Julius Bahn Reviews 

Aftercare service with Julius Bahn has been great. Very helpful and thorough.

We thought we were going with one of the best in the oak frame business. The marketing materials were slick and their buildings looked beautiful in the brochures and on the website. We were investing in a large 4 bay garage (over £100k excluding the base works).

So, here we go.

The base, which was built by a builder Julius Bahn's sales rep recommended to us. It was built too short for the timber frame, it was unlevel and the stone work is crumbling in places. On completion of the oak frame build, Building Control did a site visit and insisted that we had to engage a structural engineer to advise on structural soundness of the building, as it was overhanging the base at one end. The base was not Julius Bahn's responsibility... BUT... they did come to site and signed it off as suitable before commencing the erection of their oak frame.

So, if you're thinking of embarking on a oak frame build with JB:

1) READ THE CONTRACT VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING... once your 14 day cooling off period is up, there is NO GOING BACK, even if they haven't started manufacture or work.

2) Get your own architects/builders drawings and get your building designed and built to those drawings. It may cost extra but its worth every penny. You are then in control. Julius Bahn changed the building shown in our "mock ups" between signing the contract and signing off the final mock ups (these are builders drawings). The first mock up showed the frame sitting on dwarf walls. These walls had been removed on the mock up we signed off. Check everything carefully. Even JB's fitters putting the frame together said it was wrong.

3) I've learned that an oak frame building should never sit directly on a concrete pad, unless the pad is raised all around and has no open garage bays - regardless of what Building Control says is ok. Oak frames should sit on raised walls. Our garage doesn't inside the open bays, and the oak beams sits directly on the pad and in pools of water, when it rains, which blows into the bay. As a result, we have water ingress from the open garage bay into one of the attached rooms. Note: JB warranty excludes water ingress. Their warranty excludes quite a lot of things... please read the T&Cs and Warranty before signing any contract.

3) Ensure that you get your own builder to build the base (and go to see some of their work). When the base is complete, make sure the dimensions are accurate to the builders drawings yourself and that the base is level using a laser level. There is a fall to allow water drainage from the concrete pad in any open bays (which there isn't in ours and wasn't in the drawings).

4) If I was doing this again, I would definitely get prices from other companies (not Prime Oak as they are the same owners - Whitlock and Lowe). We cancelled the roof (their price £20k), as we wanted solar panels fitting. Despite the fact we'd flagged that we might want to do this, we had to pay a cancellation fee of c.£6k (even though we were two months off build and nothing had been manufactured). It felt very wrong, given the cost of the overall build but it was all contracted. So, it was our mistake. When we objected to the £6k fee, one of JB's senior management, David Handley, said that we'd easily get the roof done for £10k... I said to him "So you admit you're ripping off your customers? That'll look good in my online review."

I could go on and on. But time is precious. We try to move on and not think about it but are reminded constantly, as our building team work to correct weaknesses and issues they find with building every day (today it was badly fitted insect mesh). It's hard to admit you've made a mistake, especially a big financial one. But if we could could start from scratch, we definitely wouldn't use Julius Bahn / Prime Oak or any Whitlock and Lowe company. I've learned a lot from the process and I won't make the same mistakes again. Fortunately, we know it will be ok in the end, as we have a great team finding solutions to the problems they encounter.

Do your research carefully. Have your own drawings. Use your own builder. Look for true craftsmen. Read online reviews. Ask to speak to customers.

Very pleased with the design, the quality of the woodwork and the execution of the build by the various trade contractors and JB staff.

Overall the delivery and the quality is very satisfactory. A little more effort on communication would have been appreciated during the building process.
The application and delivery of the planning permission was very efficient.

Our orangery was completed 2019. The whole process from planning to completion was a great experience. Nothing was too much trouble, alterations and changes to plans incorporated. Site visit to visualise the concept was productive.
The whole team were totally amazing, the standard of work unquestionable, after service spot on. Hopefully we will be in the next brochure !

Julius Bahn managed the whole project perfectly from start to finish and the aftercare has been amazing! The products and the quality are incredible. We love our orangery and use it every single day. It has given our home a real “Wow factor “ , with everyone who visits us commenting on how beautiful it is! It is the best money we have spent and has without doubt added value to our home. But more importantly, it has given us a beautiful home to live in and enjoy. I would highly recommend them.

