New Bellway homeowner talks about leaky roof and mold in attic

Dean Carpenter, who has dark stains on the exterior of his new home, said water runs down the brickwork when it rains.

Since buying the Bellway property in Bedfordshire a year ago, he has noticed patches of damp or discolored tiles, moss and mold growth in the loft space.

Dean is one of a number of homeowners on two Bellway estates who claim they have long battled roof leaks and are running out of time on their structural warranties.

Bellway said it will work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Dean, 41, paid £375,000 for the house he built in 2015.

He said he wakes up every morning worrying about the roof.

Two roofing companies told him there were too few tile rows, meaning there wasn't enough overlap to prevent water intrusion.

But Bellway and its insurer, the National House Building Council (NHBC), rejected Dean's claim, saying the independent builder's repair work was of a poor standard, did not comply with regulations and voided Dean's warranty.

The statement said NHBC's inspection “found no defects in the original construction of Mr Carpenter's property” and found no evidence of leaks or water intrusion.

Bellway has since blocked Dean's emails and threatened legal action if he continued to post critical comments on Facebook.

“I feel completely cheated by Bellway,” he said.

“The roof needs to be replaced, it needs to be properly re-batten, re-tiled and repaved.”

Eight people on the Willow Green estate voiced their concerns about stained walls, mold or crumbling mortar in the eaves.

One of them, 77-year-old Robert Degavino, said his attic was filled with black mold.

“Belway came out to inspect the property but as far as they were concerned it complied with building regulations.

“We’re concerned because if it keeps getting wetter, what will it look like in five, 10 or 20 years?

“They're beautifully designed houses, I just think it's poor building practice.”

Bellway said stains on the rendering were not uncommon nine years later and NHBC found no signs of water intrusion.

At least six homeowners have complained to Bellway or NHBC about problems with their roofs.

Only one claim has been approved so far, leading to major remedial work being carried out on a property in November.

Robert Altman, 44, said he and his neighbors in Florence Close were facing a similar situation. Florence Close is a 10-home development built by Bellway in 2017.

They said they were guinea pigs for a new flat-roof design that left bedroom and bathroom walls with damp or moldy growth over the years.

In 2023, Bellway admitted that parts of the roof were defective and agreed to improve ventilation and lay new insulation, but the work took almost two years and people's lofts were left exposed to scaffolding for months.

“The worst part is, they didn't fix the problem,” Robert said.

“Experts who came to work on the certification said the humidity in our lofts was still at dangerous levels.

“It's just one pain after another that we've been left out in the cold – when we have young families, we both have jobs and if we wanted to sell our house then it wasn't something we would spend our time on. We could. “

Some residents are now considering legal action.

Georgina Bright, 32, said there had been moisture building up in the ceiling above her, “all the lights were flickering” and when the extractor fan was removed “a lot of water was flying out of it” come out”.

She said the mold grew again in her attic and bathroom walls despite attempts by Bellway's contractors to clean it up.

“It gave me post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was horrible.

“I think sometimes even when Bellway responds, it's not helpful and makes me feel bad.”

Bellway “apologized to all homeowners affected at Florence Close” and said it had worked to resolve the outstanding issues, adding that the roof was now “installed as designed to prevent any future issues” and that mold treatment experts would reassess the property spring.

Homeowners Alliance chief executive Paula Higgins said the level of insurance for new-build homeowners could be “grossly unfair”.

“The coverage of the structural warranty is very limited so it’s very difficult to fix the problem – it’s frustrating and residents don’t have to be experts because it’s not their fault.

Ms Higgins said: “We rely on private companies with shareholders to deliver public benefits and I don't think they will take full responsibility for the overall construction of these homes.”

• After a new home is built, it usually comes with a warranty, which can last up to 10 years, divided into two periods. NHBC is by far the most common
• During the first two years, the builder is obliged to repair any defects or “impediments” such as unsealed windows. Many homeowners hire professionals to spot them
• From the third to tenth year, homeowners are typically insured against structural defects or damage caused by the foundation or roof not being built to the correct standards
• Minor defects are no longer covered during this structural warranty period. Damp may be covered but only if it is found to be the builder's fault

source: Homeowners Alliance

Despite market challenges, Bellway performed better than most major housebuilders over the past year, with profits of £381m.

The company expects to complete 8,500 homes by April and is said to be confident about its prospects in 2025.

In July, the BBC reported thousands of ongoing snag issues at Bellway Estate in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, prompting dozens of other unhappy customers to get in touch.

A spokesman for Bellway told NHBC it would “fix any legitimate construction flaws discovered” within the first ten years.

“As responsible developers we strive to resolve any issues as efficiently as possible.

“New homes are hand-built products so defects do occur and often only become apparent after the homeowner has moved in, as was the case at Florence Close.”

An NHBC spokesman said the company was “committed to raising standards of house building by championing high-quality homes”.

“We would like to reassure homeowners that we are committed to fair, thorough investigations and industry-recognized high standards.”