My Little House Horror, Persimmon Homes, Charles Church (read more click here)

They Did Warn Us They Would Pull Out

2011-04-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

But is it right? Years later and we are still waiting for faults to be fixed.

Is it right that the builder can refuse to fix one item, because you have complained to the NHBC about another? Is it right that the builder can delay fixing an agreed item indefinitely, even when all parties have agreed to no delay?

The Persimmon Group plc, appears to be able to do what they want, when they want and the home owner is expected to just put up with it. That the NHBC would help them to this end is alarming to say the least.

Still we await simple and difficult faults to be rectified.

New Year, Same Problems, Can Charles Church Change in 2011

2011-01-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Poor Customer Service, Low Quality, and a lack of remedial work is still the theme for Charles Church in 2011. Just how long do we have to wait for simple plumbing issues to be fixed?

How many times can they (Charles Church, part of Persimmon Group plc, which also trades as Persimmon Homes) tell us they are going to fix them, only for them to do nothing?

The wait continues for a house we can live in or sell.

Persimmon Homes illegally demolished historic buildings in Banbury's conservation area to make way for apartments

2010-12-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

In the news article, Devloper Lays Waste to Heritage, a housing developer has ignored planners and illegally demolished historic buildings in Banbury's conservation area to make way for apartments.

It was reported that Persimmon Homes has knocked down 17-19 North Bar despite warnings from officers at Cherwell District Council to stop work.

From my experience - with over 4 years experience of Persimmon Group plc, and their tactics, including so called 'indpendent reports' - I feel the judgment did not go far enough and that the fines need to be tougher.

Cowboy Builders, We've Had Enough of Charles Church

2010-10-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

The lack of progress and constant battling gets harder and harder, but still we persist in complaining to Charles Church, Persimmon and the NHBC.

Maybe one day regulation and new laws will protect the home owner, and see that Charles Church builds home to a reasonable standard and that failures to do so are resolved in a reasonable time, with consideration for the home owner.

Westbury Homes, Persimmon Group plc, Feature on BBC Watchdog

2010-09-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Persimmon Group plc, again has one of it's company's featured on BBC Watchdog, regarding unsatisfactory quality and warranty complaints for Persimmon.

The original BBC Watchdog news article can be seen here.

Still Waiting on Charles Church (part of Persimmon Group plc)

2010-09-05T04:24:00.000-07:00

Over four and a half years and still we wait for Charles Church to do the right thing.

The excuses and delays continue, with no resolution to our problems with the substandard new home they sold.

We continue to complain, and continue to wait for a satisfactory outcome.

Persimmon Group plc, Persimmon Homes, Charles Church, Westbury Partnerships

2010-08-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

The advertising continues, painting a rosie picture of a safe investment in a new home from the Persimmon Group plc (which includes Charles Church and Persimmon Homes), yet the reality (in our 5th year) of waiting for snagging to be addressed is very different. In fact we feel our experience of buying a new home from the Persimmon Group plc is the total opposite of what we expected from the company's sales and marketing claims.

The customer complaints have continued for far to long with both Persimmon and Charles Church, with the standards being unsatisfactory.

Even the customer sales agents didn't give us an honest or accurate picture, with direct questions being answered incorrectly it later turned out. Yet at least one professional claimed the sales staff had been informed of issues with the new home prior to sale.

Does Anyone Care at Persimmon Homes or Charles Church

2010-08-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

Customer Service is Dreadfull. I've never experienced anything this bad before. Years and Years go by, yet still simple faults are not being fixed.

Charles Church Reviews, Heald Point, Manchester

2010-07-20T01:59:00.000-07:00

Heald Point, Cunningham Drive, Styal, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M22 5LT - a new Charles Church development, review coming shortly.

Thank-you to those that have contacted us offering to review new developments by Charles Church or Persimmon Homes, we look forward to sharing your opinions. More reviewers are wanted, please contact us.

Camber's Edge, Portsmouth, by Charles Church

2010-07-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

Camber's Edge, Broad Street, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2JE - another new development by Charles Church, but what's it really like?

Review coming soon from one of our followers . . . watch this space.

BBC Watchdog, Persimmon Homes and Charles Church

2010-07-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

To quote BBC Watchdog editorial which also mentions Persimmon Homes and Charles Church customer service issues. "Two years ago, the NHBC received 63,000 complaints about faults in new houses but last year, during the recession, the number of complaints actually went up. This was despite 40 per cent fewer houses being built".

Persimmon Homes said "We take our customer service and build quality seriously. All new homes will experience a settling in period and it is not unusual for snagging to occur after completion. We endeavour to deal with all items brought to our attention as quickly and thoroughly as possible".

Perhaps they should be fair, and define 'as quickly as possible'. Does this mean 5, 6 or 7 years? And how can they possibly consider that as quick? Typical I would agree, yes - but quick, I think not. We've waited over 4 years now, and still Persimmon Group plc is dragging out remedial works and delaying, whether for the simplist leak or an expensive structural safety issue.

Show Home Review, Tanners Gate, Persimmon Homes

2010-07-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Interesting information on Persimmon Homes Tanners Gate development, in Hunts Pond Road, Titchfield Common, Fareham.

Dominic Harman, Persimmon Homes' Group Communications Director

2010-07-07T02:08:00.000-07:00

This statement is taken from Persimmon Homes website. Dominic Harman, Persimmon Homes' Group Communications Director, statement:

"We welcome the new Consumer code for Housebuilders which we fully complied with in our original customer charter. The new Consumer Code has been developed over many months of consultation with industry stakeholders. It can only be seen as a positive step to further ensure homebuyers get the very best service that they should expect from a responsible and reliable house builder like Persimmon"

Kings Quarter, Bracknell, Charles Church New Homes

2010-07-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

Kings Quarter, Siskin Gate, Jennett’s Park, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8BF.

Review coming shortly.

Charles Church and Persimmon Homes, new developments and estate, get the inside track before you purchase.

Our reviews base quality on both the show home/s and the new estate as a whole, as well as factoring recent similar developments.

For customer service and warranty resolution issues, we weight the review more on new customers experiences over the last 2-5 years (or as long as issues take to resolve, 7 years is not uncommon with Persimmon Group plc). The new estate itself, with only a few homes sold/occupied will not be representative. In particular, it's easiest for Charles Churh to perform remedial work for a couple of house that have issues, whilst the contractors are still on site, plus if new buyers ask those first few customers about customer care and service they'll more likely give a good feedback in the first few months. Of course if you ask them 4 years later, when issues are still unresolved, then they might start to be just a little more critical.

