Which are the best UK house builders when it comes to build quality? HomeViews collects reviews from verified residents in thousands of new build homes across the country, providing feedback on every aspect of buying, renting and living in their homes. If you’re considering buying or renting a new build, take a look at our rankings to see which developers build to the highest standards.
How do UK house builders rank on build quality?
Build quality is understandably one of the key considerations for buyers and renters when deciding where to live. Having confidence in the build quality of your home can relieve fears of snagging problems and put your mind at ease when it comes to maintenance costs. On average, build quality receives the third-highest ratings for buyers in the ‘buying experience’ HomeViews review categories.
This puts it behind build timetable and customer service ratings, but above aftersales care. Interestingly, Shared Owners tend to rate the build quality of their developments higher than buyers on HomeViews.
Which regions have the best build quality?
Build quality scores vary for new build homes according to their region. For new-build buyers, London, with its wealth of luxury developments, rates the highest for build quality.
The Midlands ranks second-highest and East of England third. Developments in the South and North of England are fourth and fifth respectively.
The top 10 UK house builders for build quality
So, which of the UK’s new home builders rank best for build quality? Take a look at our rankings below, to help guide your new build property search.
The list is based on our 2024 HomeViews Resident Choice Awards rankings based on reviews submitted between 17 October 2022 to 31 December 2023.
These were based on Verified reviews on HomeViews, and required the developer to have at least three developments across sales properties, Housing Association homes and Housing Developments. The rankings below are based on Build Quality ratings, and developers required a minimum of 50+ Verified reviews to be eligible.
1. The Hill Group
Build quality rating: 4.27 out of 5
The Hill Group secures top spot in our list of the highest-rated developers for build quality. The developer impresses residents with the quality of its homes throughout London and the South East of England. Hill has secured various other accolades in the housebuilding industry, including 5-star status from the Home Builders Federation’s Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
2. CALA Homes
Build quality rating: 4.26 out of 5
CALA Homes takes the second spot for build quality in 2024. The company currently has 35 developments listed on HomeViews. A large British housebuilding company with their headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, CALA Homes was founded in 1875. The company aims to provide ‘exceptional design and build.’
3. Bloor Homes
Build quality rating: 4.17 out of 5
Third-placed Bloor Homes has over 50 years experience in the UK residential sector. The company strives to put its homeowners at the heart of all its decisions, applying its Bloor Standards to ensure consistent quality and service is achieved.
4. Fairview New Homes
Build quality rating: 4.08 out of 5
Fairview New Homes is a new entrant on this Top-Rated list for 2024, thanks to its focus on build quality and also integrating into and supporting the communities around its new developments. Its portfolio includes detached homes and city apartments in well-connected locations across London and the Home Counties.
5. Story Homes
Build quality rating: 4.08 out of 5
Taking fifth place is Story Homes, with 12 development reviewed on HomeViews. Founded in 1987, Story Homes is a housing developer with schemes in Cumbria, North West and North East England and Southern Scotland. Their mission is to design and build quality homes that people aspire to live in.
6. Berkeley Homes
Build quality rating: 4.05 out of 5
Berkeley Homes has a long-running reputation for quality across its buildings and customer service teams. Operating across London, Birmingham and the South of England, Berkeley’s ethos is to build lasting communities with a focus on sustainability.
7. Telford Homes
Build quality rating: 4.03 out of 5
Seventh-placed Telford Homes is a London-based property developer that was established in 2000, specialising in mixed-use, residential-led schemes. These homes build communities where there’s a shortage of homes, with mixed tenures and a focus on sustainability.
8. Countryside
Build quality rating: 3.94 out of 5
Countryside operates across London, the South East, the North West of England and the West Midlands, and was founded in 1958. Taking eighth place in this year’s list, Countryside also creates affordable and private housing for local authorities and housing associations through planning agreements, PRS housing, mixed use schemes and joint ventures.
9. Taylor Wimpey
Build quality rating: 3.90 out of 5
In ninth is Taylor Wimpey, one of the UK’s largest residential developers, building and selling some 10,000 homes each year. The company was established in 2007, as the result of a merger between George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow.
10. Barratt Homes
Build quality rating: 3.88 out of 5
With reviews on HomeViews for 56 of its developments, Barratt Homes/Barratt London takes tenth place. Barratt Developments Plc is one of the UK’s largest property developers with over 30 operating divisions. (Note: this ranking combines ratings for both Barratt Homes and Barratt London).
2024 Resident Choice Awards
The rankings in this article are taken from HomeViews’ 2024 Resident Choice Awards, which took place in Birmingham on 23rd February. The awards are the property industry’s only awards based purely on verified resident reviews.
Top 5 things new build owners wish they’d known before buying
Before you go, here’s a quick rundown of the top 5 things that new-build buyers say they wish they’d known before purchasing. This list comes from our latest free New Build Buyer’s Guide. You can check that out in the link, where you’ll also find the full top 10 list. In this order of priority, prior to buying, new-build buyers wish they’d known more about:
- The developer and property manager
- Parking arrangements
- The quality of the garden
- Snagging surveys – how they work, what the developer’s conditions are, etc
- How the property looks/feels at different times of the day.
So bear these important points in mind if you’re planning on searching for a new-build property.
The biggest housebuilders in the UK
The best housebuilders for build quality aren’t necessarily going to be the biggest developers, though there is some overlap between the two. Below is a list of the biggest housebuilders in the UK, as listed on letsbuild.com. As you can see, both Barratt and Bellway feature on both lists:
- Barratt Developments
- Kier Group
- Taylor Wimpey
- Persimmon Group
- Galliford Try
- Bellway
- Redrow
- Willmott Dixon
The only dedicated property review site
Reviews on HomeViews cover a range of subjects, including facilities, design, location, value, and property management. They also include ratings and reviews on a number of topics not shown publicly on the site.
These cover specific elements of the renting or buying experience, including customer service, build timetable, aftersales care and build quality. By gathering such detailed information on UK home builders, you can be sure HomeViews reviews cover all the angles to give a fair representation of each development and house builder.
Find this list and other UK rankings for the UK’s new build developers and developments in our latest New Build Resident Experience Report.
HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.
