Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12621Nov 10, 2016 5:37 pm I've ummed and ahhed over doing a blog for our build. Finding time is tricky (3 kids ... including 4 year old twins). I've loved reading MGardz blog - not building the Harmony but a good spot to start with building adventures. I'll happily PM you with our selections/upgrades for the Harmony Elite and other stuff. No one was building the Harmony when we started this process! We found Masterton pretty upfront with costs - the base price quoted is quite literally the BASE price. I doubt ANYONE builds a home for that price. I've heard people comment that you should budget for up to an extra $100,000 on top of the quoted base price. But I don't know if that is everyone's experience. It would have to largely depend on your selections. Before the Harmony Elite was built at Thornton, we went to the display at Willowdale (Sydney) and a sales lady there said she'd had a 'no bells or whistles' Harmony built for around $280,000 (the base price at that stage was $247,000). We haven't had anything too unexpected crop up. I've read about people on here being hit with fees for finding shale when site is being cut and someone (?) had crazy fees for overhead wires & needing 'tiger tails' put on. A lot of people comment getting their own contractors to do things like electrical, flooring, laundry fit out, driveway etc, after hand over, can be a way to keep cost down. KDR Masterton Harmony Elite + custom granny flat Aug 2015 - Deposit paid Dec 2015 - Contracts signed Feb 2016 - Colours appointments Mar 2016 - DA submitted Jun 2016 - DA approved Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12622Nov 10, 2016 5:42 pm MartinsHarmony I've ummed and ahhed over doing a blog for our build. Finding time is tricky (3 kids ... including 4 year old twins). I've loved reading MGardz blog - not building the Harmony but a good spot to start with building adventures. I'll happily PM you with our selections/upgrades for the Harmony Elite and other stuff. No one was building the Harmony when we started this process! We found Masterton pretty upfront with costs - the base price quoted is quite literally the BASE price. I doubt ANYONE builds a home for that price. I've heard people comment that you should budget for up to an extra $100,000 on top of the quoted base price. But I don't know if that is everyone's experience. It would have to largely depend on your selections. Before the Harmony Elite was built at Thornton, we went to the display at Willowdale (Sydney) and a sales lady there said she'd had a 'no bells or whistles' Harmony built for around $280,000 (the base price at that stage was $247,000). We haven't had anything too unexpected crop up. I've read about people on here being hit with fees for finding shale when site is being cut and someone (?) had crazy fees for overhead wires & needing 'tiger tails' put on. A lot of people comment getting their own contractors to do things like electrical, flooring, laundry fit out, driveway etc, after hand over, can be a way to keep cost down. That would be great if you wouldn't mind sending through upgrades and selections Holy moly an extra $100,000. I think we will be keeping it to as minimal as possible and perhaps upgrade later like door handles and things Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12623Nov 10, 2016 6:09 pm Jess - we are building in Fletcher. I'd agree you need to allow another 100,000. I've just added my post handover costs to be $50,000. You need to allow for landscaping, driveway, fencing, blinds, fly screens and security doors. Can't think of what else but my total is 50K post handover. Masterton Villina Elite 2016 23/3 Slab 13/4 Frame & Windows 24/5 Bricks 19/8 Roof 29/9 Gyprock 3/11 Paint Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12624Nov 10, 2016 6:18 pm S-VE Jess - we are building in Fletcher. I'd agree you need to allow another 100,000. I've just added my post handover costs to be $50,000. You need to allow for landscaping, driveway, fencing, blinds, fly screens and security doors. Can't think of what else but my total is 50K post handover. Thank you so much for reply! Ah yes I didn't think of all of those things Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12625Nov 10, 2016 6:23 pm S-VE Mortar does get lighter. Our SS reckons our house will be finished by the 20th. No word on PCI yet. Aircon vents went in yesterday. This is my current to do list External - Paint downpipes Garage door Rainwater tank install Gas boosted hot water system External aircon motor Internal - Shelving pantry, laundry, linen Robe fit out Chute - finish Shower screens Electrical install Alarm install Door handles Bathroom accessories Mirrors Shire_Synergy - how much have you got left to get done ? Any news on PCI ? Your contract would almost be up. Hi S-VE, As of today we only have the main floor to finish (half done so far) plus mirrors/ showerscreens and splash backs to go. Everything else is in. Love the glass staircase this week. Very happy with quality of wardrobes / laundry fit out as well. No word on PCI but hopeful late next week.... contract finished on Monday. Synergy 32 Contemporary Facade https://synergy32.wordpress.com/ 05/15 Deposit 09/15 Contracts 11/15 Demolition 02/16 Slab 03/16 Frame 05/16 Bricks Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12626Nov 10, 2016 8:26 pm Jess_95 Fisher75 Jess_95 Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. 