Tell Us About Your New Estate Development

2010-06-23T04:49:00.000-07:00

Have you been looking at buying from a new Persimmon Homes or Charles Church estate? Or have you bought recently? We would like to hear your views as a potential new home owner from the Persimmon Group plc.

In particular we are interested in the 'perception of quality' that Charles Church (the luxury new homes division of Persimmon Group plc) uses to sell new homes (witness the standards and quality of the show homes and marketing presentation, versus the quality and standards of the actual homes they build to sell to you (but not to use as show homes).

Thinking of Buying a Charles Church Home

2010-06-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of messages to me, from current and past customers of Charles Church. And most interestingly potential future buyers, whether of a brand new Charles Church home (enjoy the snagging, and get prepared for the long wait) or a second hand Charles Church home.

The second hand homes, may or may not have had any/all defects resolved. For serious issues, such as structural, it's wise to confer with your own surveyor, and the NHBC to check what would should be done if any.

Charles Church Floor and Plumbing Problems. Is It Only the First Owner that Need Worry?

2010-05-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

After a long drawn out process, often taking 4 to 5 years, then maybe a floor fix, or plumbing fix might be implemented in ones property.

But the fixes the company uses can vary dramatically. Even though one house on an estate might be used as a test case, even if the approved fix is only just suitable for that house (and be aware that house may not be representative of the problem, it might be one of the better examples across a Charles Church estate), that house and others may enjoy a substantially better fix, than the approved (rolled out) method.

Why would Charles Church choose a 'representative home' as one with less of a problem? Because any 'approved fix' based on that home (even if unsuitable for the other homes) could save them money and still likely be rolled out for the other homes.

Noisy floors are one such example within a Charles Church home. When buying a Charles Church house design, which could be a larger or smaller design, either way, within the same house type, different fixes may have been done on different homes, some fixes better than others.

See comments below, for readers findings on Charles Church housing stock.

Charles Church & Persimmon Homes, Poor Customer Service, Low Quality

2010-05-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Charles Church continues not to fix the faults in our new home.

6th May 2010, Persimmon Homes on BBC Watchdog Again

2010-05-07T04:11:00.000-07:00

The BBC Consumer Complaints Program, Watchdog, has again featured Persimmon Homes, and more specifically the luxury developer owned by the Persimmon Group plc, Charles Church.

Complaints regarding snagging, customer service, quality and the NHBC warranty and build control (quality control) continue to surface against Persimmon Homes and Charles Church.

For more information of Persimmon Homes Watchdog Customer Complaints, and the luxury builder (sister company) Charles Church follow this link.

BBC Watchdog Persimmon Homes Again

2010-04-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

BBC Watchdog, Persimmon Homes again - a typical experience we have found out the hard way.

If your considering the purchase of a new home from the Persimmon Group plc, I would advise you carefully consider your decision, and think again.

Whether Persimmon Homes or Charles Church (the luxury side of the Persimmon Group plc), the negative feedback from speaking directly to home owners is overwhelming. And worrying to the point I would not buy a new home from the Persimmon Group plc.

However, we unfortunately did not know this when we purchased new home from Persimmon. And what has so far followed in nearly 4 years of inconvenience, stress and anxiety. As well as bullying and intimidation, and being threatened for not signing documents known to be false.

One day we may be able to sell our Persimmon Home, but it will have to be repaired first, from original faults, and so far this is taking a very very long time.

Charles Church Customer Service . . The worst in the industry?

2010-04-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

The worst in the industry? I think that question could make Charles Church Customer Care and Customer Services sound better than it is, as I think their problems are far far worse than that. We thought we had bought a new home from Charles Church with a 2 year warranty, we thought Persimmon Group plc (they also trade as Persimmon Homes) would put right defects within the first 2 years.

I can't imagine how Charles Church (part of Persimmon Group plc, which also trades as Persimmon Homes) could make a bigger joke than that of their customer services offered to new home owners when those new home owners complain to Charles Church about snagging, new faults, problems, issues, defects etc with their new home.

Charles Church makes many claims when they sell you a new home, but so far, those claims are now water under the bridge, with Charles Church determined not to honour the 2 year warranty on defects.

It seems the perception of quality (taken from an internal staff document) seems the cheaper way to persuade a customer to buy, and what better than using the show home to give the prospective new customer that perception, only then to deliver something else when they build for the paying customer. Perhaps the show house is worth the extra asking price, as it appears to be built to an altogether higher standard. Unlike our own home, which on the surface appeared to be built to the lowest possible standard, but in hindsight is actually below that.

A review of Charles Church with customer reviews and experiences is much needed, as well as a change in the law to hold builders like Charles Church (the luxury builder within the Persimmon Group plc) accountable, and to make them honour their legal obligations.

Perhaps Steve Roche should trying being a Persimmon new homes customer

2010-04-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

Then maybe he will think differently about his claims for Persimmon Homes customer service, and better understand the customer complaints regarding quality, health and safety, etc.

To quote the article regarding Steve Roche of Persimmon Homes --- Steve Roche, managing director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "We take all customer comments extremely seriously and we are sorry to hear of the problems experienced by Mrs Peplow at our Bowerhill development on Shackleton Close, Melksham.

"We understand that a plumber was called out last week to check the boiler and we are currently waiting to receive a copy of the plumber's report in order for us to review and undertake any necessary actions.

"We would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to addressing purchaser issues by continuing to deliver the service our homeowners both expect and deserve." --- End of Article Quote

My own views on the (quoted and linked above) article . . . Well is that the whole truth, Mr Roche, we bought from Charles Church, the premium brand of the Persimmon Group plc, and nearly 4 years on the substandard workmanship has not beeen resolved. Including electrics, plumbing, a central heating installation which ignored manufacturers instructions, a gas fire installation which ignored manufacturers instructions, bouncy and noisy floors (which ignored site managers advice to the company, which the site manager alleged) and also appears to have ignored the lessons learned by Brian Thomson on a Charles Church estate built over 10 years ago, when £3 million contingency was put aside to fix problems including dropping, creaking and unlevel floors, and noise travelling through partition walls and floors. Deja Vu we feel, from our own experience.

Unfortunately such problems, for both Charles Church and Persimmon Homes continue, with customer complaints, issues, faults and problems, from the construction, design, workmanship, customer support and services. Will they ever sort themselves out.

Persimmon Homes, Cavity Wall, Internal Wall, Floor & Sound Insulation

2010-04-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

Do we have it, should we have it?

