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Housebuilder guide

Snagging a Persimmon home

Persimmon is one of the UK's largest housebuilders, selling under the Persimmon Homes brand alongside Charles Church (its premium range) and Westbury Partnerships (affordable and partnership housing). It operates through a network of regional businesses — which shapes how you report snags.

Scale
≈11,400

homes completed in 2024

Sold as
Persimmon Homes Charles Church Westbury Partnerships
Warranty
NHBC Buildmark (typically)

2-year builder period, structural cover to year 10

Charles Church buyers deal with the same group and the same regional structure as Persimmon Homes buyers — the premium branding doesn't change the aftercare route or the warranty. Westbury Partnerships homes are usually delivered with housing associations, but privately purchased homes carry the standard new-build protections.

Your snagging rights as a Persimmon buyer

These are the deadlines that decide whether defects get fixed at the builder's expense — the same framework that applies across the industry, and the one your list needs to work with:

Days 1–7

The cosmetic window

Chips, scratches, dents and cracked glass are easiest to dispute once you've moved in — report them in writing within about 7 days of completion, ideally after an empty-house inspection before the removals van arrives.

Years 1–2

Persimmon must fix defects

For two years from legal completion, the builder is responsible for putting right defects caused by faulty workmanship or materials — at no cost to you. Keep one running, dated, photographed list and report new items in writing as they appear.

~30 days

The resolution clock

Under the New Homes Quality Code, registered developers are expected to resolve reported snags within around 30 calendar days. If a fair, written report stalls, escalate free of charge to the New Homes Ombudsman Service or your warranty provider's resolution service.

Reporting snags to Persimmon: what to know

1

Persimmon operates through around 30 regional operating companies, and snags are handled by the customer care team for your region and development — the contact details are in your handover pack. Put every snag in writing with photos.

2

After widely reported quality criticism, Persimmon commissioned an independent review of its build quality in 2019 and introduced a homebuyer retention scheme — allowing buyers to hold back a slice of the purchase price until faults are put right. Ask your solicitor whether a retention applies to your purchase; it's real leverage.

3

Homes typically carry NHBC Buildmark: Persimmon is responsible for defects in years one and two, with structural insurance to year ten.

Aftercare processes and warranty arrangements vary by development and change over time — your reservation agreement, completion pack and warranty documents are always the source of truth for your home.

How to snag your Persimmon home

The inspection itself is the same whoever built the house — and it's where most buyers either win or lose the free-fix window. Work through our room-by-room snagging checklist, ideally in the empty house before your furniture arrives, and follow the completion-day plan for the first seven days.

Then keep the list alive for the full two years: tick off what Persimmon fixes, chase what it doesn't, and log new defects as the home dries out and settles. How the warranty behaves across those years — and what changes at year three — is covered in our new-build warranty guide.

Bought from a different builder? Our guide to the rest of the UK's housebuilders covers who builds where — and the rights that apply to every new build.

Persimmon snagging questions

I bought a Charles Church home — who handles my snags? +
Persimmon. Charles Church is Persimmon's premium brand, and snagging goes through the customer care team for your regional business, just as it does for Persimmon Homes buyers. Your two-year defect rights are identical.
I've read about Persimmon build-quality problems — should I be worried? +
Go in with your eyes open, not with dread. Persimmon faced serious public criticism of its build quality in the late 2010s, commissioned an independent review in 2019, and has invested in improving since. What that history really tells you is the same thing that's true of every volume builder: inspect thoroughly and early, photograph everything, and report in writing. A methodical snag list protects you regardless of who built the house.
What is Persimmon's homebuyer retention? +
A scheme Persimmon announced in 2019 letting buyers hold back part of the purchase price (via their solicitor) until notified faults are fixed. Whether and how it applies to your plot is a question for your solicitor before completion — but if it's available, it's one of the strongest levers a new-build buyer can have.

Snagging a Persimmon home? Start your list now

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