Confused please help me to knowHow is Carlisle home builder?

Hi guys,
I am very new to this forum so if you see any nuisance then please excuse me. The reason of my post is that I am thinking of building my new home in Berwick (South East of Melbourne). But I am really very confused which builder is good and genuine. I know all builders are same, I mean everyone wants more money and use cheapest quality material to build the house. Like everyone else this will be our dream home and will use all our savings and hard earned money, so I want to know your opinion if you have any experience with my sort listed builders. I have sort listed three builders to build house and their designs 1) Carlisle (Bordeaux 39.4) 2) Metricon Tribeca 40 MKII) and 3) AV Jennings (Abode 370). I have experience with AV Jennings in the past and they are quite good builder. I build my first house with AV Jennings but they are too pricey and designs are too flat. I mean they don’t have much fancy floor plans and designs. Metricon is another one that’s in our mind but they are too pricey and are not flexible with any alteration. In Metricon homes I found everything you like is an extra and you have to pay for that. Metricon floor plan is quite good but again all comes down to money. Last weekend we saw Carlisle display homes (Bordeaux 39.4), which we are quite impressed with. Floor plan and base price are very attractive and suit our budget. Upgrades are also very affordable. We are thinking to build with Carlisle homes but I just need your feedback from your past experience. I have few good feed backs for AV Jennings and few bad feedbacks for Metricon homes but I couldn’t find anyone having good or bad experience with Carlisle. If anyone come across Carlisle homes and want to give me advice then I will much appreciate your advice. Please let me know how if anyone of you know how is Carlisle builder from quality, material and workmanship. Thanks and look forward to read your feedback.

Cheers....

Hi Hardy,

I just joined the forum as well, and nothing on your post is a nuisance. The whole idea is to find out what people think.

I went through the same issue, and am awaiting building permits through Metricon.

Why did I go with Metricon?

I heard they were sometimes painful to deal with, they can delay some things, but their houises are fantastic, the quality is great and we liked the designs.

Yes we call them weekly to make sure they are on the ball. and since doing this I have seen some progress.

Whilst it is better to have a great experience, and a great house, I feel you are better to have to go through pain and get a great house than an easy ride and a not so great house. Several people I spoke to said the same, and that the end justifed the means. But I have also healrd that 'alot' of the other builders are the same.

A couple of tips thou.

Get all changes in wqriting
Get all prices in writing to the dollar
If you dont understand the contract, or you thinkg something isnt quite right, DO NOT SIGN THE CONTRACT. Even if it is minor. tell the you will happily walk away, or wait for the contracts to be fixed.

Just my 2 sents worth

Adrian B.

Hi Adrian, my view of Metricon is nothing like yours regarding quality of their houses (no personal experience, just a lot of visits to various displays and reading through specifications), I thought their houses were like paper (very nicely furnished and decorated though), would you mind sharing what impressed you so much? Thanks a lot.

Hi Mek, thanks for the reply

I had a good look at several other cmpanies and just didnt like their designs, their thinking or their finish. I saw display homes with broken door handles, bad paint jobs, cracked tiling and sloppy work. Some of them looked like they designed a house and went "bugger, where do we put the laundry??, we'll just put it here. Some were very very basic, others just didnt work well.

The house I went for has great flow, massive pantry, ample storage room and is zoned so we can close off parts for heating / cooling etc. We were careful about what extras we got, and only got what we really needed, v what we wanted, saving a bit of money..At the time, Metricon changed a lot of their basic items to more luxry (ie better tapware, better basins, bigger ovens) which were extras at a lot of other companies.

Despite me comments above about dealings, it all comes down to the sales person you deal with. They are on commission. If you are not getting what you want for what you want, just walk away.

My land settles on Friday, and the permits go in enxt week.

Adrian B

Thanks Adrian, I agree with you, Metricon design are quite good and open plan, Actually I am still tossing between Metricon Tribeca 40 and Carlisle (Bordeaux 39.4). home. My friend build his house with Metricon less then a year ago and spend quite good money on the house. He had quite lots of problems with Metricon. For example shower tile base that he paid extra were just pathetic, though Metricon agreed to rebuild tile base in 3 months contract but it was just extra pain. Kitchen bench stone cracked within 6 months though Metricon agreed to replace it but again it is pain to replace and lot of fighting and make them agreed. Some of his house walls are not straight and some of paint work is also poor etc. After so much thoughts and consideration my friend decided to build with Metricon but he had to fight to get these things fixed and some of the things can not be fixed. But again it all depends upon your building supervisor, if he is not experienced or doesn’t care then these problems can happen with any builder. I am in deciding phase for which builder I will be building with. I more tempting towards AVJennings and Carlisle. Quite lot of things are standard in Carlisle and AVJennings homes but you have to pay extra for other builders. Anyway you should build with whom you are comfortable. I will keep searching for another few weeks for the feedback for these builders and then leave on GOD to help after signing cheque . Thank guys,


Regards,
Hardy

Hi Hardy,

I wasnt surprised with what you said, and that is possible with any builder. I know of a couple of metricon houses that were demolished as they did not think the contractor built the frame to scratch, so they pulled it down.

The best thing I can say is keep doing what you are doing now, homework. the more the better.

Read every letter of the contract, then read it again.
Take friends to the display house you like, and go through it with them. - when you look at it long enough, you do forget about some things.
Get 100+ people to check your electrical plan. OK 80 will do, but the more the merryer.
Ask for (but be prepared to pay for) independant building inspections.

will add more when I get home!!!