All we know is the noise feels too much, night and day, whatever you do, someone else can hear through the home. But heating insulation and sound insulation are not the only issues. Plumbing, Central Heating, gas fires, gas insulation, secuirty, health and safety, windows, electirc installation, etc etc, problems and issues abound, and the builder is still dodging their contractural obligations (which is the thing we see them do best).

Bouncy and Noisy Floors - Persimmon Homes

2010-03-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Some interesting information written in the forum at Snagging.Org, regarding Persimmon Homes Customer Complaints and Floor Defects. A second link to another forum thread on Persimmon Homes also focuses on Creaking Floor Problems.

Every estate I've visisted has had similar issues whether Persimmon Homes or Charles Church. The cracking sound heard from the room below, when someone (or a pet) walks above is the early warning sign that you may also have similar issues. It's unlikely most would spot this on first moving in, but with time such issues generally worsen, and then it can become more and more obvious to potential purchasers, causing a very real worry about the saleability of one's investment in a Charles Church New Build Home.

Charles Church - still not investigating or fixing faults

2010-03-15T03:40:00.000-07:00

More excuses, more delays, still Charles Church (part of Persimmon Group plc, they also trade under Persimmon Homes) are not honouring their obligations to fix the simple or the complicated.

Despite numberous customer complaints, by others, we are still left waiting. Electrics, Plumbing, Flooring, many many snagging issues, defects, and structural concerns are still outstanding. Nearly 4 years of inconvenience, stress and anxiety.

Despite all the excuses Charles Church have given, blaming everyone but themselves, we are left to conclude ultimately money is the reason why the serious and expensive to fix faults are not being fixed in our new home.

Charles Church, part of Persimmon Group plc

2010-03-12T02:09:00.000-08:00

It's Friday the 12th, yet we think our new home is a homage to Friday 13th, as the nightmare continues year after year. Thank-you Charles Church for making the whole experience such a horror. One day we may be able to sell the home with all it's defects fixed, then again, one day we may not.

Charles Church - the problems with our new home remain

2010-02-28T03:45:00.000-08:00

Still we are waiting for Charles Church to address our customer complaints. Charles Church is a trading company of the Persimmon Group plc (which also trades as Persimmon Homes).

Plumbing, electrical, flooring issues are still outstanding. Investigations and remedial works are still delayed. Despite numerous excuses from Charles Church, blaming numerous people other than themselves, we are left to conclude the reason for failing to meet their obligations and repair the faults, is simply down to money.

Will They Ever Fix the Problems on Our Estate in an Open and Professional Manner

2010-02-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

Years after building an estate with defects the builder has still not shown us a genuine intent to professionaly investigate and fix the faults in our new home. From the simple issues to the complicated (those which might take 3-4 months of access to the property, although in the past such estimates could run to a year whilst residents moved out).

The builder has got themselves in a bit of a muddle, making home owners wait (since 2008) for the out come of an investigation into one home, and then trying to role out a different method to those effected on the estate to what was done in that home. But then (and this is even harder to fathom) agreeing to do something different with the owner of that original home, different to what they first trialed, which is different to what they are trying to roll out to other homes. Meaning they have 3 different methods. It would probably be quite easy for you to guess if the method they are trying to roll out to the other homes is the cheaper, more expensive, or mid-priced method - but rather than guess, we can document the differences and let you see what's actually behind what appear to us to be rather vague and somewhat misleading claims.

Persimmon Homes - couple say their new home is turning out to be less than a dream

2010-02-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Persimmon Homes development in Basingstoke has caused complaint in Hampshire - check out ThisIsHampshire.net for details of this home owners' Persimmon Homes Customer Complaints.

Andrew Golawski, managing director of Persimmon Homes South East, said: "Our customer services manager has arranged to meet the customer at their property to discuss the recent incident." He added: "We take reported problems seriously and have a dedicated customer care team in place to help rectify any defects that are our responsibility."

Lucky couple I say, we are still waiting to meet the Customers Services Manager since 2008 - even a returned phone call (as promised) would be a good start. In our experience the dedicated customer care team is more about trying to delay or not rectify defects that are their responsibility.

Persimmon Homes Customer Complaints - why only fix one home?

2010-02-05T13:04:00.001-08:00

Interesting article regarding plumbing or water for Westbury and Persimmon homes and Contaminated Water. A fault which we have raised concerns about with our home because the cold water drinking tap gives out hot water.

Two things about the article that sound all too familiar to us, are firstly having to run the kitchen drinking water tap for one litre before drinking (much more in our case), and secondly the idea of the builder only fixing one home on the estate and expecting other affected residents to fix their own contaminated water problems (which could be as much as £10,000).

Persimmon Homes surely realise this is not good enough. Persimmon Homes should we feel take serious snagging faults more seriously. We should be entitled to know that our drinking water is safe to drink, rather than Persimmon ignoring the problems in our new home.

Consumer Code For Home Builders

2010-02-04T15:59:00.001-08:00

Too little, too late is my view on the progress made by the NHBC and MD Insurance Services Ltd.

With the exisitng NHBC Buildmark Warranty problems (such as arbitration) it's worrying that an independent body was not involved with the protection of consumer rights for new homes. One has more rights buying a new toaster than buying a new home in the UK.

For those still trying to get Persimmon Group plc (includes Persimmon Homes, and Charles Church) to honour exisitng builders obligations for faults reported within the first two years, then this article may not give hope for a timely resolution.

Congratulations Miller Homes - New Customer Charter

2010-02-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Miller Homes has a Customer Charter available for download on their website. If only all builders had such a document and honoured it. Congratulations Miller Homes, this commitment to customers is reason to celebrate, and prompted me to immediately go and see what New Houses Miller Homes had for sale on their website.

Residents at Luxury Housing Developments Built by Charles Church Were Threatening Legal Action

2010-02-04T08:57:00.001-08:00

Charles Church mentioned in another article (prior to purchase by Persimmon Group plc, that also trade as Persimmon Homes). Whilst this article dates back to the late 1990's, I'm not sure if the situation is better yet - certainly our experience feels much worse than that described.

Customer complaints, faults and snags, defects and damage - we still feel we are going round in circles trying to get the builder to meet their obligations to repair faults in the first two years, only we're now almost two years on from those first two years.

Home owners listed problems, some of which were similar to ours, only we are still fighting this in 2010. Our home was built when Persimmon Group plc had already purchased Charles Church, and after Persimmon had opportunity (and describe as much in newspaper articles) to introduce Persimmon Management approach into Charles Church. Not sure it has made any difference to us.

Delays and Denials Continue, Thank-You Persimmon Group plc

2010-02-04T04:12:00.000-08:00

Still we are waiting for investigations and remedial works. The reasons given for delays keep changing (after each is explored for any validity) and the latest one contradicts all the others - makes me wonder if they even check against the false claims they previously made before presenting new ones to us.

