There are dark spots on the exterior walls of Dean Carpenter's newly built home, and when it rains, he says, water flows over the brickwork.
Since buying his property in Bellway, Bedfordshire, a year ago, he has noticed patches of damp or discolored tiles, as well as accumulations of moss and mold, in the attic.
Dean is one of many homeowners on two Bellway properties who claim to have endured long struggles with leaky roofs – and time is running out on their structural warranties.
Bellway says it strives to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
Willow Green, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Dean, 41, paid £375,000 for his home, which was built in 2015.
He says he wakes up every morning and worries about the roof.
Two roofing companies told him that there were too few rows of roof tiles, so the overlap was not enough to prevent water from entering.
But Bellway and its insurer, the National House Building Council (NHBC), have rejected Dean's claims, saying the poor quality repair work carried out by an independent contractor would have been non-compliant and voided his warranty.
It said NHBC inspections found “no defect in the original construction of Mr Carpenter's property” or evidence of a leak or water intrusion.
Since then, Bellway has blocked Dean's emails and threatened legal action if he continues to post critical comments on Facebook.
“I feel totally fobbed off by Bellway,” he says.
“The roof needs to be replaced, it needs to be re-battened, re-tiled and re-laid.”
Eight people at the Willow Green property expressed concern about stained walls, mold or crumbling mortar in the eaves.
One of them, Robert Degavino, 77, says his attic is full of black mold.
“Bellway came to inspect the property but in their opinion it complies with building regulations.”
“We’re worried because if it gets wet all the time, what will it be like in five, 10 or 20 years?”
“They’re beautifully designed houses, I just think it’s bad building practice.”
Bellway says stains on the plaster are not uncommon after nine years and the NHBC has found no signs of water intrusion.
At least six homeowners have complained to Bellway or the NHBC about their roofs.
Only one application has been approved so far, leading to extensive remediation work on one property in November.
Florence Close, Brentwood, Essex
Robert Altman, 44, says he and his neighbors in Florence Close, a 10-house development built by Bellway in 2017, are in a similar situation.
They say they are the guinea pigs of a new flat-roof construction that has caused moisture or mold on the walls of their bedrooms and bathrooms for years.
In 2023, Bellway admitted that some of the roofs were faulty and agreed to improve ventilation and install new insulation. However, the work took almost two years, and people's attics were under scaffolding for months.
“And the worst thing is that they didn’t fix the problem,” says Robert.
“The specialists who came to certify the work said that there were still dangerous levels of moisture in our lofts.
“It's just misery after misery and we've been left out in the cold – we spend time doing that when we have young families, we all have jobs and if we want to sell our houses then we won't be able to do that.” .
Some residents are now considering legal action.
Georgina Bright, 32, said damp had built up on the ceiling of her upstairs room, causing “all the lights to flicker” and when an extractor fan was removed “loads of water flowed out”.
She says that although Bellway contractors have tried to eliminate the mold, it is growing back all over her attic and on the bathroom walls.
“It gives me post-traumatic stress disorder, the whole thing. It’s terrible.”
“And I think sometimes, even when Bellway responds, it's so unhelpful that I feel really like crap.”
Bellway “apologized to all affected homeowners in Florence Close” and said it had worked hard to resolve the outstanding issues. The roofs are now “installed as planned to prevent future concerns” and a mold treatment specialist will reassess the properties in the spring.
Paula Higgins, chief executive of the Homeowners Alliance, said the level of insurance cover for new-build homeowners could be “deeply unfair”.
“The scope of the structural warranty is very limited so it can be difficult to resolve issues – this is frustrating and residents shouldn’t have to become experts because it’s not their fault.”
“We rely on private companies with shareholders to provide a public good and I don’t believe they take full responsibility for the overall construction of these homes,” Ms Higgins said.
How are new building owners protected?
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Once a new home is built, it is typically covered by a warranty that lasts up to 10 years and is split into two periods. The NHBC is by far the most common
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In the first two years, the builder is obliged to correct any defects or “malfunctions”, such as unsealed windows. Many homeowners hire professionals to identify them
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From the third to the tenth year, the homeowner is typically insured against structural defects or if damage occurs because, for example, the foundation or roof does not meet the correct standards
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During this construction warranty period, minor defects are no longer covered. Damp can be covered, but only if it is determined to have been caused by the builder
Source: Homeowners Alliance
Despite market challenges, Bellway performed better than most major housebuilders last year, making profits of £381 million.
The company expects to complete 8,500 homes by April and is confident about its prospects for 2025.
In July, the BBC reported on a Bellway property in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, with thousands of ongoing problems, prompting dozens of other unhappy customers to get in touch.
A Bellway spokesman told the NHBC it would “correct any legitimate construction defects identified” over the first 10 years.
“As a responsible developer, we strive to resolve all issues as effectively as possible.
“A new home is a hand-crafted product, so there are defects that often only become apparent once the homeowners move in, as was the case with Florence Close.”
An NHBC spokesman said it was “committed to raising standards in housing by championing high quality homes”.
“We assure homeowners of our commitment to fairness, thorough investigations and our industry-recognized high standards.”