I am a property developer and interior designer therefore I deal with builders and labourers daily. The total construction of our barn and car ports was seamless with the most competent teams of workmen who came in different stages. It was complete within 6 short weeks!

We are thrilled with the result! I have no hesitation in recommending Julius Bahn to others.

Posted here because although we engaged an entity called Prime Oak (PO) we also received key paperwork from the entity that trades as Julius Bahn, entities which the salesperson assured us were merely a cosmetic distinction. (Coincidentally, the documentation issued by Julius Bahn is the documentary proof that the company mis-sold the project.)

Simply put: Prime Oak (PO, alias Julius Bahn) entangled itself in a false claim. Then it tried to cover it up. Then it ran away. Then it tried to sue its way out of the hole it had dug itself. It messed up, but its solution was to make it the customer’s problem.

PO materially and verifiably mis-sold the project. It harps on about its contract, but the law is clear. Where mis-selling has taken place, the vendor’s right to enforce his contract is set aside, as is the customer’s obligation to be bound by it. It is obvious why that should be.

PO misleadingly claims it settled the matter “professionally and respectfully”. In reality it used legal threats to hang onto tens of thousands of pounds it did not earn.

It goes without saying that the right, reasonable, recommended approach to dealing with a dissatisfied customer is to engage in dialogue. But PO screwed its eyes and ears tight shut and simply ran away to hide.

The company failed the reasonableness test at every step. Letters went entirely unaddressed, meetings were cancelled rudely and without apology, written communication was insultingly terse, and the one in- person encounter was disturbing, provoking and deeply traumatic.

Distressingly, it felt like an increasingly personal vendetta against a customer with the temerity to find the company at fault.

Additional points of concern:

Reputable businesses have established complaints resolution procedures, but PO has none. When asked to provide details of the recognised Trade Association to which it belongs and which Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme it abides by, PO flatly blanked the request, so determined was it to leapfrog dialogue and jump to legal action.

PO seeks to claim that the problem arose from a failure by the customer to understand something that it should have understood. This is wholly misleading. PO is well aware that the charge against it is that its salesperson made a very specific, material and explicit claim which this customer relied upon when committing to the contract, a claim that turned out to be false. Without the salesperson’s false claim there would have been no sale.

PO implies that what happened at the point of sale was professional and orderly, whereas in reality it was wildly chaotic, disordered and stressful. It seems highly probable that this chaos was deliberate, and precisely the sort of practice that consumer legislation has tried to outlaw. The salesperson’s “charming dither” was almost certainly unscrupulous artifice.

PO’s sale documentation was a Consumer Protection nightmare: evidently presented so as to be confusing, misleading and hard to parse in a hurry and under stress (both of which conditions the salesperson had succeeding in manufacturing). Consumer legislation has rightly outlawed the use of forms with pre-ticked boxes for items that involve additional cost, but just such a form was a key component of the sale documentation. Even more concerning is that this entire form, which should have been completed in the customer’s hand, was filled in by the salesperson. Indeed this form disappeared somewhere for a few days, and another forms (in retrospect a hugely inappropriate document) went permanently missing.

The salesperson who mis-sold the project, and who unilaterally appointed herself its Project Manager, proposed, in concert with her builder, a tawdry scheme to defraud HM Revenue & Customs of the VAT that would be payable to her builder. Utterly unacceptable.

There is more. Much more. But no more space for it here. This is a very dangerous company to get involved with.

In the end, PO did achieve its sought-for outcome but not in the way it suggests. The prospect of further protracted engagement with such people was too hateful to be endured. Ultimately it was worth paying any price to escape the company’s toxic orbit.

So let down by the experience with Julius Bahn. No financial compensation for the extensive delays to delivery of the cabin and then the joinery. The product is great, but be aware of likely delays in case you are ordering for a specific date. All the people who worked on our project said that all their jobs were delayed and customers dissatisfied. Information was either not given at all or just false - this company has taken on too much work and has a serious customer satisfaction issue. Shame, as the product is lovely.