I think they are getting tougher and tougher however, as they realise the collective cumulation of mistakes, false claims, management errors and a general lack of professional leadership paints an extraordinariliy bad picture of their behaviour and actions.

Open and Transparent would be a start. Should we just give in and pay for the works to be done privately? The builder seems determined for that to be the out come of our complaining.

The Delays Continue, Persimmon Group plc, Still Not Fixing Faults, Customer Services Not Helping

2010-02-03T04:20:00.001-08:00

Despite our numerous customer complaints concerning faults and snagging items in our new home, we await the important repairs which might finally enable us to sell this home and put the nightmare behind us. But as a open and transparent investigation has not even happened, it doubtful in our minds that a solution can be found and implemented within 5-7 years of purchasing the house.

Complaints Flood in as Persimmon Pipes Burst - newspaper article, Hawick News

2010-02-01T06:25:00.000-08:00

Couples dreams of spending Christmas in a new home from Persimmon Homes, read more here. Like many stories that we read, we can relate to the experiences that new home owners discuss with Persimmon Group plc.

One new home owner thought of a BIG way to get the message across, about feelings towards the developer, this is another, seperate story, on a Persimmon experience, and a protest bus.

Lastly, some of the complaints for another Persimmon Experience, at Elvetham Heath, naming some of the builders people. You may find some of the names listed here familiar to your, we did.

". . . some homebuyers experience significant detriment, distress and inconvenience that comes with major, or many, faults in a new home"

2010-01-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

That was the findings of an OFT (Office of Fair Trading) Review.

In a Telegraph Article - Housebuilders have accused the Office of Fair Trading of jumping on a well-worn bandwagon after the competition watchdog launched a "toothless" investigation into the £20bn industry. Questions were also raised about the merit of the inquiry by John White, chairman of Britain's largest housebuilder Persimmon, who said: "I don't understand why this is an OFT matter."

The later findings of the OFT - ". . . some homebuyers experience significant detriment, distress and inconvenience that comes with major, or many, faults in a new home" - does not begin to describe the experience we have had, and continue to have with Charles Church, part of the Persimmon Group plc (they also trade under the name of Persimmon Homes and Westbury Partnerships).

Nearly 4 years on, and still we get denials, delays and a lack of honest and professional behaviour from the builder. We struggle to tell the difference between the Cowboys one sees on TV programs (e.g. Rogue Traders) and Charles Church.

Residents of Persimmon Homes Developments, Complaints by Home Owners

2010-01-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

Yet further information on Persimmon Homes Customer experiences. A development in Glasgow, converted by Persimmon Homes, has led to a residents association being formed.
This has also been done by Charles Church residents, such as those at Clearwater in Surrey.

The review center also has postings by Persimmon Homes customers. Many complaints and unhappy customers have posted their experience with Persimmon Homes. I would add, that not one of these reviews reflect how bad we felt the experience was with a Charles Church home, from the Persimmon Group plc. We feel most news paper stories make the problem sound a less trouble and stress that it was for us.

This newspaper story is interesting. I visited a Charles Church & Persimmon Development in Basingstoke a few years ago, and discovered more of the flooring issues being reported, similar to those that still effect our home to this day. Persimmon Homes may well discuss issues with home owners, and may have a customer service department in place to help . . . but alas I find our experience of Charles Church to be unwilling to discuss anything that causes them to admit fault or responsibility. I also find them unable to work in an open and transparent manner, nor have I found them to be honest and professional. Persimmon Homes customers report similar experiences to ones own.

Another Home Blog on Charles Church New Homes

2010-01-18T05:40:00.000-08:00

Lots of details regarding Charles Church and floor issues (bouncy, noisy, unlevel) and the nearly 4 year fight just to get to the stage where builder agree those three issues should be fixed.

Common floor issues were found to be; noisy, bouncy and unlevel. Some might use other words to describe floor issues with new home, such as being; vibration, bouncey, bounce, noisey, noise, creaking, creeking, cracking, unlevel, not flat, poor, squeeky, squeaky, etc.

Floor problems (noisy, bouncy, unlevel) can be very expensive to correct according to the NHBC. We had estimates, depending on which problems were to be fixed, and extent of repair, from £30,000 to over £100,000.

More And More Persimmon Customers Complaining

2010-01-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

Not happy with your Persimmon Home - whether bought from Persimmon Homes or Charles Church, both owned by Persimmon Group plc - then three suggestions spring to mind.

1) Document everything.
2) Research the bigger issues so you can hold your own in discussions.
3) Complain, Complain, Complain - to the builders, to the parent company, to the NHBC, to trading standards, to the office of fair trading.

Here are two new websites, for home owners wishing to learn and/or share knowledge and experience. http://www.persimmon-homes.info/ and http://www.charles-church-homes.info/.

Blogs can be one of the quickest and easiest ways to highlight and discuss your concerns with other home owners.

Not Happy with Police Fraud Investigations Reasons

2010-01-17T08:05:00.001-08:00

Having read the attached articles and information, the reasons seem wrong for not pursuing the investigation with Persimmon Group plc.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article2283035.ece

http://coathamprotest.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-is-redcar-and-cleveland-borough.html

http://coathamprotest.blogspot.com/2009/10/and-still-leader-of-council-hasnt.html

Nearly 4 years on, and Charles Church, part of Persimmon Group plc, have agreed need to fix 14 homes on an estate with faulty floors - noisey, squeaky, bouncy, vibration, deflection, unlevel etc. They claimed last week, it would take another 14 months to complete them, allowing upto 2 months per home. However, I understand 16 homes are yet to be fixed, and two are in progress . . but one has had the ceilings down in one room since April 1st 2009 . . . at that rate I think to complete the others in 14 months is unlikely.

OFT (Office of Fair Trading) Review on House Builders

2009-12-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

OFT started a review in 2007 into the home builds, and the UK building industry. However, here we are in 2009, about to start the new year (2010) and I don't see what's change. The new home owner still has the same limited rights. The new home purchase stills FAILS to come under the sale of goods act.

In a Telegraph Article, in 2007 - Questions were also raised about the merit of the inquiry by John White, chairman of Britain's largest housebuilder Persimmon, who said: "I don't understand why this is an OFT matter."

Perhaps the reported news regarding a Persimmon Homes property and the death of a four year old boy would be reason enough, details available from the Telegraph Article - A four-year-old boy was crushed to death when a stone mantelpiece collapsed in his parents' living room, an inquest has heard. A simple 'google' search on Persimmon Homes Complaints and/or Reviews will bring up what I consider to be worrying results.

