Hey guys,
I’ve got two designs, both similar in design and cost.
Can anyone give me advice as to whether there’s anything that distinguish these two builders - other than steel frames... or whether steel frames is something that I should actually care about?
- basically is there a difference in quality, follow up, maintenance support, build times,l etc?
Any advice welcome!
Rawson homes or Mcdonald Jones
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from my experience MJ seem to be cheaper but still produce a well finished home, and they only have steel frame for single level not two storey.
I ended up going with rawsons as they were able to accomodate our block restriction needs, MJ weren't interested..
I ended up going with rawsons as they were able to accomodate our block restriction needs, MJ weren't interested..
Completely different topic but there was an ad coming on TV for Mcdonald Jones giving some discounts on single and double storey. Does anyone know the promotion which is running currently. I couldn't find anything on their website though.
https://www.facebook.com/mcdonaldjoneshomes/
For a limited time, we are taking $45,000* cash off our homes… that’s a $45,000 discount straight back into your pocket when you build your brand new McDonald Jones home.
*Excludes NOW Series designs.
Visit a display home to speak with one of our experienced Building and Design Consultants or see our website for all the details
https://www.mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au
Display Home locations: https://www.mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au/display-homes
For a limited time, we are taking $45,000* cash off our homes… that’s a $45,000 discount straight back into your pocket when you build your brand new McDonald Jones home.
*Excludes NOW Series designs.
Visit a display home to speak with one of our experienced Building and Design Consultants or see our website for all the details
https://www.mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au
Display Home locations: https://www.mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au/display-homes
I'm currently building with Rawson Homes, go with McDonald Jones. Our build has been a bit of a nightmare and putting my hand on my heart, I couldn't recommend Rawson.
I'm currently building with Rawson Homes, go with McDonald Jones. Our build has been a bit of a nightmare and putting my hand on my heart, I couldn't recommend Rawson.
Hey mate, where abouts are you building? And what has been the main issues?
Hope it improves!
On the other hand we've had an incredible experience with Rawson Homes... Swings and Roundabouts..
Haha so true - Im in the ACT though, so am more concerned about whether there are swings or roundabouts...
Check the fine print for this McDonald Jones Homes Promotion. “The $45,000 discount is available to New South Wales, and Canberra Region clients requesting quotations based on the current price list applicable from 8 October 2019 and is subject to the clients obtaining a tender to build and paying a non-refundable acceptance fee of $5,000 within 14 days of the original tender”...
If the promotion is important to you I suggest you check the $45k discount is real, not just smoke and mirrors. Ask MJH to confirm in writing, with official pricing documentation to validate, what the real pricing was before 8 October. If they won’t readily do this to your satisfaction then the promoted $45k discount is probably not real and is just a discount off newer higher pricing. This raises some other more serious concerns...
A good approach is to disregard these types of promotions completely and focus on what’s important in assessing a builder:
1. The company you are trusting
2. Their service and final product quality
3. The house design and inclusions
4. The contract terms
5. The final tender price
Focus on what’s real!
If the promotion is important to you I suggest you check the $45k discount is real, not just smoke and mirrors. Ask MJH to confirm in writing, with official pricing documentation to validate, what the real pricing was before 8 October. If they won’t readily do this to your satisfaction then the promoted $45k discount is probably not real and is just a discount off newer higher pricing. This raises some other more serious concerns...
A good approach is to disregard these types of promotions completely and focus on what’s important in assessing a builder:
1. The company you are trusting
2. Their service and final product quality
3. The house design and inclusions
4. The contract terms
5. The final tender price
Focus on what’s real!
Rawsons have built a nice house, no doubt about it. The build process has been pretty good, but the office process was really frustrating and disappointing and things took way longer than required. The regional manager is now looking over our build. Even with the build, there have been some, what I'd call "couldn't give a f**k" issues or issues that have arisen that could have been solved by a simple telephone call or text message and common sense being applied.
Things like variations falling off, having to submit the same changes multiple times, and then two versions later those changes weren't reflected on the plans. Variation control seemed to be a second thought. Bank not approving first payment as the contract hadn't been witnesses from Rawsons end.
As I said, Rawsons have built a nice house, but this process was drawn out a lot longer and harder than it really needed to be. I would find it difficult to say I would recommend them or use them again for another build.
