints Procedure: They would be expected to have a documented complaints procedure, guiding customers on how to submit a formal complaint and outlining the steps for resolution. This might involve escalating the issue internally if initial attempts at resolution are unsuccessful.
• NHBC/Premier Guarantee Scheme: As a new build developer, Allison Homes would almost certainly be part of a warranty scheme like NHBC or Premier Guarantee. These schemes provide a 10-year structural warranty and also offer a dispute resolution service for significant defects if the developer fails to resolve them. This acts as an independent arbiter for serious issues.
• Customer Service Training: Their stated value of “customer” focus implies training their staff, including sales and aftercare teams, in handling customer queries and complaints professionally.
• Documentation and Tracking: Internally, they would likely use systems to log, track, and manage all customer complaints, ensuring issues are assigned to the correct teams and resolved within specified timeframes.

Common Issues from the Website’s Perspective

From the homepage text, we can infer some operational issues they might address, though not necessarily complaints.

• Energy Efficiency Explanation: The fact they need a “Find out more” link for energy bill savings indicates a common query, which they address by providing more detailed information.
• Help to Buy Deadline: Their prominent mention of the Help to Buy deadline (31st October 2022) addresses a common time-sensitive query or concern for first-time buyers relying on that scheme.
• Key Workers Scheme: This initiative is a response to the need for affordable housing for essential workers, addressing a societal issue rather than a direct complaint, but it shows their responsiveness to market needs.

In summary, while specific complaints aren’t listed on allison-homes.co.uk, it’s reasonable to expect that, like all new build developers, they face common issues related to snagging, aftercare, and construction delays. Their professional setup suggests they have established procedures, likely backed by industry warranty schemes, to manage and resolve these complaints effectively. For a complete picture, checking independent review sites like Trustpilot or forums dedicated to new build experiences would be beneficial.

allison-homes.co.uk Customer Support Review