Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Oct 24, 2013 9:44 pm Hi everyone, Have been following this forum for a while, as planning knock down rebuild next year and got loads of great info here; so thanks for all the contribution. After talking to lots of builders, we' ve finally narrowed down to a couple. One of them is Hermitage Homes. Upon researching, I couldn't find much review of this builder' work (even on this forum). Not as popular as big guys Carlisle or PD I guess; but on productreview website it's overall rating seems better than those big ones. So I am a little confused about this builder. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with them? Could you shed some light if possible: - how is their reliability, in terms of timeline, quality etc - how is the whole building experience? - pricing? - any warranty dramas? - any other concerns? - would you recommend Hermitage Homes? Would really appreciate if anyone can contribute Thanks in advance Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 2Oct 24, 2013 10:34 pm YoungStar Hi everyone, Have been following this forum for a while, as planning knock down rebuild next year and got loads of great info here; so thanks for all the contribution. After talking to lots of builders, we' ve finally narrowed down to a couple. One of them is Hermitage Homes. Upon researching, I couldn't find much review of this builder' work (even on this forum). Not as popular as big guys Carlisle or PD I guess; but on productreview website it's overall rating seems better than those big ones. So I am a little confused about this builder. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with them? Could you shed some light if possible: - how is their reliability, in terms of timeline, quality etc - how is the whole building experience? - pricing? - any warranty dramas? - any other concerns? - would you recommend Hermitage Homes? Would really appreciate if anyone can contribute Thanks in advance Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 3Oct 24, 2013 10:34 pm Hey YoungStar Although I'm also not aware of Hermitage Homes, I'm sure that they (as well as most outfits) will definitely know how to build a quality home. The real issue is trying to be competitive on price with regards the minimum BCA (Building Codes of Australia). Whilst most of us would be comfortable that an old school builder will build a quality home, we accept that they will not have the same purchasing power as some of the large conglomerates, and hence will be more more expensive. To get some comfortability over your build, ensure that your builder will adhere to the following 1. is willing to put their ‘head on the block’ and to offer you a ‘Built on time or they pay your rent’ guarantee. This will keep them honest on their build time. 2. Price to build should be fixed.(once they have the soil tests and contour surveys for your lot) 3. Home should have a lifetime structural guarantee 4. All timber used should be treated timber 5. External frame timber should be 90mm thickness (internal frames can be 70mm) 6. External frame struts should be spaced at 400-450mm rather than 600mm 7. Fames should always be straightened after being formed and temporary bracing removed. (Especially necessary in wet areas where there will be wall tiling) 8. Timber roof trusses should be spaced at 600mm and certainly not 1200mm 9. If using render use an acrylic based render rather than just ‘sand and cement'. Whilst it is vitally important to have quality tradespeople complete the finishing of your home (tilers, plasterers and painters), their job is made so much easier if your foundations and walls are plumb and square. Once you have some comfort over the integrity of you build the rest is just cosmetic. Hope it goes well Best regards Mark Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 4Oct 25, 2013 9:35 am You may want to check with the building authority or consumer affairs/fair trading department as well as the consumer tribunal (ie in Victoria it is VCAT) to see what cases have been brought up against the company. Some states provide information about complaints against builders. If you do look at consumer review sites, bear in mind that some sites will not allow negative comments to be made against builders (the builder has them removed). Negative comments should provide you with some questions to ask the builder. Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 5Oct 25, 2013 2:59 pm Hi Integrity New Homes, Wow, thank you so much for the information; much appreciated. Couldn't agree more that with the foundation of the house being structually sound, the rest can be easily assured. I will certainly discuss your points with them when talking further and try to put into the contract if going ahead Thanks again Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 6Oct 25, 2013 4:07 pm kats_meow You may want to check with the building authority or consumer affairs/fair trading department as well as the consumer tribunal (ie in Victoria it is VCAT) to see what cases have been brought up against the company. Some states provide information about complaints against builders. If you do look at consumer review sites, bear in mind that some sites will not allow negative comments to be made against builders (the builder has them removed). Negative comments should provide you with some questions to ask the builder. Hi kats_meow, this is a brilliant idea; much appreciated. I did a search on VCAT site and couldn't locate anything. I also tried some other big builders, such as PD, etc. but couldnt locate a great deal either, don't know if that's something I might not searching correctly? Anyway, seems not bad at this stage. thanks again! Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 7Oct 25, 2013 6:50 pm The reason you cannot locate some builders on VCAT etc is because sometimes builders have different business and trading names. You might want to find their real name using ASIC. I know of one builder who changes the name of his company (trading and business) because he keeps coming up in the courts so changes the name after each case. You may find an ASIC registered name on the contract or other paperwork that might help. Re: Hermitage Homes - advice appreciated 8Oct 28, 2013 9:41 pm kats_meow The reason you cannot locate some builders on VCAT etc is because sometimes builders have different business and trading names. You might want to find their real name using ASIC. I know of one builder who changes the name of his company (trading and business) because he keeps coming up in the courts so changes the name after each case. You may find an ASIC registered name on the contract or other paperwork that might help. Thanks a lot, good point, just re-checked and looks good. Tks Versaloc is a mortarless besser block system that still needs a properly engineered footing. If you just do a 400x200 footing it will fail in time. At 17m long you need it… 1 18105 Ask for references and speak to them. If they are defensive or try to avoid the request, walk. 1 74716 I would never build with Fowler homes. I built with them in 2021 and till date maintenance issues are pending. All their existing trades and businesses don't work with… 14 105591 |