2014 30/05 $3900 25/08 Contracts 02/10 DA submitted 2015 17/02 DA approved 02/04 Colors 10/04 Demo 09/07 Construction start 27/07 Fill 15/08 Slab 21/09 Frame 2016 08/01 Bricks Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12627Nov 10, 2016 8:27 pm Fisher75 Jess_95 Fisher75 [quote="Jess_95"]Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. [/quote] Omg really? Is there any reason for that Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12628Nov 10, 2016 8:28 pm Jess_95 Fisher75 Jess_95 [quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"]Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. [/quote] Omg really? Is there any reason for that [/quote] The only I can think of, we picked the wrong builder. 2014 30/05 $3900 25/08 Contracts 02/10 DA submitted 2015 17/02 DA approved 02/04 Colors 10/04 Demo 09/07 Construction start 27/07 Fill 15/08 Slab 21/09 Frame 2016 08/01 Bricks Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12629Nov 10, 2016 8:30 pm Fisher75 Jess_95 Fisher75 [quote="Jess_95"][quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"]Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. [/quote] Omg really? Is there any reason for that [/quote] The only I can think of, we picked the wrong builder. [/quote] Thanks for your help that's a bit a concerning Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12630Nov 10, 2016 8:42 pm Jess_95 Fisher75 Jess_95 [quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"][quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"]Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. [/quote] Omg really? Is there any reason for that [/quote] The only I can think of, we picked the wrong builder. [/quote] Thanks for your help that's a bit a concerning [/quote] I've seen a post in this thread, that someone building with another builder read this thread and told others in his/her thread that they should not be complaining and if they want to know what bad looks like, they should read Masterton thread. So if decide to build with M read as much as you can in this thread, so you are prepared for all gotchas. 2014 30/05 $3900 25/08 Contracts 02/10 DA submitted 2015 17/02 DA approved 02/04 Colors 10/04 Demo 09/07 Construction start 27/07 Fill 15/08 Slab 21/09 Frame 2016 08/01 Bricks Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12631Nov 10, 2016 8:44 pm Fisher75 Jess_95 Fisher75 [quote="Jess_95"][quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"][quote="Fisher75"][quote="Jess_95"]Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice If you decide to build with M don't believe anything said, demand everything in writing. That has me a bit worried, how long have all your builds taken? Ours took 3 years, not finished yet. 20 months paperwork and 16 months of build so far. [/quote] Omg really? Is there any reason for that [/quote] The only I can think of, we picked the wrong builder. [/quote] Thanks for your help that's a bit a concerning [/quote] I've seen a post in this thread, that someone building with another builder read this thread and told others in his/her thread that they should not be complaining and if they want to know what bad looks like, they should read Masterton thread. So if decide to build with M read as much as you can in this thread, so you are prepared for all gotchas. [/quote] Ok thank you for letting me know Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12632Nov 10, 2016 8:53 pm We've had a great experience Jess. We r a week over our contract period but i still feel happy with the service we have had. Our build period was 6 months Concerto 6/11/15 - $3900 17/12/15 - Contracts signed 15/3/15 Color appt booked 29/3/16 Demo 8/6/16 Slab 30/6/16 Frames 11/8/16 Bricks 14/8/16 Tiles 20/9/16 Gyprock 6/10/16 Lock up 3/11/16 Tiles Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12633Nov 10, 2016 8:59 pm MMeadows We've had a great experience Jess. We r a week over our contract period but i still feel happy with the service we have had. Our build period was 6 months That's great to hear! Do you mind if I PM you? Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12634Nov 10, 2016 9:14 pm MMeadows We've had a great experience Jess. We r a week over our contract period but i still feel happy with the service we have had. Our build period was 6 months I guess you mileage may vary, however IMHO there are a lot more decent builders around and there are too many unhappy customers in this thread. It is like winning a lottery, it does not mean everyone wins though. I wish I choose more carefully, not just assume that a company with over 50 years on the market can't be bad, as past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Our case may be one of the worst. For anyone deciding to build with M I would suggest MGardz's blog: https://mandgbuildatmulgoarise.wordpress.com/ In my view it is more of an average experience. 2014 30/05 $3900 25/08 Contracts 02/10 DA submitted 2015 17/02 DA approved 02/04 Colors 10/04 Demo 09/07 Construction start 27/07 Fill 15/08 Slab 21/09 Frame 2016 08/01 Bricks Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12635Nov 10, 2016 9:35 pm Jess_95 Hi guys, Sorry to highjack the thread but my partner and I are really considering building with M within the newcastle region as first time builders can anyone give me any advice Read the thread FIRST before you make any decisions thats the best advice i could give. Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12636Nov 10, 2016 9:38 pm I wouldn't recommend M to anyone purely because as soon as you sign that contract you get zero customer service. Pre construction is a nightmare. The incompetence of the draftsmen is unbelievable. You have zero communication from anyone the entire build. You have to stalk tradies to find out what is going on. Do they build a good quality house ? Apparently so, it remains to be seen with our build. I've picked up on so many mistakes. Ask me if I'm happy in 6 months Jess - if you aren't in a hurry, you're welcome to come have a look at our home when we get the keys. Masterton Villina Elite 2016 23/3 Slab 13/4 Frame & Windows 24/5 Bricks 19/8 Roof 29/9 Gyprock 3/11 Paint Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12637Nov 11, 2016 5:29 am Jess_95 - I too read the whole thread for M and a few others and most seem to have issues! I agree about the pre construction delays and ours was ALL due to the people that work in the head office. Our build started mid August and we couldn't be happier with the progress. Our contract is 6 months and we should be in either on time or a bit earlier! I really think the build part depends on what area you build in. Most of the trades we have seen are quite reliable and do a great job. Our SS checks in every two weeks to let us know progress and always calls me back if I ring him with a question. We are building on the South Coast of NSW. Good luck! Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12638Nov 11, 2016 6:44 am Jess - the reason we went with M was because everyone we know in Newcastle that had built with them was very happy with the end result. I'm heading onsite soon to tell the carpenter where I want all my bathroom accessories. Mum just pointed out to me that I should of gotten bigger towel rails for our big bath towels. I'll take some more pics Masterton Villina Elite 2016 23/3 Slab 13/4 Frame & Windows 24/5 Bricks 19/8 Roof 29/9 Gyprock 3/11 Paint Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12639Nov 11, 2016 7:36 am Jess_95, we finished our M home nearly two years ago and love it! Yes, there were delays along the way (some due weather, some due to tradies/SS) and yes, it was frustrating at times. So much depends on your SS and how organised he is. But the end product is excellent. We have friends and neighbours who have built with others (both project home and indy builders) and they have ALL had issues of some sort. Some bigger than others. If you read through forums for other builders, they all have problems - I think it is the building industry in general. The tradies that work for M this month may well have worked for McDonald Jones/Beechwood/etc last month. Pre-construction seems to take forever, mostly I expect because we can't see whats going on and don't understand whats taking so long! But there is no guarantee that you won't have this issue with ANY building company. We found the house we loved, that flowed well, and that would work for our block of land. So, as painful as delays can be, we focused on the end product, and knowing that the keys would eventually be ours. The hassles and delays during the build process all fade away once you get the keys.... a bit like the pain of childbirth! Hopefully your Sales Consultant will help give you realistic pricing so you know what you're expecting is what you can afford to get. Good luck with your decision! Feel free to pm me if there's any questions you'd like to ask! Masterton Overture 17/12/14 - Handover ...... we got the keys !! blog - http://www.mcnamaraadventure.blogspot.com Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 12640Nov 11, 2016 7:48 am GillyM Jess_95, we finished our M home nearly two years ago and love it! Yes, there were delays along the way (some due weather, some due to tradies/SS) and yes, it was frustrating at times. So much depends on your SS and how organised he is. But the end product is excellent. We have friends and neighbours who have built with others (both project home and indy builders) and they have ALL had issues of some sort. Some bigger than others. If you read through forums for other builders, they all have problems - I think it is the building industry in general. The tradies that work for M this month may well have worked for McDonald Jones/Beechwood/etc last month. Pre-construction seems to take forever, mostly I expect because we can't see whats going on and don't understand whats taking so long! But there is no guarantee that you won't have this issue with ANY building company. We found the house we loved, that flowed well, and that would work for our block of land. So, as painful as delays can be, we focused on the end product, and knowing that the keys would eventually be ours. The hassles and delays during the build process all fade away once you get the keys.... a bit like the pain of childbirth! Hopefully your Sales Consultant will help give you realistic pricing so you know what you're expecting is what you can afford to get. Good luck with your decision! Feel free to pm me if there's any questions you'd like to ask! Thank you for your reply! And I appreciate your feedback. We are lucky that we are looking at builders now as we are not looking to build until the end of next year/early 2018. I'm already in the mind set of some delays with paperwork as the estate we will be in requires certain design guidelines But again thank you can wait to see photos of your build 4 17270 i imagine you also have another contract with an architect? and yeah, whatever other's said about special conditions and appendices 16 16751 Hi all I am looking to run a water line under my concrete footpath which is directly next to my home, was seeing if this is possible without cutting the entire section… 0 20780 |