For me, it's about time legislation was brought in to resolve the issues that new home owners face. The industry code of conduct (which NHBC has been failing to use) was alreay in place on a voluntary scheme by the NHBC, but with no knowledge within the NHBC. Complaints we failing to be addressed by the NHBC. Now they are implementing a compulsory code of conduct, I wonder whether it will have the same issues incorporated, that the NHBC and new builders (we bought from Charles Church, part of the Persimmon Group plc, that includes Persimmon Homes) already utilise to gain an unfair advantage over customers, and to delay and frustrate the home owner regarding the fixing of faults in new homes.

Come on Persimmon Group, Maybe You Can Persuade Charles Church to Honour Warranty

2009-12-02T04:56:00.000-08:00

Charles Church still won't fix our leaks, or other reported problems. It's coming up to 4 years soon, and these are faults reported in the first year, many in the first few days of occupation, including the sub standard floor (a common fault with Charles Church Homes).

If your thinking of buying a new or second hand Charles Church home, try to check the upstairs flooring, and be cautious if they use JJI Joists, the semi-engineered type.

Persimmon Homes - What Qualifications Do Staff Need?

2009-11-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Attention to detail does not seem a strong point of Persimmon Homes, nor for that matter Charles Church staff/operatives.

A simple spelling mistake can have big consequences for Persimmon Homes amongst local residents and companies.

Still we await a fix to the many many faults, come on Persimmon Homes

2009-11-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

It's about time Persimmon Homes and Charles Church took quality and customer service seriously. The articles one reads describe an unacceptable experience for too many customers. It's about time Charles Church started to honour their warranties without the stress and anxiety we have (and continue) to be made to feel, maybe even try to live up to their bold marketing claims . . . ultimately we feel the customer is the looser, and we have lost more from deciding to purchase a New Home from the Persimmon Group plc than we ever thought possible.

Charles Church & Persimmon Homes, Noisy, Bouncy, Unlevel Floors

2009-11-18T03:59:00.000-08:00

Home owner still battling for floor joist fix with Charles Church - home owner talks of cracking sound from floor joists and vibration of flooring (furniture rattles - bouncy floor).

Three and a half years, and even leaks are unresolved in the property . . . one can relate to how unpleasant an experience a new home from Charles Church (part of Persimmon Group) can be.

Of interest is the advice regarding upstairs floor problems, particularly flooring issues when a person is walking on the upstairs floor, and a crack or cracking sounds can be heard by someone underneath. This is usually a very expensive problem to fix, and thus be prepared for a difficult time getting the builder to admit to a problem, and then to actually agree on a proper fix that might solve the problem. Extra nails or screws are unlikely to resolve serious cases, and even extra rows of noggins are not going to fix strength issues with the floor. Look to cross bracing (herringbone bracing struts) as a minimum and or joist sistering/plating to solve the issues properly.

Persimmon Homes and Charles Church Customer Service and Quality

2009-10-29T03:58:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting, after many years for the faults to be fixed.

Charles Church customer service keeps making unjustified excuses for unacceptable delays and poor workmanship.

Damp and Mould Can be a Serious Health Issue in a New Home

2009-10-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

We suffered from Damp and Mould in our new home, and since realising the cause was a leak, we have stopped using the bathroom. That was over 2 years ago that we realised the connection, but the original mould was discovered over 3 years ago.

The builder in our home, Charles Church, claimed just wiping the mould away would suffice. However, it kept returning. It turned out the leak from a bathroom upstairs, was running on a sloped ceiling (unlevel floors) and then down a wall, which on the far side, was in an under stairs closet. This is where the worst of the mould was found. Less was on the near side of the wall, where the dining room was located. Still the mould should have been dealt with in a professional manner by the builder. We still await the leak to be fixed, then hopefully they might repair the ceilings and walls, and then make sure the mould is properly cleared up.

Come on Charles Church, how hard can it be to build a house in a competent manner.

Persimmon Homes also has press and publicity regarding damp and mould. Other news articles on Persimmon Homes and Mould. Lastly a post asking for advice on damp and mould. On our estate, and other estates I've visited, neighbours & residents were suffering silimalar issues, with similar unsatisfactory consequences.

Wasting More & More Customer Time, That's Charles Church Customer Service

2009-09-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

Many years have passed since we moved into our new Charles Church home, but one thing stays constant, the poor customer service, the substandard construction, the quality issues with our home.

Delay after delay, excuse after excuse, Charles Church are fine if you don't spot the faults, but complain and try to get issues resolved and expect to see the other side to Charles Church.

I would never advise any one to purchase a home from Charles Church, nor any other company in the Persimmon Group, which includes Persimmon Homes.

Ewan Mackay, a Regional Director for Persimmon Homes. You Make Me Laugh

2009-09-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/SNH-and-SEPA-add-weight.3750642.jp?articlepage=1

Regional director for Persimmon Homes East Scotland, Ewan Mackay, said: "It is normal for a development of this scale to generate comments from the local community and we are more than happy to work with the council and local planners to address these issues."

“As a responsible house builder we are committed to working closely with the communities in which we operate to ensure all issues are addressed and we will continue to do so at our Easter Langlee development.”

But Charles Church (part of Persimmon) won't fix our home, from the leaky plumbing to the faulty flooring, after many years . . . maybe Persimmon and Charles Church directors should try being a customer complaining for a fix, and see if it's rose tinted marketing they want to hear.

Could a £200 spend on a proper specification floor have saved £50k in repair costs

2009-09-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

It seems likely, more news to follow, on the Charles Church blunder that could cost £1000's to put right.

£50k is just one estimate, taking labour and material and estimating temporary accomodation at 3 months . . . but Charles Church is known to take years over these matters just to finally get to a fix that might work, and then might move you out for a year whilst they try to implement it.

Charles Church Noisy & Bouncy Floors

2009-09-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Forget cowboys, is a knight in shinning armour trying to persuade you to rush into a questionable fix for noisy & bouncy floors (not spelt noisey), including deflection, springyness, springiness, bouncing, vibration, flex, damaged floor joists, floors not fit for purpose, unlevel floors, green brick work, dropped brick.
Don't take the short cut fix, make sure the Knight gives you a proper fix to the problem, not a minimum line of noggins across your joists. Read up on benefits of bridging using solid blocking rather than noggins (or herringbone cross bracing).

My Reasons for Not Recommending a Charles Church Home

2009-09-17T03:09:00.000-07:00

From ones own experience of living in a new Charles Church home.