Things like variations falling off, having to submit the same changes multiple times, and then two versions later those changes weren't reflected on the plans. Variation control seemed to be a second thought. Bank not approving first payment as the contract hadn't been witnesses from Rawsons end.
As I said, Rawsons have built a nice house, but this process was drawn out a lot longer and harder than it really needed to be. I would find it difficult to say I would recommend them or use them again for another build.
Cheers norfolk - found the deal, I’ll take it into consideration, but you’re right - more about the big picture!
Cheers TDR - are you in Canberra? Sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time. Something tells me I’m likely to run into issues with whoever I go with.
Out of curiosity, how much did you end up spending at the colour studio? (In addition to what you/they forecasted?)
Cheers TDR - are you in Canberra? Sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time. Something tells me I’m likely to run into issues with whoever I go with.
Out of curiosity, how much did you end up spending at the colour studio? (In addition to what you/they forecasted?)
We built a combo Rawsons Metford 26/28 with an extra storage room and large media room. In total we have built a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2 living area 220m² house + 36m² garage and 32m² alfresco on a 698m² block. Our total POS is 442.27m2.
In the back of the house (living area) we have 3m ceilings and we went floor to ceiling tiling in the ensuite and bathroom and added an extra metre of concrete into the kitchen/dining/lounge area. Our total house price was $457k, with $15.5k electrical. We got a good deal with Rawsons as we scored a $4k voucher to use in their display shop and we had put in $15k for a gas fireplace which we switch over to the electrical. Fireplace can wait a year or two and after the swim spa.
We also upgraded the sink and taps and had dimmers on nearly ever switch. They also put in a 6 ceiling speakers and wired it all up to a speaker panel in my media room which is included in the $15k elec.
We also upgraded all the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms to thermo-laminate and upgraded the sink and taps.
We got a lot for our $457k and as I said, the building part has been good, the office experience was bad.
Even now when we look at the paper work we find issues, just writing this email I found that they said they would give us the intercom for free, but then there is a charge of $700. Also we paid for 5 baten lights and we don't have any batens in the house excepts for 2 in the garage.
If you go with Rawsons, get everything in writing. Don't take their word over the phone or in person, get it in writing. Unless it's in writing, it never happened. Also, don't sign anything until you are 100%, regardless of them telling you it will get sorted later. Things tend to drop of variations and plans too easily.
In the back of the house (living area) we have 3m ceilings and we went floor to ceiling tiling in the ensuite and bathroom and added an extra metre of concrete into the kitchen/dining/lounge area. Our total house price was $457k, with $15.5k electrical. We got a good deal with Rawsons as we scored a $4k voucher to use in their display shop and we had put in $15k for a gas fireplace which we switch over to the electrical. Fireplace can wait a year or two and after the swim spa.
We also upgraded the sink and taps and had dimmers on nearly ever switch. They also put in a 6 ceiling speakers and wired it all up to a speaker panel in my media room which is included in the $15k elec.
We also upgraded all the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms to thermo-laminate and upgraded the sink and taps.
We got a lot for our $457k and as I said, the building part has been good, the office experience was bad.
Even now when we look at the paper work we find issues, just writing this email I found that they said they would give us the intercom for free, but then there is a charge of $700. Also we paid for 5 baten lights and we don't have any batens in the house excepts for 2 in the garage.
If you go with Rawsons, get everything in writing. Don't take their word over the phone or in person, get it in writing. Unless it's in writing, it never happened. Also, don't sign anything until you are 100%, regardless of them telling you it will get sorted later. Things tend to drop of variations and plans too easily.
We are building in Googong. I got sick of paying Andrew Barr's extortion on land rates and the light rail. If we built in Canberra we were looking at over $1.1m, compared to $850k in Googong.
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
TDR - that’s for such a great post! Really using useful!
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
I’ve been to googong a few times! We came close to buying out there too - mainly due to land tax, but decided to be close to family and bite the bullet in the inner north (hence why Im concerned about costs!)
Plan sounds great - seems like you’ve got a large footprint! I’ll make sure to check the contract in detail if we go with them. Sounds like you got a great price (which is comforting), did you deal with Rad in googong? How long has the whole process been for you guys/when did you finish?
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