'We are really pleased to be in our new home for Christmas... It’s nice to live in an up‑to‑date house,' said Cpl Jack Crean, who moved with his partner Nina and their one‑year‑old son into a refurbished property at Bassingbourn Barracks, Cambridgeshire. The Ministry of Defence says 1,000 of the worst service family homes have been upgraded ahead of schedule, meaning more forces families can spend Christmas in safer, warmer accommodation.

Under the Consumer Charter launched in April 2025, Defence Secretary John Healey set an initial target of 1,000 priority fixes. The MOD now says a further 250 properties will get upgrades 'over the coming months' - a 25% increase on that original pledge.

Officials describe the work as 'Raising the Minimum Standards' across the estate. Almost 700 homes have been upgraded in England, more than 150 in Northern Ireland, over 100 in Wales and more than 50 in Scotland - signalling action well beyond the capital.

Works in England include more than 200 properties in Wiltshire and Windsor, plus homes in Bassingbourn, Swanton Morley, Woodbridge and Uxbridge. The MOD statement did not single out bases in Northern England. Families across the North will want a clearer timetable as the spring tranche is drawn up.

What has changed on the ground? According to the department, homes have received new flooring and essential repairs: unreliable boilers and heating systems replaced, hundreds of leaking roofs fixed, and fresh bathrooms, kitchens, windows and doors installed.

This is the early phase of a ten‑year Defence Housing Strategy backed by £9 billion. The MOD says it will modernise, refurbish or rebuild more than 40,000 service family homes, supported by last year’s deal that brought 36,000 properties back into public ownership.

Defence Secretary John Healey said the least service families deserve are 'safe and decent homes' and that the work completed means more families can enjoy Christmas 'in homes that are fit for heroes'. He added that ministers are 'ending the decades of neglect'.

David Brewer, Chief Operating Officer at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, called the upgrades a first step in a 'generational renewal' and said nine in ten homes are set to be improved as the strategy beds in.

The MOD says all Consumer Charter commitments made in April 2025 remain on course to be delivered by 31 December 2025. These include tougher move‑in standards so families arrive to clean, functional homes, easier rules to personalise properties and a named Housing Officer for every family.

Monthly surveys of serving personnel now show improving satisfaction, according to the department. The Northern Ledger will keep tracking where the next wave lands - and when upgrades reach families across the North.