1. Poor Customer Service, over and over again - the worst I've ever experienced.
2. Poor Quality and Workmanship - original construction, snagging work, planning.
3. Poor Specification, particularly the things you can't see or don't notice initially (floor joists).
4. Dangersous faults - electrics, central heating (gas), security.
5. Misleading Sales & Marketing - what happened to property misdescriptions act?
6. Stress & illness from trying to fix points 1 to 5.
7. Extraordinary amount of time wasted trying to fix points 1 to 5 - measured in years.

Having talked to numerous owners, I would also not recommend buying a new home from Persimmon Homes or Charles Church.

Persimmon Homes Forums, Customer Complaints

2009-09-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

We still wait for the house we paid for to be supplied to us, granted Persimmon Group plc gave us a house, just not in the condition we expected.

Many years on, and the simplist faults remain unfixed. Unfortunately the serious expensive to fix faults also remain unfixed.

Visit the internet web forum for home owners opinions and views on Charles Church and Persimmon Homes. But be aware, home owners are worried about the consequences of complaining - something Charles Church staff (inc Director level) are only too keen to remind customers when they are trying to get faults fixed.

Persimmon Homes Reviews & Customer Complaints

2009-09-14T00:33:00.001-07:00

Are Persimmon Homes Good or Bad? Ones own experience of customers homes and conversations is that a Persimmon Homes buying experience is an unhappy one.

You can read reviews on Persimmon Homes and Customer Complaints at the dooyoo website.

Will Persimmon Homes be Featured on New Watchdog Series

2009-09-11T03:07:00.000-07:00

I would welcome the opportunity to see Anne Robinson questioning John White (Persimmon Group, Chairman) or Brian Thomson (Charles Church, Chairman) about the quality of the homes they build, and the standard of customer service they provide.

I'd welcome Anne Robinson giving them tough questioning as to the approach the Persimmon Companies have to customer service and dealing with customer complaints, snagging and construction issues.

On a lighter note, it could be a fun race, to see which home owner might get featured first - we could call it the Persimmon Cup, and place bets on who's featured first?

Persimmon Homes has a history with Wathdog, and other builders have been on TV before, for their customer service.

Good Old Charles Church, More Unhappy Customers

2009-09-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yet again, another news story of an unhappy customer experience with Charles Church, the 'luxury' builder owned by Persimmon Group pld - who also owns Persimmon Homes.

We made the mistake to purchase a Charles Church property over 3 years ago, and we are still awaiting the snagging to be finished, and for some major faults and leaks to even start being fixed or investigated. The builder appears to have bent over backwards to AVOID doing anything to properly redress the issues they caused with poor construction and a lack of quality control. Something which we appear not to be alone in reporting, whether one looks to houses built before or after ours. Even in 2009, the customers one talks to, across Charles Church and Persimmon Homes devlopments are still reporting problems of a similar nature.

Better Quality Specification Without a Premium Price, checkout Explore Homes Guillemont Parc

2009-09-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

If you want to avoid lowest specification floor joists in a new Charles Church Home (or Persimmon Homes), it could be better to look to other new builders using concrete floors at low prices, for example; Explore Living with its two beautiful new show homes and the sales and marketing suite at Guillemont Parc, Cove. Explore Living says, all the homes at Guillemont Parc benefit from solid concrete upper floors that reduce sound transmission and eliminate squeaky floorboards.

So why do Charles Church sell homes in the region of £600k, with upper floors that have a floor joist system with a Serviceability Index as low as possible, resulting in upto 12mm of deflection on the floor joists? Yet they claim in marketing material to build new homes to 'highest specification'. Search google.co.uk for information on; Charles Church (or Persimmon Homes) Floor Joists, specifically 'minimum Floor Joist Serviceability Index 1.0'.

Persimmon Home Owners formed a residents' association to resolve complaints

2009-09-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

Problems with a Persimmon Homes Estate have to get fairly serious before home owners risk complaining (in the public domain for the public interest). Persimmon Homes had yet another estate that felt the need to go public to best serve a public interest of the estate.

The article says - A Persimmon Homes spokesman said it was aware of various snagging issues - some how I wonder how many days before they might then claim they lost the snagging lists, and now have no record of any issues? This is a pattern Persimmon Group has repeated with us on a number of occasions.

The residents comments regarding the snagging, finish and standards of the estate are damming - but not untypical of those heard from other customers.

In talking to home owners we found for Persimmon Homes and Charles Church Noisy Floors (or noisey) also known as Squeaky Floors (or squeeky) and Floor Boards (or floorboards), were the most common complaint. It's also one of the most expensive to repair properly if the original fault is with the design and/or installation of the floor joists themselves, which can include problems with the joists fastenings, the brickwork they rest on, or the floor joists not being adequately protected from rain (weather elements) prior to being installed.

If buying a new home from Charles Church or Persimmon Homes, one should check or ask about the upstairs floor specification, specifically the Serviceability Index (SI). This is a measure of the joist performance (stiffness) relative to the minimum performance (12mm deflection). The minimum Floor Joist Serviceability Index is 1.0 for the UK, and with the higher specification builders this can be between SI 5 and 9 or even higher.

In homes we checked built by Persimmon Group plc, we generally found 245mm depth by 45mm width wooden composite semi-engineered joists across upto 4m span. Which when joists are spaced at 600mm as we found with Charles Church, the SI is 1.07. giving manufacturers joist deflection guide of over 10.73mm (over a cm). We could not find a lower specification they could have fitted, so beleive for this span, the SI of 1.07 is the lowest specification they could have used.

We understand the cost for all the floor joists (SI 1.07) were less than a thousand pounds for a 5 bedroom home, and that a significant increase in the SI could be acheived by spending only 40% more on those joists. The house type sold for around £600k. Yet on the marketing brochures, and company web site they talk of 'highest specification', which I don't see myself. To fix the problem now has been estimated at over £47k for a 'simple' fix (2-4 months work, ceilings down), and over £102k for a proper fix. Every home we checked, across every Charles Church or Persimmon Homes development has similar problems, providing you know how to spot the early signs.

For interest an SI of 6.19 gives a floor joist deflection of only 1.87mm in the above example (by using thicker joists closer together), a substantial reduction in floor joist deflection and resolving bouncy floor concerns for us.

