Clarendon Homes - feedback please

Ok, I don't know if I can help or not but we are currently about to build with clarendon.

1st, Some quick info.

1. Our total build cost(clarendon's portion) is around the $330k mark
2. Very Close relative is also about to build with costs around the $450k mark

So, we are talking about a bit of $$ here.

Now, I searched every project builders design's and inspected the display homes of them all over a 4 month period.

We decided on Clarendon after comparing them with others and found them to be the best quality/value for money.

After paying the initial amount, we had them come out and do a tender etc. (I had actually never met the salesman apart from over the phone as he was the first to answer the phone so he got the job when i called them).

The tender came back and we were "presented" it, we considered the price etc.

NOW, the communication was absolutly pathetic. the amount of times i had to contact the tender presenter about changes/prices was just crazy. Not only were calls not returned, but the same went for emails.

I requested a breakdown on site costs and this never came. something like 2 1/2 weeks later, i had to call somebody else and say take our money (the remainder of the $3000 to get the plans properly drawn etc).

we then get to the final contract presentation and still dont have a site costs breakdown. I put my foot down and say I want them. not only are the costs simply inflated, they don't even match their own internal pricing and "extra" costs are slotted in there.

After some time, some of them are reduced slightly and we agree on the contract and sign off on it.

Why did we go through with it ?

Well, not much choice really, if we went with another builder(domaine, who are also owned by investa), we would lost $2400 in the process of money already paid. (The $600 survey fee would have been waived as we had the survey results already).

Domaine would have built a similar design but not what we had already spent many months already laying out what we wanted.

We are happy(as you can be) with all the other building costs apart from the well inflated site and basix charges.

So, Their communication is very poor and their site and basix costs are inflated.

Apart from that, they are reasonable and designs are decent.

We have decided to do all the floring, landscaping and lux bits ourself as their prices on them were just way to inflated. so, we estimate another $30k for those bits making the build cost around the 355-365k mark.

Similar situation to our relative but his communication was a little better then ours but he is in a different area to us. but, they have similar problems with the overcharging on modifications and site costs.

Try domaine and compare the 2 of them.

After been in contact with at least 5 people at clarendon so far, I only can recommend 1 of them to talk to. (she actually answers the phone/email and will call you back without fail).

Correst, Investa own both.

I'll put some further feedback up soon. (p.s. I will be putting the build progress pics and details up as they are done over the next 8 months)