Adrian B

Hi, Adrian B,

Can you tell me more about the demolish of Metricon's new house please? Who pull it down?

We have a house being built by Metricon now.


Thanks a lot.

Jan

Hi Jan,

I dont know exact details, except that they were in Traralgon / Morwell area and was over 6 months ago. I only knew through my parents who built with Hotondo. Building in question was apparently at frame stage, and for whatever reason was deemed not satisfactory, and at a guess, beyond repair to get it up to scratch.


What is the problem with your house??

Adrian B

Jan, no good that you have a problem with your home - regardless of the builder. Metricon build (I think) over 2000 homes a year so it does stand to reason that some will have issues. The main thing is that they are prepared to fix them, or demolish them and start again. In a bizarre way, that can be seen as a positive.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that Metricon is a very big company. DON'T get into a legal stoush with them as you will most likely not win, and if you do it will only be at great cost. In Victoria you have Building Advice and Conciliation Victoria (BACV) which is supposed to be able to mediate building disputes quickly and cheaply. CALL them ASAP on 1300 557 559 for some advice and direction!! You do not need to engage a lawyer at this stage and for your own sanity and financial well being avoid it at the moment - let BACV advise first.

Also, Metricon are award winning HIA members. Call HIA on 9280 8200 and ask to speak to someone about making a complaint about a member builder. Get the name of the person and let us know on this forum how you went.

As I've said in other forums, both MBA and HIA promote their own brand to the point where being a member of either will ensure perfection from the consumer perspective. It is not true, and they need to know when it isn't.

Thank you, Adrian and Builda, my problem is at the base stage. For me, building a house is really a very painful and bad experience. I have lots to share in this forum, but I'm not in the mood to talk much now. If I can have sth. to cheer myself up, I'll let you know.

Send me a PM (personal message) and we can talk on the phone about it.

Hello Guys,
I am scared to build house now as I heard lots of bad experiences with so many people. Just want to know if anyone know a good independent building inspector who can inspect house being built stage by stage and at the time of hand over. If you have any experience with such building inspector, can you please share with us? How much they charge generally? Is it a good idea to have your building inspector? Are these building inspectors licensed? Just We are building in South east of Melbourne. We are prepared to pay to have our own building inspector if that can give peace of mind. Any more ideas guys????

Hardy

Hi Hardy,

Dont be scared about building a new house. For me it is an exciting part of our lives together, letting us move into OUR home, not a house.

Just be cautious and informed. Not all builders are painful to deal wit h. Thats the reason I joined this forum, to read and ask questions. My only tips are :

Ask plenty of 'stupid' questions if you dont understand something

If you dont understand it, dont sign it.

Dont signt contracts in front of the builder, take them away and study them. Once they are signed, usually that is it. (It took me 4 goes to get mine correct, even my name was mispelt throughout the contract.)

Get as many people to check your plans, especially the electrical ones, (I still find errors but they are liveable)

If a builder says they cannot do what you want,ask why. Be fair but firm with your builder, some things are out of their control, and they are be bound by regulations, so as one person in this forum said, customers can be a pain too (still waiting for examples tho??)

I am about to commence building with Metricon (permits just submitted) and I wont lie and say it has been smooth sailing. I have had to hound them to get updates, and the progress was on their terms. I soon put a stop to that, and told them I would not sign the contract until a number of tasks were done, which I was happy to pay for prior to signing. Now it is on my terms, within reason of course, but just remember what you are paying for and what you put in effort wise are 2 separate issues. Many people I have spoken to say dealing with builders has been a hard experience, but that their houses are fantastic, and this is what I hope for. Some have said that everything has been good.

Just be honest, and get everything in writing.

Regarding the Inspectors, I will be looking for one in the near future, so let me know how you go, or I will post on the forum.

Adrian B

We've just signed up to build with Carlisle too, so perhaps we can compare notes if you do too?

Hi Jen H

Just wanted to check if it was Carlise in Victoria you signed up with?

Regards

Yes BB, Carlisle in VIC

Hi Hardy,
who did you end up choosing?

Hi there,
Just to let you know that I have started building with Carlisle homes (In Victoria). Up to frame stage is done and work is going very fast. It is smooth ride so far (touch wood) and happy till now and exicited to finish this project asap. Up to now my personal experience with Carlisle homes is good and will recommend to other, don't know about future........

Hey Hardy and Jen,

We have just signed building contracts this week witth Carlisle Homes in Vic. So far everything has been 100% awesome. Great staff, lots of answers to silly questions and good communication (literally 100's of emails).

We are building in Rowville and hope to start in early may with the cut of the block!

We are building a version of the Grande 43 that will end up about 53 squares with all our "additions" that we "had to have".....

How are you both going with yours now?

Matt

Hi Matt

We've done our colour selection appointments but there's a bit of a delay until our tender appt (when the final pricing is set out) as someone's on holidays for a few weeks. We're not fussed about it, but I guess if you were in a hurry, it would pay to get both colour appointments and the tender appointment in the diary well in advance.

The colour appt went well and Emma was really helpful in it, so so far so good.

Sales person was a bit naughty submitting a siting of the house on our block without running it past us but they are happy to change that for us, no problems by the end of this week.

Keep us up to date with your progress!