Added a site description to the 'Persimmon Blog' today

2009-09-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

Our Charles Church New Homes - A nightmare that began with the purchase of a brand new home from Charles Church (part of the Persimmon Group, which includes Persimmon Homes, Westbury Partnership).
The experience Charles Church gave us has been one we regret every day, we wish we had never seen the house, let alone bought it.
Several years on and we are still fighting for the home to be fixed and finished to a reasonable standard. We are not alone, the problems we have occur across estates, whether one looks in 2009, goes back 5 years or 10 years, same problems, same builder.
We are unable to sell our home, unless we take a substantial loss (to compensate a new owner for the cost of fixing the structural and other issues).

The builder continues to avoid investigating the faults, acknowledging the faults, or fixing the faults. They have shown great endeavour in hiding the faults, laying blame elsewhere, intimidating the customer, playing games and wasting time, trying to push a substandard fix on the home owner.

Persimmon Homes Customer Complaints

2009-09-07T05:59:00.001-07:00

Has M&S been used to try and get a little of the M&S quality brand to rub off on Persimmon Homes ?

Search on Google or Yahoo, for Persimmon Home Complaints. Also check out the snagging.org website forums, and look for Charles Church and Westbury Partnership, other brands within the Persimmon Group.

Customer complaints are across all three.

Also check news stories, with reputable news papers such as the Telegraph and Times - all have searchable archives on line.

The complaints we found go back 10 years, and appear not to have improved. If anything our own experience feels far worse than anything reported, as the reported stories seem to be watered down so as not to effect the resales too much or upset neighbours on those developments - but talk privately to customers of Persimmon or Charles Church and the complaints come to the surface very quickly.

Buying a New Build from Persimmon Homes or Charles Church

2009-09-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Consider getting a Retention built into the contract. Others builders agree to this, some do it as standard. With Persimmon Homes, one found out the hard way, it's essential we concluded.

Reasons I Would Not Buy a Persimmon Home

2009-09-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Specifically from ones experience with Charles Church, and then following that up with visits to talk to other Charles Church and Persimmon Home owners, and to view the issue they have with their properties and the customer service.

My Reasons for Not Recommending Persimmon & Charles Church Homes
1. Poor Customer Service
2. Poor Quality and Workmanship
3. Poor Specification, particularly the things you can't see or don't notice initially (floor joists).
4. Dangersous faults.
5. Misleading Sales & Marketing
6. Stress caused trying to fix points 1 to 5.
7. Time spent trying to fix points 1 to 5 - measured in years.

More on Persimmon Homes, Westbury Partnership and Charles Church New Homes

2009-09-03T06:19:00.001-07:00

We are intending to have a complete list of other customer experiences with the Persimmon Group of companies in the UK New House Building Industry. We need the equivalent of the JD Power Survey.

But it has to be done in such a way that those customers that have invested in a new home from the Persimmon Homes Group, do not (either in perception or reality) devalue their investment.

To that end ones focus will be on Customer Satisfaction Surveys regarding Customer Service, and not focussing on the quality or structural issue (which have greatest impact on resale, if a Persimmon Estate gets a bad name)

Some of The Nicer Things in Life, Things to Enjoy and Look Forward To

2009-09-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

For a lovely dining experience, and at very reasonable prices, try Sophia's Cafe in Penzance. Voted on trip advisor as number 1 in the area, we've had many lovely meals their.

Having recently been looking at a Wedding Venue, we've particularly liked the following; Pentillie Weddings Cornwall, Ballyhannon Castle Ireland.

And we've been looking at our other favorite short list of wedding suppliers as well, for our big day, including the following . . .

For other suppliers, again continue from Wedding Venues, to Wedding Photography, Bridal Ware, and Wedding & Celebration Cakes. For Wedding Dresses; Maggie Sottero and Nicki Hill. For Wedding Photography; Jeff Ascough and Lovegrove Weddings. For Wedding Cakes; Cakes by Sarah Louise and Maisie Fantaisie.

We'll add more suppliers as we like them. Please add comments as to your own favorite wedding companies.

Couple’s new home nightmare

2009-09-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Read original article on couple's experience with Persimmon Homes and learn more about their views on quality and service from Persimmon Homes.

Couple's Persimmon Homes Nightmare

2009-09-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Another example of customer complaints regarding Persimmon Homes, the UK new homes builder. One presumes this was another NHBC controlled site, but would be interested to hear if this is the case or not, comments welcome please?

Also interested in home owners views on Persimmon and Charles Church new homes, exspecially if you are nervous of complaining, then we would like to hear your reasons why.

Office of Fair Trading (OFT), ASA, Trading Standards

2009-08-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

All need to know about problems with your new home builder - tell them, and change can happen to make the industry better.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/comp_policy/oft1020.pdf - page 92 start

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/jun/22/housingmarket.consumernews

http://www.scottish-building.co.uk/pages/profiles.asp?pi=1328&ref=more

When the showhome is just about the show . . .

2009-08-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

Makes me laugh, even Charles Church internal company newletters highlight the 'perception' of quality that they put into their show homes, marketing and sales presentation.

But Charles Church (part of Persimmon Group plc, which also trades as Persimmon Homes in the UK) also uses Show Homes (executive homes, NHBC Site Manager Award) effectively to present one impression of the quality of a new build, which we found very different to the 'quality' of the finished home they actually sold.

Explain difference between a 1980's and year 2000's Charles Church New Home

2009-08-27T01:50:00.000-07:00

I have no problem with the quality and customer service related to Charles Church Homes built in the 1980's under the prior control and ownership of Charles and Sussana Church, the company they founded in 1965- and the same goes for any current or prior owner I have spoken to or read about with an older Charles Church Property.

It's the Charles Church homes built under Persimmon or Beazer Homes that I find the problems and bad press relates to. For owners of these newer (10 years) Charles Church homes, the news has not been so good.

But then the news on Persimmon Homes and Westbury Parnerships New Homes, and the experience one can expect from buying a new Persimmon Home or a new Westbury Parnerships Home is not something I'd want to experience either. Articles like this paint (in my opinion) a rosie view of the reality of buying a Charles Church property. Our own experience has been the worst of our lives, nothing comes close to the upset and distress caused by the Persimmon Group staff and operatives.

Notes: Persimmon Homes bought Westbury PLC in November 2005 after a £643,000,000 bid and Beazer Homes in 2001 for £537,500,000.

Nothing new about this . . .

2009-08-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

Catalogue of faults, customers pressurised into exhanging contracts - we know how this feels.
http://www.thecomet.net/content/comet/news/story.aspx?brand=CMTOnline&category=News&tBrand=herts24&tCategory=newscomnew&itemid=WEED26%20Oct%202006%2012%3A00%3A57%3A180

http://www.snagging.org/New_Homes_News/New_Homes_News/Couples_new_home_nightmare.html

This really does sum up our experiences with Charles Church, part of Persimmon Group, except we never got the apology. We had dangerous unsafe electrics, substandard upstairs floor (unlevel, noisy, creaky, bouncy, deflecting), and a fire risk on a electric heat exchanger (gas central heating) which took the best part of 9 months to even check, let alone rectify, after the Charles Church representative (The Count as workmen referred to him) was present and we were first informed.

