How to write a review that counts

— and stays fair

A factual, evidence-led review is the most powerful kind — it’s credible, it’s fair, and a builder can’t have it taken down. An angry, accusatory one is weaker and riskier. The difference is simple, and it’s worth getting right. Here’s how.

The one-line rule

Say what happened (facts you can prove, with dates), and clearly mark what you think as your opinion. Don’t accuse anyone of a crime, and don’t speak for other people.

Six golden rules

Stick to facts you can prove. What happened, with dates. “Reported the leak on 14 March; no response after 30 days.” If you could show it to the Ombudsman, it belongs in your review.

Label opinions as opinions. You’re allowed to give an honest opinion — just make it clearly yours and based on the facts you’ve stated: “In my experience…”, “In my opinion the finish was poor.”

Describe your own experience. Speak for yourself, not “everyone on the estate.” You don’t know other people’s cases, and sweeping claims are both unfair and risky.

Never accuse anyone of a crime. Don’t call a builder a “fraud”, “scam”, “con artist” or “crook” unless it’s been proven in court. That’s the fastest way to a real legal problem.

Skip the insults. Name-calling (“useless”, “clowns”, “incompetent”) weakens your review and helps no one. Specific facts hit far harder than abuse.

Don’t guess at motives. You can say what happened; avoid stating why as if it’s fact (“they’re deliberately ignoring us to save money”). You usually can’t know that.

See the difference

✕ Not acceptable

“Sample Homes are scammers and crooks who knowingly sold us a death trap and don’t care. Avoid these con artists — it’s basically fraud.”

Why: Accuses the builder of crimes (fraud/scam), states their motives as fact, and uses pure abuse. None of it is provable — and all of it is legally dangerous.

✓ Acceptable

“We reported significant damp in the master bedroom three weeks after completion. I emailed customer care on 14 March and, six weeks on, have had no response and no repair. In my opinion the after-sales service has been very poor.”

Why: Specific, dated, first-person and evidenceable — with the opinion clearly flagged as opinion. Strong, fair, and a builder can’t have it removed.

✕ Not acceptable

“The site manager is totally incompetent and clearly hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing.”

Why: A personal insult dressed up as fact. It’s an attack on a named individual, not a description of what happened.

✓ Acceptable

“Three separate repair visits over four months haven’t fixed the leak. In my opinion the work hasn’t been carried out to a good standard.”

Why: Describes the facts (visits, timescale, outcome) and frames the judgement as an honest opinion based on them.

✕ Not acceptable

“Everyone on this estate has been ripped off and the builder is ignoring us all on purpose.”

Why: Speaks for other people you can’t verify, and claims a deliberate motive as fact.

✓ Acceptable

“Our snags are still unresolved after 60 days. I can’t speak to the builder’s reasons, but that’s well past the 30-day standard in the New Homes Quality Code.”

Why: Sticks to your own case, avoids guessing motive, and measures it against a published industry standard.

We help you stay on the right side of this. When you write a review, an automated screen flags clearly defamatory or abusive wording so you can reword it before submitting — and the builder always gets a free right of reply. But the screen is a safety net, not a substitute for the rules above: factual and fair always wins.

Ready to write yours?

Stick to the facts, mark your opinions, and let the record speak.

Share your experience

General guidance to help you write a fair, factual review — not legal advice. If you’re unsure whether something is safe to publish, leave it out or take professional advice. Builders always have a right of reply.