There is nothing better than an issue being solved quickly and efficiently. Residents will understandably be worried about getting their defects resolved. The defect could be impacting the residents’ quality of life. For example if the water pipe had broken in the bathroom then the resident won’t be able to enjoy the basic amenities of their modern home.

Being prompt and efficient across every step of the defect management process is paramount to reducing the worry for the resident. It is clear with defect management processes in place customer satisfaction has improved.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) and National House Building Council (NHBC) conducted a national annual survey of house builders. The latest survey was conducted over 12 months from October 2020 to September 2021.

The 2020/21 survey recorded 89% of respondents as very, or fairly, satisfied with the overall quality of their new home, representing an increase on 86% in 2018/19. 91% of respondents said they would recommend their builder to a friend. This was consistent with 2019/20 and an increase of 7% in the previous five years.

Ultimately a defect should not occur in the first place, but if a defect does arise it is the job of the housing associations to utilise their defect management software to enable the subcontractor to quickly resolve the issue.

From the time that the resident notices the defect, to it being resolved it is the job of all parties to keep the resident informed of the timescales for resolution, and how it occurred. If all these questions have been answered then the resident can have peace of mind that the experts are on the job.

The Psychological Impact

The definition of psychological is affecting, or arising in the mind; related to the mental and emotional state of a person.

Having efficient defect management will positively impact residents’ psychology. The lack of stress and anxiety will increase resilience, promote self-growth, well-being, and quality of life. Impacts of positive psychology include reducing depression, increasing life satisfaction, and enhancing coping skills.

Defects that have been unresolved or missed can lead to health and well-being issues especially defects that affect air quality, temperature and the safety of the occupant. These issues can cause physical health issues, mental health issues and impact the general well-being of the occupants. Whereas if defects are resolved efficiently none of these issues are escalated.

In a recent study, Foster (2022) investigated the association between defects and mental health. The authors showed that for every additional defect (such as cracks in internal or external walls, dampness/mould, or faulty plumbing), the risk of psychological distress increased by 33%. Notably, the bureaucratic obstacles faced by

owner-occupiers and rental tenants were seen to worsen the adverse impacts of build defects on occupants’ mental health

What is efficient defect management?

Efficient defect management is the process of managing defects while achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort.

Having efficient defect management means that all components of the defect process are aligned. Communication with the resident is paramount, failing to inform and explain the steps to resolve their defect could cause customer dissatisfaction.

The whole premise of clixifix® is to empower aftercare teams in the construction sector to deliver more efficient defect management and repair services.

clixifix’s® securely protected and connected contractor portals drive efficiency, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce complaints.

The SaaS platform that clixifix® has implemented ultimately improves communication across housebuilders, housing associations, principal contractors and subcontractors through online portals, reporting tools, digital workflows, digital libraries and live activity feeds.

A word from our CEO and co-founder

“We are very conscious that with every defect there is a resident that is either worried, anxious or frustrated. Our platform allows for defects to be managed more efficiently, with more communication and accountability. We understand that it can be frustrating when a defect is discovered, especially if it disrupts the residents daily life, but we do everything in our power to make resolutions as efficiently as possible.”

Conclusion

To conclude, defects in new houses do play a big part in the residents’ psychology. It is understandable that when a resident moves into their new house and discovers a defect, the worry is if the defect will be resolved quickly and won’t reappear.

From a clixifix® point of view our mission is to help ensure that every defect is dealt with in a timely manner preventing an escalation. If a defect is left unresolved, that is when the resident begins to develop anxiety, worry, and ultimately frustration.

When the defect management process is efficient and prompt, the resident becomes relaxed and assured of the defect process and will be encouraged to resolve issues in the future.