In researching flooring issues with JJI Joists, Persimmon Homes & Charles Church, one found mis-spellings a common issue. E.g. bouncey instead of bouncy, noisey instead of noisy.

Persimmon Homes, yet more bad news about the UK house builder

2009-08-26T04:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.snagging.org/tag/Persimmon_Homes.html

It never ceases to amaze me how long the bad news on Persimmon Homes has been going for, let alone for how much longer it will continue.

Best advice for those who've bought a new Persimmon Home (or Charles Church, part of Persimmon Group) is to get everything in writing and documented, then complain complain complain. If it's early on in your developments sales process then publicity signs detailing your plight will be highly effective, as Persimmon cares greatly about sales.

By complaining about the customer servie, rather than the quality of build, you are less likely to upset the value of your home, but will still be able to effect change.

Serious contruction faults, such as noisey floors due to the joist design and or installation are best dscussed privately with those on your estate, as issues like this can be very expensive to repair after construction according to the NHBC. By the way, don't expect much help from the NHBC, they talk a good talk in the first instance, but when you actually start the ball rolling with the NHBC resolution service we found the honesty and transparency quickly vanished, to be replaced with excuse after excuse, and delay after delay. We're well outside the initial 2 year warranty and still have serious issues with the original build of our home.

Persimmon Homes, £10 million bonus package

2009-08-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

John White is suggested as the largest share of the package.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2929527/Persimmons-big-investors-back-10m-bonus-scheme.html

http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/2007/02/26/persimmon-reports-record-profits/

When so many unhappy customers tell me of the problems they have with Persimmon Homes, and then the sad death of a young boy in a Persimmon Homes, makes me question what the directors are doing to prevent the problems customers of Persimmon Homes are having to face.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3795238/Four-year-old-boy-crushed-to-death-by-stone-mantelpiece-inquest-hears.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1095601/Boy-4-crushed-death-collapsed-50kg-stone-mantelpiece-held-plaster.html

Persimmon Homes - one of the more trajic customer stories

2009-08-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

The most shocking of all the sad customer stories I've heard, was the death of a little boy in a Persimmon Home. The judges findings were of an inadequate set of standards regarding the installation of fire places. I question why the judge stop at criticising the standards for fire places when so many other areas in a Persimmon Group plc home also appear to have a lack of standards.

The coroner’s report said "The lack of national industry standards and regulation for the fitting of fire surrounds, including training, installation, quality inspection, secondary review and audit paper trails, were also a contributory factor," yet I see the electrics, the plumbing and heating installation, the floor joists, the brick works, etc etc to also have a lack of national industry standards in new homes. And with Charles Church (Persimmon) the training, installation, quality inspections and paper trails all seem inadequate in many areas, along with customer service and fault rectification by the builder.

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Boy-4-killed-by-collapsing.4797240.jp

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1095601/Boy-4-crushed-death-collapsed-50kg-stone-mantelpiece-held-plaster.html

http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2008-12-19-Mantelpiece-fixing-blunder-led-to-four-year-olds-death-inquest

http://www.snagging.info/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2391&sid=731be9da10204d457042daeb076600a8

http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2008/12/22/63325/boy-crushed-to-death-by-fireplace-collapse-in-persimmon-house.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3795238/Four-year-old-boy-crushed-to-death-by-stone-mantelpiece-inquest-hears.html

http://www.brand-newhomes.co.uk/new_home_news.htm

Kind of sad that John White should comment on the Office of Fair Trading investigation (OFT investigation into house building in the UK) - Questions were also raised about the merit of the inquiry by John White, chairman of Britain's largest housebuilder Persimmon, who said: "I don't understand why this is an OFT matter."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2810987/Builders-round-on-OFT-enquiry.html

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/construction_and_property/article1975346.ece

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=49776&mode=linear

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2929527/Persimmons-big-investors-back-10m-bonus-scheme.html - Does John White earn his money? I'd like to know how this could have been justified?

Persimmon plc is a quality housebuilder with 30 years experience. Nationwide the group incorporates 26 regional companies and the luxury home builder

2009-08-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

The title above is a statement made by Persimmon plc, in a 56 page documented intened for schools.
As the unfortunate customer suffering in a Charles Church home, and having spoken to many Persimmon and Charles Church Home owners, I would strongly disagree with the use of the word 'quality', and also question if 'luxury' means an even higher standard in which case I would also disagree on that point.

My First Post on Persimmon Homes Blog

2009-08-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

The first post. This blog will cover Charles Church as well, and a customers experience with the Persimmon Group, and the trading companys such as Persimmon Homes, Charles Church, Westbury Partnerships etc.

Having battled for many years to try to get serious home faults fixed by the company, one now has felt it's in the public interest to raise the matter. The OFT, trading standards, ASA all need to know and acknowledge the extent of the problems, problems the NHBC and Persimmon Group still seem to be in denial about.

Not the First Time, blogging on Persimmon Homes

2009-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

The next post on the Charles Church Persimmon Home owners complaints blog. Let's hope the OFT can enforce and protect consumer rights where the builders and the NHBC have failed.

But is a voluntary code of practise going to acheive that, customer opinions will soon be made available.

Delays Continue, Why Are We Waiting . . .

2008-09-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

No tangiable reasons given, just irrelevant excuses.

We have been given numerous reasons for delay, but none of them add up. And importantly they are generally given verbally, and when written are vague and difficult to comprehend what exactly (out of many possible interpretations) they are really trying to say.

As it later turned out, the vagueness could be used years later to explain a whole new reason and suggest we were already knowing and agreeing.

One Fix for You, Another for A Neighbour on the Same Estate

2007-02-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

Similar issues reported, same company representative, but two completely different approaches to fixing the problem.

In one house they claim it's how it should be, in the other house they investigate and work to correct the issue.

Little did we know at the time, how this approach would continue in the future.

Our Surveyor is Entitled to His Opinion

2006-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

That's what they told us when presented with a snagging report. And that is a fairly standard response to most things they don't want to discuss.

When they tell us 'that's your opinion' we know any further discussion is not going to happen, all because we ask a difficult question that they don't want to answer.

Attention to detail - I don't think so, we found the experience of a new home from the Persimmon Group plc to demonstrate anything but attention to detail.