“We really appreciated the sound advice given to us by Timon during our consultation, which was based on research he had already undertaken into our property. It was time well spent during which we gained a very favourable impression of Julius Bahn and their professional way of working. Thank you.

We are thrilled with our oak orangery and spend a huge amount of time in it. It is not an exaggeration to say that it has transformed our house and has really brought the outside in, allowing us to enjoy the views all through the year. It stays warm in winter, to the point we rarely need to use the underfloor heating , due to the use of quality oak and glazing and the robust design.
The process from design to completion was seamless; with everyone extremely courteous and helpful, from office based staff to the team on site.
We have had a few snags in the two years since it has been built. Nothing major, and always dealt with promptly and without any quibbles. It is this fantastic customer service that makes the Julius Bahn stand out from the crowd.

Very disappointed and let down by Julius Bahn. We paid a deposit for an oak cabin and were given specific timelines for its delivery.
Since then we have called to confirm dates and been told they had not scheduled our cabin. Now it has been scheduled, it is going to over 8 weeks late. The company has provided no real reason, other than to say they have been so successful, delays have occurred!
We feel very over-sold and let down and hear that we are not the only people experiencing delays. We have requested a review of timelines or some form of financial compensation and have heard nothing.
All very frustrating and disappointing.

We were spproached by Julius Bahn to have photographs of our Oak Framed Garden Room that they designed and built for us.
We are extremely pleased with the final result and were happy to have photographs taken for possible use in advertising and sales brochures etc.

Rep never turned up, no email, no phone call, nothing, so we've gone elsewhere.

We took them to court and won
The entire experience was beyond stressful and the finished product is an embarrassment . LARGE gaps allow the outside elements in, they did not take responsibility for and took no pride in the project, lack of attention to detail and abysmal customer service . They would not complete it until they were paid in full, and then once paid, they completely lost all interest .
We took them to court and the judge ruled overwhelmingly in our favour . Do not trust their glossy ads , Stay well away from this company who also trade as Prime Oak.

Julius Bahn Oak Buildings:
We wanted an Oak Orangery to extend our kitchen and living area, after some considerable research, and visits we chose Julius Bahn over similar competitors due to the quality of the product and sales service.
We were overwhelmed with the speed and quality of the completed project, all construction work from the carpenters, glazers to roofers was conducted in a very professional and clean, and tidy manner and on time.
Nothing was too much trouble every phone call/email was responded to immediately and the aftercare support was excellent.
It has made such a difference to our home and has completely transformed the living area, our family and friends cannot believe it.
Whilst Julius Bahn was not the cheapest, the quality of the product and aftercare far outweighed any cost savings we could have made.
Len Bliss

We absolutely love our Julius Bahn Garage and are delighted with the quality of the product. From the initial design process to completion we found everyone at Julius Bahn could not have been more helpful and courteous, and we were so impressed by the quality of customer service we received. Also the fitting team we’re very polite and efficient. Could not recommend Julius Bahn enough, and they would be our first point of call for any future projects !

I was delighted with the quality and service provided. The new oak orangery looks fantastic and from design stage to completion of the project I couldn’t have been more impressed with the attention to detail and courteous efficiency. The construction team had to travel a very considerable distance each day and were always here by 8am. Following construction, the follow up and management visit to check the quality of the work and my satisfaction was exemplary. This is a premium company and their products are not cheap to say the least, but there was never a better example of ‘you get what you pay for’. Highly recommended.

I would just like to say a massive thank you to all the team at Julius Bahn who have made the build experience from start to finish seamless. We have been very impressed with the workmanship and attention to detail and feel very reassured by the service received. Everyone who has worked on site has been friendly, polite and left the site in a clean and tidy fashion at each stage of the works. The orangery looks fabulous and we will enjoy it for many years to come. We would not hesitate to recommend Julius Bahn to anyone who is considering have an oak framed addition to their house.

Extreme disappointment.
Glossy brochure and wording but reality couldn't be more of a contrast.
Endless visits over more than two years to rectify water leaks and drafts. Still experiencing problems and decided to use other contractors to address ongoing issues. Julius Bahn never refused to respond and would have continued to do so but sometimes you need to draw a line and move on.