Variety and sustainability at the heart of Millwood’s homes - case study

Millwood Designer Homes - at a glance
  • Focus on individually-designed homes sympathetic to the natural surroundings, drawing on the local architectural history
  • Multiple award-winner, including a Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards Winner
    • Premier Guarantee Awards

    • Orchard Gate, Best Medium Sized Development (2015)

    • Coppice End, Social Housing Development of the Year (2019)

    • The Maltings, Quality Recognition Awards (2020)

  • Established in 1992 with developments across Kent, Sussex and Surrey

 

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Questions put to Matthew Byatt, Technical Manager, Millwood Designer Homes

 

What makes Millwood Designer Homes different?

 

We build individually-designed homes that are sympathetic to the natural surroundings, using sustainable materials and draw on the local architectural history. We seek to create high-quality developments, with a high standard specification that goes beyond those of the common names in the industry. The core of a Millwood development is quality over quantity.

 

What are the challenges you’ve faced and what are you most proud of achieving so far?

 

While we have a range of standard house types, our developments tend to consist of a variety of these, so there is considerable variation on every site where possible. This presents challenges as there is less repetition both in design and on site, so careful attention needs to be paid to detail and accuracy on information.

 

I am very proud of our Tibbs Court Farm development situated in Brenchley, Kent, where we used Premier Guarantee. It showcases some of our largest and highest quality homes in a wonderful countryside setting.

 

How is Millwood Designer Homes building more sustainable homes for the future?

 

Millwood values sustainability and we are using modern renewable technologies such as photovoltaic panels, eco-friendly household appliances and Air Source Heat Pumps on developments to get ahead of the curve on changes to the way we build. Millwood also includes either future provision for, or installed electric vehicle charging points, ready for electric car owners.

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Compared to another major provider of structural warranties, the key differences with Premier Guarantee are the speed in which information is issued and reviewed and the ease to talk to someone to resolve any queries.

Closing quotation mark

Matthew Byatt, Technical Manager, Millwood Designer Homes

You’ve won a lot of awards. What does it mean to win?

 

To win awards is hugely satisfying. We do a lot of our planning design in-house, so for my colleagues it is a personal award to them for their own designs. For others, it is a reflection of the hard work and dedication that goes into each project. To keep up with this can be challenging, but we seek to continually improve our working methods, learning from any challenges faced previously. We also employ rigorous quality assurance processes before each home is handed over to the end user to ensure it is the best it can be.

 

How has Premier Guarantee supported you in your role?

 

As the Technical Lead for The Nurseries development in Kent, I had the task of ensuring all warranty conditions raised as part of the design appraisal were satisfied in a timely manner, to ensure there were no abortive works on site. To assist with this, Premier Guarantee were, and are, extremely efficient in their processes. This ranged from sign off of submitted documentation to clear warranty conditions, to working with us to obtain final certification for the plots so as to not delay handover.

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Premier Guarantee’s customer extranet is very easy to use, and quotations for new sites are more comprehensive and received much quicker. The review time of information on the extranet is about three working days with Premier Guarantee, compared to three-plus weeks we have experienced elsewhere.

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Matthew Byatt, Technical Manager, Millwood Designer Homes

What does Premier Guarantee do differently, in your experience?

 

Compared to another major provider of structural warranties, the key differences are the speed in which information is issued and reviewed and the ease to talk to someone to resolve any queries. Premier Guarantee’s customer extranet is very easy to use, and quotations for new sites are more comprehensive and received much quicker. The review time of information on the extranet is about three working days with Premier Guarantee, compared to three-plus weeks we have experienced elsewhere.

 

How important is a good working relationship with your warranty provider?

 

This is essential as it leads to sensible discussion and a willingness to work together, rather than having to debate issues constantly to get a resolution. For Millwood, we have many contacts within Premier Guarantee that are willing to help at every opportunity, ranging from our Sales Account Manager, to the Customer Care teams at head office.

 

What’s on the horizon for Millwood Designer Homes?

 

Millwood is planning to continue to build high-quality homes into the future across the South East of England, implementing eco-conscious features into our homes where possible, and adapting to the sustainable future of building.

Opening quotation mark

The beauty of working with a company like Millwood Designer Homes is that it is apparent how much pride goes into the work they do. This is noticeable from design through to the site teams, and something that they have managed to maintain during their expansion. For me as their account manager, the key is always good communication; they are always available to answer any queries to speed along the process. A great example of what housebuilding can be.

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Ged Duffey, Premier Guarantee Business Development Manager, South East England

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